The
real rites of passage for mothers
BY ALITA BLANCHARD
PREPARING FOR THE REALITY OF POST–PARTUM AND YOUR TRANSITION INTO MOTHERHOOD Early motherhood can be a shock to the system. Birth doesn’t always go to plan. There are sleepless nights, crying (often from baby and mama) and a rollercoaster of emotions that new parents often aren’t prepared for. Then there is the onslaught of advice, the frictions that might arise and perhaps the preconceived plans for a happy newborn phase that sometimes does not eventuate. There is no denying that a baby arriving is a gift and often the greatest moment of every parent’s life. We also need to talk more about the realities of new motherhood. Mothers can get left behind, unseen and unsupported, in their vital new role as mother. Motherhood changes you – it’s your ‘Matrescence’
In becoming a mother, you are entering a new season of your life.
Mothers in our society are expected to birth a baby and then return, as quickly as possible, to looking, feeling, and behaving like their ‘old self’ or ‘normal’. We feel this pressure from the outside world, and we’ve been conditioned to believe it too.
There will be new challenges. New values. So much new learning. Your body will change – in all the more obvious ways but did you know even your brain is majorly up levelled in pregnancy, creating new brain pathways? You might experience super smell, more sensitive taste, more advanced social reasoning, emotional intelligence and even general intelligence.
Fortunately, this is changing. Women are realising that ‘snapping back’ is neither possible nor something we want for ourselves. We are remembering that this transformation from Maiden to Mother is a rite of passage. And what exactly is that? Going through a rite of passage means there is no going back to our old self. There is no return to normal. Because the whole point of a rite of passage is deep change, transformation and growth.
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In becoming a mother, you are entering a new season of your life
EQUIP YOUR CHILD FOR LIFE Now Enrolling for 2023 Green Point Christian College has an excellent and long-established reputation for supporting families who value Christian education. Our school provides holistic education from quality staff in a caring and supportive environment.
Green Point Christian College 382 Avoca Drive, Green Point
www.gpcc.nsw.edu.au
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O N T H E C OA S T – FAM ILIES
