This Is Exactly How New Moms Feel—So Why Isn’t Anyone Talking About It?
Defining the experience of “matrescence.” The statistics surrounding new motherhood are staggering. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , one in eight mothers experiences postpartum depression within the first year after delivery. Nearly one‑third of women develop a pelvic floor disorder at some point in their lives, often related to childbirth. Research also shows that up to 60% of postpartum women experience diastasis recti, a separation of the abdominal muscles after pregnancy. Yet there is one challenge every mother faces — a universal transition that begins before or during pregnancy and continues long after birth. And the word for it isn’t even in most dictionaries: Matrescence . 🌱 What Is Matrescence? Matrescence refers to the physical, emotional, hormonal, and social transformation a person undergoes as they become a mother. The term was coined in the 1970s by medical anthropologist Dana Raphael , who also helped popularize the concept of the...