The Identity Shift in Motherhood: Understanding Matrescence

The Identity Shift in Motherhood: Understanding Matrescence

What if motherhood isn’t just a new role — but a complete identity transition?

In this powerful conversation with clinical psychologist Dr. Naomi Gibson, we explore matrescence — the developmental process a woman goes through when becoming a mother.

Like adolescence, matrescence involves hormonal changes, brain rewiring, shifting values, and a reorganisation of identity.

Yet 67% of mothers have never heard the word.

In this episode we discuss:

• What matrescence really means
• Why many mothers feel lost after having a baby
• Identity shifts in expat motherhood
• Self-esteem and confidence after children
• Why defining yourself only as “mother” can be harmful
• How to navigate the psychological transition into parenthood

If you’ve ever wondered:
“Who am I now?”
“Why don’t I feel like myself?”
“Is this normal?”

This episode is for you.


Listen now and join the conversation redefining motherhood in the Netherlands and beyond.

Episoder(192)

Matrescence: Why So Many Mothers Feel Like They’re Losing Themselves

Matrescence: Why So Many Mothers Feel Like They’re Losing Themselves

This is a DAM Parenting archive episode recorded two years ago, brought back because the conversation around matrescence and identity in motherhood is still so relevant today.So many of us assume that...

7 Mar 1h 3min

Parenting a Child with a Rare Disease: Finding Community, Dignity, and Support

Parenting a Child with a Rare Disease: Finding Community, Dignity, and Support

Parenthood doesn’t always unfold the way we imagine.In this Rare Disease Day special, Sarah shares her family’s lived experience of parenting a child with a rare disease — from diagnosis and grief to ...

28 Feb 23min

Montessori at Home in the Netherlands with Simone Davies

Montessori at Home in the Netherlands with Simone Davies

Montessori is not a trend in the Netherlands — it’s part of the educational fabric.When Maria Montessori made the Netherlands her home, her work was already flourishing here, with over 200 Montessori ...

25 Feb 45min

Phone Free February: Growing Up Smartphone-Free in the Netherlands

Phone Free February: Growing Up Smartphone-Free in the Netherlands

My child is five and last week she asked me to put mine away.That moment changed how I think about smartphones and childhood.This episode is part of Phone Free February — a global campaign encouraging...

21 Feb 30min

Am I Losing My Child to Another Language? | Multilingual Parenting in the Netherlands

Am I Losing My Child to Another Language? | Multilingual Parenting in the Netherlands

For International Mother Language Day 2026, we explore a rarely spoken fear in multilingual and expat families: what happens when your child becomes more fluent in the societal language than you are?L...

18 Feb 24min

Mothering Between Worlds: Asian Identity, Parenting & Community

Mothering Between Worlds: Asian Identity, Parenting & Community

Asian motherhood abroad comes with unique pressures — cultural expectations, career demands, identity shifts, and the quiet work of belonging.In this episode of the DAM Parenting Podcast, we’re joined...

11 Feb 19min

Children’s Mental Health Isn’t a Crisis to Fix — It’s a Relationship to Build (with Dr Faye Poole)

Children’s Mental Health Isn’t a Crisis to Fix — It’s a Relationship to Build (with Dr Faye Poole)

Children’s mental health is often talked about only when something is “wrong.” But what if mental health isn’t a problem to fix — and instead something we’re supporting every single day through relati...

4 Feb 23min

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