Matrescence—the physical, psychological, and emotional transformation a woman undergoes when becoming a mother—remains largely absent from Australia’s healthcare dialogue. Despite triggering neural and hormonal shifts as profound as adolescence, the transition is frequently overlooked by a system overwhelmingly focused on infant health.
There is a term most Australian women never hear during pregnancy: matrescence. Coined in the 1970s to describe the profound identity shift of becoming a mother, the concept remains absent from standard clinical care.
While society surrounds teenagers with robust support during adolescence, mothers are often handed a baby, discharged within 24 hours, and expected to navigate massive hormonal and structural brain changes alone.
This systemic silence forces women to process the grief of a transformed identity in isolation.
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