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Perinatal · Identity

Matrescence Map

A developmental transition, not a bounce back

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Matrescence — becoming a mother — is a developmental transition on the scale of adolescence, and just as disorienting. Naming it is a corrective to the 'bounce back' story.

Who I was before this baby
Parts of me that feel newly loud
Parts of me I'm afraid I've lost
What I'd tell a friend going through the same disorientation
One small way I'll stay in contact with myself this week

References & further reading

Conceptual background and further reading, not validation of this handout. Named instruments and methods belong to their original authors; custom prompts and trackers are not validated versions of those instruments.

  • Sacks, A., & Birndorf, C. (2019). What No One Tells You: A Guide to Your Emotions from Pregnancy to Motherhood. Simon & Schuster.
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