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For sometime now, I feel like I’ve been the Town Crier.

I’ve gone into the trenches of Motherhood, and heard what women are saying.

I’ve read their stories, I’ve shared my own.

I’ve held the space as they cried the minute they introduced themself.

I’ve gathered thousands of them together to explore what we really need.

I know what’s happening to women as they try to navigate motherhood and life… and it’s time I cried out.

We need a better way.

And matrescence is the map to navigate us there.

We are meant to have stories of becoming as guideposts on our mothering journey.

We’re meant to be inspired and comforted by the stories of other women’s lives and experience.

We’re meant to tell the truth about the emotional cost of mothering and who bears it... and what we can do about it.

Here are some of those stories, both my own and others, to ignite the change we all crave.

Ep #141: The things that shape us with Yemi Penn

Matrescence is universal – no matter who you are or where you are in the world, motherhood brings a transformation of identity. However, within matrescence, and the transition from woman to mother, there are many factors we must acknowledge, including race, background and support. It is deeply important that on this podcast, we not only…

Mamahood is filled with so many questions: how do I help my child with their emotions? why do they have so many meltdowns? am I doing something wrong? Is it me? Through in a really tough year on top, and you have mamas all over the globe questioning who they are and whether they’re doing…

Thanks to the work of Dr Oscar Serrallach, we now know about Post-Natal Depletion: a physical and mental deterioration caused not just by the process of giving birth and breastfeeding, but by the stresses and strains of modern parenthood. It has been a breakthrough in how we view mothers, and how we can better support…

Balance is all BS, right? We’re mamas and women, we’ve chased that dream and realised it was a pipe dream. Right? It seems many of us are still not 100% clear on this. Even though we’ve heard the stats and know the reality, many of us are still believing that if we worked harder, got…

We’re meant to gather in a village, hearing from the elders, passing down our own knowledge and receiving wisdom from others. But we’ve lost that village – and that wisdom. So, what happens when you move through motherhood without an understanding of what’s happening to you, and how you are changing? And what happens when…

A big part of my work with mamas over the past six years has been online group coaching and online women’s circles. We gather together, sometimes monthly, sometimes weekly, to reflect, learn and grow together – it has been one of the greatest gifts of my work. In these calls, mamas get to know one…

As lockdowns begin to change around the world, and as isolation rules slowly begin to ease, there is a call for us all to return to ‘normal’ life. But what if the ‘normal’ we were living isn’t what we want anymore? What if, during these weeks of isolation, we’ve liked slowing down, saying no to…

Pregnancy and childbirth can bring its own special type of worry – so much of what is to come is unknown. In fact, in many ways, preparing for birth is a lot like preparing for motherhood: a daily practice of surrendering the need to know, and trusting your instincts. But pregnancy and birth in the…

Over the past few weeks, I have listened to hundreds of mamas’ experience of isolation – what is stressing them out, and what they are loving. And one of the worries that is coming up a lot is: relationships and intimacy. When everyone is packed into a home, and the kids are underfoot all day long,…

Everyone’s experience of this intense time in history is unique – but there are, of course, some common themes, especially when it comes to mamahood. The intensity of everyone at home; The pressure to entertain and teach; The lack of personal space, and the reminder, again, of how difficult it can be to even pee…