Matrescence

There’s a relatively new concept (coined in the 1970s) in anthropology, “Matrescence,” which attempts to formalize the study of the process women go through as they become mothers.

This isn’t a well-known concept, in part because women and women’s health issues have been remarkably understudied (both historically and contemporarily), but the general idea is that like a child going through adolescence, women who become pregnant, whether or not that pregnancy ultimately results in a baby, go through a vast array of biological and psychological changes, some of which can affect a woman’s sense of self and identity, temporarily or permanently.