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Video · Postpartum & new motherhood

Matrescence: There’s a Word for What You’re Going Through

The developmental shift into motherhood, and why loss of self isn’t ingratitude.

31 seconds · on-screen text, no narration

Tammy Gold, LCSWSecrets of the Nanny Whisperer by Tammy Gold, published by Penguin
By Tammy Gold, LCSW
Author of Secrets of the Nanny Whisperer (Penguin)

Text in this video

There’s a word for this.

What it names

  1. Matrescence — the developmental shift into motherhood. Like adolescence.
  2. Hormonal, neurological and physical change on a scale nobody warned you about.
  3. Relationships shift. Friendships change. Your marriage reorganises.
  4. Loss of identity isn’t ingratitude. It’s a documented part of the transition.
  5. And like adolescence, it takes longer than anyone tells you.

You are not losing yourself. You are becoming someone, and becoming is disorienting.

Naming it helps more than you’d expect. Most mothers feel this and have no language for it.

Where to go from here

If your mood, anxiety or thoughts are the main problem, start with therapy, which you can use insurance for through Alma. If what you need is a practical plan for help, nights and childcare, that’s coaching.

Postpartum therapy (insurance through Alma)New mom coachingTherapy for momsGoing back to work after babyAll videos

More from this series

Thirty seconds each.

“Good Enough” Is the Clinical Standard, Not a Consolation Prize

Why small, ordinary failures, followed by repair, are how trust forms. Read the text

Why Postpartum Is So Hard: Four Things, Not One

Biological, emotional, relational and environmental: four loads at once. Read the text

When It’s More Than Baby Blues: Signs Worth Raising With Your Doctor

Signs worth raising with your OB, midwife or doctor. Read the text

Everyone Asks About the Baby. Almost Nobody Asks About You.

Five small steps to get real support in the postpartum months. Read the text

Want to talk it through?

Check whether your plan covers sessions and see my open times on Alma.

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General questions: tammy@caremapmethod.com · Text a general booking question: (818) 308-1358

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