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When a woman becomes a mother, she becomes a completely different person in many ways \u2013 physically, emotionally and socially. This phase of becoming a mother is known as matrescence.<\/span><\/p>\n The term was coined in the 1970s by American medical anthropologist Dana Louise Raphael, who described it as \u201cthe time of mother-becoming\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n To put it simply, when a baby is born, a mother is born too. And while support is usually at hand in terms of looking after a child, women tend to be left to their own devices to deal with this big life change.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMatrescence is often described as the motherhood equivalent of adolescence,\u201d said Elle Cheng, a psychotherapist and matrescence coach in Singapore.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt is the developmental phase where a woman undergoes a profound psychological, emotional and identity transformation as she moves from thinking about conception, through pregnancy and into motherhood.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n To help with this life transition, some women are getting guidance from a matrescence coach.<\/span><\/p>\n Sara Pantry is a matrescence practitioner in Singapore who founded Return Ready, a peer-to-peer mentorship programme designed to help women navigate the complexities of\u00a0<\/span>returning to work after parental leave<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n Pantry describes matrescence coaching as a much softer, deeper process than traditional coaching, where it\u2019s not about goals, performance or \u2018what\u2019s next\u2019. Instead, it\u2019s about slowing down, recentring and reconnecting with yourself so you can redefine who you are now in the present moment.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n