Matrescence

Yep. It’s a thing.

All women who have biological children go through this. It’s essentially all of the changes that happen during pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, and beyond.

Physical changes.

Psychological changes.

Emotional changes.

Every time a baby is born, so is the mom, and even with subsequent children, because a new level of motherhood is reached and birthed each time.

There are hormones that change our bodies so that they can conform and create space to carry a new life and birth it.

There are hormones that help us bond with our babies and tell our bodies to make breastmilk.

There are hormones that affect our brains and our emotions.

There is fatigue from hormones and the simple lack of sleep that comes with caring for a newborn.

Our focus becomes much more inward and all about providing for and protecting the little life inside of our bellies, and outside, once birthing happens.

Our bodies fluctuate and change A LOT during this time. It’s kind of like going through puberty again, except instead of a woman emerging, a mother comes into being.

There is a sort of push-and-pull from what we were before having children, to who we are becoming now, after birthing them.

It’s hard. And can be very frustrating.

BUT, I want you to know, this Matrescence thing is NORMAL and GOOD.

The best thing to do through all of this up-and-down journey is to remember that ultimately, you are precious, loved, strong, and capable.

You were created to do this and you were created for this.

And through it all, this journey of motherhood is your own. Though you may look a little physically different from when you entered it, and your soul (mind, will, emotions) may have changed, you are STILL that wonderful woman that God created and thinks the world of.

Mama, you are AMAZING.

You’ve got this!

Xoxoxo

Kristi