ABOUT
The birth of a mother is a storytelling series about the transition into motherhood.
When we become mothers, we not only birth a child, we also give birth to a mother. This personal transformation is called matrescence, and it’s marked by rapid changes in our body, hormones, psychology, identity, relationships, professional and social status, and spirituality. It’s a significant developmental phase of adult life, and yet matrescence is rarely understood or discussed by the mothers experiencing it or the people they depend on for support.
This storytelling series wants to change that. Each episode of The Birth of a Mother documents one person’s story transitioning into motherhood. We explore how external factors (i.e. culture, family, career, socio-economic status, etc.) and internal factors (i.e. personality, health, self-esteem, expectations, etc.) shape their story of becoming Mom, and in turn how those factors are impacted by this new identity.
The end vision is a library of stories illustrating the wide spectrum of normal experiences.
New mothers will be able to search the library by their own factors and listen to stories that sound like their own. With each story we will learn how matrescence is similar and different across people, and why. Ultimately, these authentic stories will teach us how we can better understand and support people as they transition into motherhood.
The Birth of a Mother strives to capture the incredible growth, complexity, beauty and wisdom that exists in the transformation of becoming a mother. We believe in the importance of documenting these stories for our community of new moms and for future generations. We strive to understand, support, and advocate for the profound phase of life that impacts every person on earth: matrescence. If you have a mother, you have been impacted by how she experienced her matrescence.
Use of the words “birth” and “mother” in the podcast title are meant to help people quickly understand what the podcast is about and find it easily in internet and podcast searches. Use of these words is not intended to suggest that all mothers give birth, that all birthing people identify as women, or that all primary caregivers are mothers. The Birth of a Mother believes showcasing caregiving stories from a wide spectrum of experiences and identities is of the utmost importance to deepening our understanding of new parenthood.