Contemplating Motherhood is for ambitious, purpose and career-driven women who have been ambivalent about motherhood, and for women who were completely against the idea OR always knew they wanted to become a mother — until something changed.
Matrescence
The process of becoming a mother, coined by Dana Raphael, Ph.D. (1973), is a developmental passage where a woman transitions through pre-conception, pregnancy and birth, surrogacy or adoption, to the postnatal period and beyond. The exact length of matrescence is individual, recurs with each child, and may arguably last a lifetime! The scope of the changes encompass multiple domains –bio-psycho-social-political-spiritual– and can be likened to the developmental push of adolescence. Increased attention to mothers has spurred new findings, from neuroscience to economics, and supports the rationale for a new field of study known as matrescence. Such an arena would allow the roundtable of specialists to come together and advance our understanding of this life passage.- Aurélie Athan, Ph.D.
***Contemplating Motherhood is in beta, which means you will be participating in the rollout of this self-study as it’s being designed so that it may be improved upon with feedback in real-time.***
Motherhood isn’t something that should be forced upon women simply because of biology, societal expectations, or even not knowing that you ovulated. It is a rite of passage and it should be a choice, a choice to be respected no matter the outcome.
Maybe, you have a strained relationship with your own mother, were adopted, or have no mother at all.
Maybe, you want to finish school, travel more, finish a creative project, or hit a major milestone in your career.
Maybe, you’re concerned about your age.
Maybe, you’re worried about the quality of your past and current romantic relationships, or lack thereof.
Maybe, you have a serious health concern, mental, physical, or medical condition that could hinder your full expression of motherhood.
Maybe, you don’t have access to healthcare.
Maybe, you’re working through trauma.
Maybe you’re concerned about money.
Maybe you’re worried that you won’t be a good mother.
Whatever is showing up for you, Contemplating Motherhood invites you to tap into your deepest concerns, fears, and desires so that you can give yourself full permission to say yes to what is really true for you.
You’ll do this by
- uncovering your personal mission and core desires through writing prompts
- watching videos and reading essays and books on motherhood
- instigating conversations with family, friends, and social media connections
- engaging in community building activities
- mapping out your motherhood journey (preconception planning and preparation, childbirth education, postpartum and parental leave planning)
By the end of this experience, you will have the clarity you need to make an aligned decision, and you’ll also have the tools to support other women in your network and community who are facing the same uncertainty.
There may be additional investments required of your time and money, depending on your capacity and interest.