Matrescence: How to Reclaim Your Identity After Motherhood

"No one really tells you about this part. They warn you about sleepless nights, stretched schedules, and how fast the time goes by. Heck, they even tell you about how your body would never be the same-and good luck trying to bounce back quickly. But they don't talk enough about the quieter shift: when you look up one day and realize you're not entirely sure who you are anymore beyond being someone's mom."

"If you've ever caught yourself thinking, I love my kids, but I miss , you're not failing. You're experiencing something incredibly common and deeply human: matrescence. Your inner world gets crowded out by responsibility, and somewhere between being needed constantly and putting yourself last automatically, your identity starts to blur. Sounds familiar? Motherhood doesn't just add a role to your life."

Matrescence resembles adolescence and marks the transformation into motherhood. It produces physical, emotional, and hormonal changes that alter a woman's sense of self. Responsibility and constant need can crowd out personal interests, leading to a blurred identity. Many mothers experience missing aspects of their pre-parenthood selves while still loving their children. Recovery involves self-compassion, resetting priorities, setting boundaries, and asking for practical and emotional help. Open communication and asking for support improve maternal wellbeing. When mothers regain balance, family functioning and children's wellbeing benefit.

Read at New York Family