Matrescence: Navigating the Transition into Motherhood

Becoming a Mother Changes More Than Your Life. It Changes You.

Motherhood can bring tremendous love and joy—and also changes that are difficult to put into words.

You may love your child deeply while missing parts of who you were before becoming a mother. You may feel grateful and overwhelmed, confident and uncertain, connected and lonely—all at the same time.

There is a word for this transformation: matrescence.

Much like adolescence describes the developmental transition from childhood into adulthood, matrescence describes the complex transition of becoming a mother. It can involve changes in your identity, relationships, body, emotions, priorities, career, sexuality, values, and sense of yourself.

And it doesn't necessarily end when the postpartum period does.

Matrescence vs. Postpartum Depression or Anxiety

This distinction is important.

Matrescence is not a mental health diagnosis. It is a developmental transition.

Emotional discomfort, identity changes, uncertainty, grief, and conflicting feelings can occur as someone adjusts to motherhood without necessarily indicating a mental health disorder.

However, matrescence and mental health conditions can also occur at the same time.

Pregnancy and postpartum are vulnerable periods for conditions such as:

Postpartum depression
Postpartum anxiety
Postpartum OCD
Birth trauma and PTSD
Grief and loss
Other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders

You don't have to determine which category your experience falls into before asking for help. A therapist trained in perinatal mental health can help you understand what you're experiencing and determine what type of support may be helpful.

Identity Changes After Becoming a Mother

One of the most significant—and least discussed—parts of matrescence is the transformation of identity. Before becoming a mother, you may have understood yourself through your career, relationships, interests, independence, friendships, accomplishments, or simply the freedom to decide how you spent your time.

Motherhood doesn't erase those identities, but it can require you to renegotiate them. Recent research examining maternal identity describes this transition as involving changes in how mothers understand themselves, their roles, priorities, autonomy, and previous identities.

Therapy can provide a space where the question isn't simply:

"How can I be a better mother?"

but also:

"Who am I becoming?"

Matrescence Can Happen More Than Once

Matrescence isn't necessarily something you experience only with your first child.

Each new child can change your identity, relationships, responsibilities, family dynamics, and understanding of motherhood.

The transition from:

individual → mother

may feel different from:

mother of one → mother of two

or:

mother of young children → mother of school-aged children

Motherhood continues to evolve—and so do you.

There is no universal timeline for when matrescence "ends."

What Is Matrescence?

The term matrescence was introduced by medical anthropologist Dana Raphael in the 1970s to describe the transition into motherhood.

Today, researchers understand matrescence as a multidimensional developmental experience involving biological, neurological, psychological, social, cultural, economic, relational, and even existential changes. In other words, having a baby doesn't simply add the role of "mom" to your existing life. You are changing, too.

Matrescence can begin during preconception or pregnancy and continue well beyond the early postpartum period. It may also occur through adoption or surrogacy, and aspects of the transition can happen again as your family grows or your role as a mother changes.

Why Does No One Talk About This?

We prepare extensively for babies. There are childbirth classes, registries, parenting books, feeding classes, nursery checklists, and seemingly endless conversations about what your baby will need. But we don't always prepare mothers for what happens to them.

The transition into motherhood can involve renegotiating:

Identity and sense of self
Relationships and marriage
Career and professional identity
Body image
Sexuality and intimacy
Friendships and social connections
Independence and autonomy
Family relationships and boundaries
Values and priorities
Cultural expectations of motherhood
Mental and emotional health
The invisible mental load of parenting

Recognizing these changes as part of a significant developmental transition can help mothers approach them with curiosity and compassion rather than assuming something is "wrong."

What Does Matrescence Feel Like?

Matrescence looks different for everyone.

You might find yourself thinking:

"I love my baby, but I miss my old life."
"I don't know who I am anymore outside of being a mom."
"Everyone asks about the baby. No one asks about me."
"I thought I would feel happier than this."
"My relationship doesn't feel the same anymore."
"I feel guilty for wanting time away from my child."
"I don't recognize my body—or myself."
"I thought becoming a mom would come naturally."
"Why does everyone else seem to be handling this better than I am?"

Having mixed feelings about motherhood doesn't mean you don't love your child or that you're doing something wrong. Conflicting emotions can exist at the same time. You can be grateful and exhausted. Love your child and miss your independence. Feel confident one day and completely unsure the next. Want to be with your baby and desperately need space for yourself. Matrescence gives us language for that complexity.

Therapy for Matrescence

You don't need to have postpartum depression or another diagnosis to benefit from support during the transition to motherhood.

Therapy can give you space to explore the parts of motherhood that may be difficult to say out loud.

Together, we can work through:

Identity changes after becoming a mother
Loss of your pre-motherhood identity
Mom guilt and unrealistic expectations
Relationship changes after having a baby
Mental load and burnout
Returning to work after maternity leave
Body image and intimacy
Changing friendships
Boundaries with extended family
Cultural expectations surrounding motherhood
Balancing caregiving with your own needs
Grief for your previous life
Finding meaning and confidence in your evolving identity

The goal isn't to help you "get back to who you were." It is to make room for who you were, who you are now, and who you are becoming.

You Don't Have to Choose Between the Woman You Were and the Mother You're Becoming.

Motherhood may become part of your identity, but it doesn't have to become your entire identity.

If becoming a mother has left you wondering where you fit into your new life, therapy can give you space to explore that question without judgment. We're here to support the whole person behind "Mom." Schedule a consultation with a Cherokee Rose therapist and find support as you navigate motherhood, identity, relationships, and everything in between.

Reach Out

Research & Resources

The information on this page is based on research from:

Athan, A. M. (2024). A critical need for the concept of matrescence in perinatal psychiatry. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, 1364845.

Raphael, D. (1973). The Tender Gift: Breastfeeding. Prentice-Hall.

Additional information about contemporary matrescence research and its developmental framework is available through the Matrescence project developed by psychologist Aurélie Athan, Ph.D.

Last reviewed: August 2026