Matrescence is the largest developmental shift you’ll ever go through

Transcript

If you're a new mom and you've ever had that thought, why is this so hard for me? This video is for you. So often we expect new motherhood to feel intuitive and natural, but what it actually is, is one of the most dramatic developmental shifts that you will go through in your entire life. And psychologists have a word for it. It's called matrescence. And when I explain matrescence to my clients, I often explain it in comparison to adolescence. So adolescence is a time where we're going from childhood into adulthood. And think about adolescence and all the grace that we give teenagers when they are moody and they sleep all day and they're snappy and rude to us. And we give them so much grace, like, ah, they're just being teenagers. But matricence, the shift from not being a mother to becoming a mother is actually more extreme. The hormonal drops and surges are more extreme than adolescence. There's a huge identity shift that happens. You have sleep deprivation and body changes, it is the most dramatic thing that any human goes through. And yet we often meet moms with judgment and shoulds. And so the next time you feel like, why is this so hard for me? I want you to remember it is really hard and our society often doesn't recognize that. So please remember that you are doing enough, that you are a good mom. It's just a lot. And as always, follow along for more honest conversations about motherhood and mental health.