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Matrescence by Lucy Jones

3 replies

escapingthecity · 03/08/2023 11:52

I cannot put this book down. Jones has three children of her own and uses her own experience as the jumping off point for exploring what it means to become a mother. She articulates and pulls together things which I felt but hadn't seen expressed so coherently anywhere else. The changes to our brains and bodies which happen through pregnancy and motherhood are so so fundamental in ways I feel like very few us knew about at all. I got flamed on here a few weeks ago for lamenting the loss of my pre-baby life - if I'd read this book I would have known that it's crazy to expect to remain the same person because we evolve almost into different types of people.
Where she's also good is in showing that our culture seems to see mothering as an individual job, when it's something which should be done within a much wider social group (and is in some other societies). This isolation is a big part of maternal mental health challenges.
(Completely wild that there is just one previous thread that even uses the word matrescence, on a site like this.)

OP posts:
MotherOfCatBoy · 21/08/2023 11:46

Bumping. I haven’t read it but want to (read her prev book Losing Eden) and see from her Insta she’s on Woman’s Hour today. Will have a listen.

50andcounting · 21/08/2023 15:00

There is a podcast, Cooking the Books, which has a mini series on Matrescence rightnow and there has just been an excellent episode with Tara Wigley, in house writer at Ottolenghi and author. The series is not just about pregnancy and early motherhood, but how Matrescence never stops. This is the third podcast in this series and well worth a listen as the added attraction of talking about food!
https://shows.acast.com/cooking-the-books

Cooking the Books with Gilly Smith

Where food IS the story

https://shows.acast.com/cooking-the-books

MotherOfCatBoy · 22/08/2023 20:39

Thank you @50andcounting will check that out

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