Becoming a new mother is a beautiful yet challenging journey. It's common to experience a whirlwind of emotions during this time. Some days, you might feel elated and full of love. Other days, you may feel overwhelmed or anxious. Understanding this spectrum can help you navigate your feelings more effectively.

The Matrescence Ritual is a full body and mind experience, drawing on conscious and unconscious emotional material.

In May of 2018, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) expanded the definition of postpartum care of mom and baby and embraced the inclusive concept of the “fourth trimester.” For decades, American mom-baby advocacy groups have used the fourth trimester as a way to conceptualize newborn care in the first three months. And now ACOG validates and identifies this conceptualization of the fourth trimester as a sensitive period of development for b

Pregnancy and birth are major adult transitions filled with joy, but the transition to parenthood can also bring up feelings of insecurity, sadness or fear as you and your partner move into this different phase of self-identity. Parenting an infant is difficult, but if one of you had a complicated early family life, parenting can be like navigating rough waters, as flashbacks to unpleasant scenes from childhood intrude upon present reality.

The Fourth Trimester and Extended Family Different cultures acknowledge the postpartum period in different ways. In the United States, postpartum is viewed as a time when the new mom is expected to quickly recover and become mobile and get back to “normal” life. The focus is on healthy pregnancy and birth and how to care for a newborn. However, the mother's physical and emotional transition receives less attention as part of the postpartum conversation in the US. Think ab