430: Overcoming ‘Mama Guilt’, Self-Care After Kids & Navigating ‘Matrescence’ | Amy Taylor-Kabbaz

What happens to a woman when she becomes a mother? Amy Taylor-Kabbaz spent more than a decade trying to find an answer to this question. Finally, she heard a word that summed it up perfectly: ‘matrescence’. We’ve all heard of ‘adolescence’, and we know how transformative (and even tumultuous) this transitional time can be. But not many people have heard of ‘matrescence’: the identity shift that occurs when a woman transitions into life as a mother. For far too long, our culture has not fully acknowledged the impact that this transition can have. Yet Amy’s work shows that when matrescence is understood properly, it allows women to redefine their own experience of both motherhood and womanhood, and can help them release guilt, cultivate self-compassion, and find genuine inner peace. Put simply, it’s nothing short of revolutionary. So in this beautiful and inspiring episode, Amy is taking us on a soulful, insightful deep-dive into the magic and the miracle that is matresence. It’s said that when a woman becomes a mother, she splits in two: who she used to be, and the mother she is now. If you’re struggling to navigate this radical shift, and are no longer entirely sure who you are now that you’re a mother, you’re not alone. Amy joins us on the show today to discuss the complex range of emotions that women face as they navigate the transition into motherhood, and to introduce the revolutionary idea of ‘matrescence’. Press play to hear why you DON’T need to put yourself last as a mother, learn why it’s not just your child’s brain that is undergoing radical changes, and hear the unvarnished truth about self-care when you’ve got kids — including where to find the time! Head to https://melissaambrosini.com/430 for the show notes. My newsletter: melissaambrosini.com/newsletter My instagram: @melissaambrosini