Village Journal

matrescence, mothering, motherhood Chelsea Robinson matrescence, mothering, motherhood Chelsea Robinson

Feeling “lost” in motherhood? This could be why…

I have heard from many mothers that they feel they "lost" themselves in motherhood at one point or another. Before I explain the BIGGEST reason WHY so many mothers feel lost in motherhood, I think it is important to note that…I believe “getting lost” is an essential aspect to one’s “becoming”, her matrescence. There is something very different between feeling lost, like it is happening to you, powerless and helpless, and getting lost.

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motherhood, matrescence, invisible load, burnout Chelsea Robinson motherhood, matrescence, invisible load, burnout Chelsea Robinson

The Invisible Load of Mothering

It's the behind the scenes of mothering; it's the physical, mental, emotional and logistical tasks, memory space and running to-do lists that go unseen and uncompensated that happen 24/7 in the minds and behaviors of mothers. It's like mothers have 100 open tabs in their brain computer at any given time. This is how they manage it all...this is how they keep it all going.

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matrescence, mothering, motherhood, mother, toddler mom, seasoned mom Chelsea Robinson matrescence, mothering, motherhood, mother, toddler mom, seasoned mom Chelsea Robinson

How to Explain Matrescence to your Partner

For the first time, the mother is finally feeling validated and normal in her experience simply by learning just this one word! And of course, now her desire is to share it with her partner with hopes that her partner will understand her experience too. So will he/she understand it? Maybe more broadly, but really deeply get it? Ehh, that might take some time; honestly…if ever.

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matrescence, motherhood, mothering Chelsea Robinson matrescence, motherhood, mothering Chelsea Robinson

Matrescence: A Developmental Passage

Ambivalence is the cornerstone to one's matrescence and that in being a mother, it is both full of intense ups and downs, grief and joy and growth and challenge. It's the BOTH/AND I always talk about.
Educating on this concept of matrescence widens our conversation when it comes to supporting mothers, clinically and otherwise. They are no longer forced into boxes defined by a clinical diagnosis or a perfect-mother image on TikTok; they are the majority of mothers in the middle.

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matrescence, motherhood, mothering Chelsea Robinson matrescence, motherhood, mothering Chelsea Robinson

5 Ways in Which Understanding Matrescence will Change your Life

When a woman becomes a mother she is UNDONE and RE-DONE; she is LOST and the FOUND; she is DISORIENTED and then REORIENTED. To what, you might ask? That is for her to cultivate, create and fall into (with intention and design). If you aren’t already feeling validated in your experience by knowing there is a word to describe all the changes you have been feeling since becoming a mother…here is more.

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Do you know your cycle?

In my years supporting women along their conception journey and mothers all throughout motherhood, one thing has become abundantly clear. There is a cycle to our becoming. While each stage might look a bit different for each of us, we each have an ebb and flow to every season of motherhood; each one leaving us touched and changed than ever before.

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matrescence, postpartum, motherhood Chelsea Robinson matrescence, postpartum, motherhood Chelsea Robinson

Setting Boundaries when you Become Mama

Setting boundaries with our families can be such a tricky and confusing road to navigate especially once you are already with baby in arms. (Best to be as proactive as possible, if possible.) We’re all too often stuck in a pattern/dynamic with our family that we’ve agreed to over the years (even without knowing), that once we become Mamas, might not fit us appropriately anymore. We’ve outgrown it and it's time for a change.

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matrescence, mothering, motherhood Chelsea Robinson matrescence, mothering, motherhood Chelsea Robinson

How you "Mother" is your deepest reflection of your values, Mama.

When you become pregnant and embark on your more visible motherhood/parenting journey...your values become under a spotlight and suddenly you can't hide them as much anymore. Here's the thing...if you can identify the "why" you are mothering the way you are, you might find yourself more confident in your decisions and less likely to second-guess yourself.

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motherhood, mothering, matrescence, mom struggles Chelsea Robinson motherhood, mothering, matrescence, mom struggles Chelsea Robinson

You're Not a Bad Mom: The Pandemic and Motherhood 2 years later

We’re two years into this pandemic and we’re burned out. We’re exhausted. We just want “normalcy” again. We’re sad, grieving and fed up. It isn’t okay anymore. It’s okay to not be okay with this anymore too. This is NOT what any of us ever imagined mothering would be like.

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motherhood, matrescence, postpartum, mothering, mom struggles Chelsea Robinson motherhood, matrescence, postpartum, mothering, mom struggles Chelsea Robinson

Who is that in the mirror? It isn’t me.

Our postpartum bodies bring up such mixed emotions - gratitude for the baby they birthed yet also frustration at it’s appearance. Back bounce culture is brutal. Yet our bodies are the physical representation of all the ways in which we’ve changed since becoming a mother.

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