When Maggie Gordon-Walker became a mum she felt isolated and lonely. She realised there were others who felt this way; who wanted to talk openly and honestly about their dreams and hopes, as women, as well as mothers.
‘When I gave birth to my first child, I felt cut off from reality, my mind foggy after the epidural. The midwife said, ‘Let’s get Mum up to the ward’ and I genuinely thought, ‘my Mum’s not here, is she?’ I couldn’t get my head round the fact that I was ‘Mum’.
I cried privately every day, but gave the impression everything was fine. I felt like I was failing, but not enough to be flagged up with post-natal depression (PND). What would that mean anyway? Might my baby, that I loved so very much, be taken away from me?’
Matrescence Matters Week
26 September – 2 October
Help us make matrescence part of everyday conversation.
Why does matrescence matter to you?
This Matrescence Awareness Week, we’re inviting mothers, families, friends and communities to share why matrescence matters to them.
Share a few words or your whole story and help us bring the word matrescence into everyday conversation.
26 September – 2 October
Help us make matrescence part of everyday conversation.
Why does matrescence matter to you?
This Matrescence Awareness Week, we’re inviting mothers, families, friends and communities to share why matrescence matters to them.
Share a few words or your whole story and help us bring the word matrescence into everyday conversation.
Matrescence Matters Podcast Special
Listen to our special Matrescence Awareness Week conversation with Maggie Gordon-Walker and guests.
Just like entering adolescence, when entering matrescence a new identity emerges. Many women feel there is no language to describe the immense change they experience in their bodies, minds and role in society when becoming a mother. The existing term ‘post-natal depression’ paints this seismic shift in purely negative, medical terms.
