Matrescence, A.K.A. becoming a mother/parent, is a developmental milestone that brings forth a major identity shift within us. Every parent’s personal definition of this milestone will be wildly different, and each journey will look a myriad of different ways, but a universal perspective we can adopt about matrescence is that it can be an opportunity to grow more into ourselves.
To have this conversation with me today on Yoga | Birth | Babies, I have Emese Parker. Emese is a board-certified women’s health nurse practitioner, pregnancy & motherhood support specialist, award-winning author, public health geek, mama, and matrescence activist. She has been in the healthcare field for over 20 years and is passionate about supporting and empowering women, promoting perinatal mental health wellness, and walking with women through various life transitions—especially pregnancy and motherhood.
I’m so excited for you to hear this conversation on matrescence. Although this life transition can be full of new-baby bliss, it can also be a messy, bumpy road. So how can we navigate that? How does the view of motherhood in our society contribute to this road? How do we want to respond, and what kind of parent do we want to be? Gain insight into these questions and so much more.
Resources: To Carry Wonder book
In this episode, you will learn:
- About Emese and what led her into working in the perinatal field
- Emese’s personal motherhood journey and how that inspired her to write her book
- What it means to be a matrescence activist
- Ways to prepare for the transition from maidenhood to matrescence and how you can navigate it during the transition
- What authenticity means to Emese, and how we can go about being authentic within our own social groups and society
- If/how Emese thinks the state of maternal mental health in the U.S is helping new parents adjust to this massive change in their lives
- One final tip or piece of advice Emese would like to offer new and expectant parents
- Where you can find her work
**Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com **
About Emese:
Emese Parker is a pregnancy & motherhood support specialist, award-winning author, public health geek, mama, and matrescence activist. With over twenty years of health care experience, Parker has been specializing in women’s health since 2008. She is passionate about supporting and empowering women, promoting perinatal mental wellness and walking with women through various life transitions—especially pregnancy and motherhood.
After completing bachelor of science degrees in exercise science and nursing, Parker earned her master of science in nursing from Boston College, and master of public health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
She works in OB/GYN as a board-certified women’s health nurse practitioner (NP), certified perinatal mental health specialist and menopause practitioner, and recently launched virtual pregnancy and motherhood-focused life coaching services (tocarrywonder.com).
Her new book is called To Carry Wonder. It’s a curated blend of story and art with evidence-based insight, aiming to nurture, inspire and equip women across the four trimesters. By sharing openly about the raw, surprising, funny and even awkward moments of pregnancy and motherhood, mamas can take off their motherhood masks, better understand what they’re going through, and gain resources to authentically grow into who they really are.
Connect with Emese:
Website: tocarrywonder.com
Instagram: @tocarrywonder
IJM.org
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