Last month at the Roots Symposium, providers, advocates, and community leaders gathered to deepen conversations around maternal wellbeing and the importance of supporting families through every stage of parenthood. During the symposium, Dr. Kelsey Green shared valuable resources and handouts focused on helping providers better understand and support women through matrescence, the transformative process of becoming a mother.
As May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, conversations like these are especially important. While motherhood is often associated with joy and celebration, the emotional and psychological changes that accompany becoming a parent are not always openly discussed. Many mothers experience shifts in identity, relationships, emotions, priorities, and self-understanding that can feel overwhelming, isolating, or difficult to name.
That is why highlighting matrescence matters. The term, first coined in the 1970s by anthropologist Dana Raphael and later expanded upon by clinical psychologist Aurélie Athan, describes the profound developmental transition into motherhood. Much like adolescence, matrescence encompasses physical, emotional, psychological, social, and spiritual changes that unfold over time and look different for every individual. It is not simply a moment marked by the birth of a child, but an ongoing transformation that can recur with each child and evolve throughout a lifetime.
By bringing awareness to matrescence, we help normalize the realities of maternal mental health and remind mothers that they are not alone in what they are experiencing. Naming this transition creates space for understanding, compassion, and support — not only from healthcare providers, but also from families, workplaces, and communities.
At FIRST 5, we know that when caregivers are supported, children and families thrive. Continuing to educate our communities about matrescence is one way we can foster stronger systems of care, reduce stigma surrounding maternal mental health, and ensure mothers feel seen and supported during one of the most significant transitions of their lives.
Last month at the Roots Symposium, providers, advocates, and community leaders gathered to
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