According to perinatal and reproductive psychiatrist Dr Edna Lekgabe, matrescence is the motherhood equivalent of adolescence. Puberty 2.0, if you will.

💌Join 6,500+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter - http://bit.ly/45NyQDy

Joining us in the academy of imperfection, Dr Edna explores the cataclysmic identity shift women undergo during motherhood, and how partners can best support them.

Exploring the impacts of mastrescence with Hugh, Ryan and Josh, Dr Edna breaks down the difference between matrescence, anxiety and depression, and why mental illness is the number one pregnancy complication.

We’re talking hormonal changes, physiological changes, sociological changes that are SO significant, you can see them in brain scans. Matrescence is messy, a developmental earthquake, and it’s not talked about nearly enough.

This episode might just break the internet (and your heart) wide open.

0:00 – Introducing Hugh’s perinatal psychiatrist 
7:30 – Matrescence? Huh? 
21:14 – The biology of baby brain 
34:10 – The difference between matrescence and depression 
40:46 – Reasonable worry vs anxiety disorder 
47:40 – The emergence of neurodivergence 
54:04 – Post-natal depression 
1:00:04 – Matrescence after loss 
1:05:50 – Getting to know a brand new person 
1:11:19 – Can women have it all? 
1:18:32 – On a societal scale 
 1:26:12 – The paternal earthquake

If you want to watch this full episode on YouTube, follow this link -

🫖 Other Imperfect’s episodes mentioned in this episode
Bron Lewis - Is It Me or Postnatal Anxiety? - https://bit.ly/4vHn1eh

📖 Things to read
Being Female: Reproduction, Power and Change, by Dana Raphael - https://bit.ly/48jC5EO
The Birth of a Mother, New York Times, by Alexandra Sacks - https://bit.ly/3OjB9tp
Men at Work: Australia’s Parenthood Trap, Quarterly Essay, by Annabel Crabb - https://bit.ly/4mLE8Hx

🎧Things to listen to
Perinatal OCD: When ‘the happiest time of your life’ turns dark - https://bit.ly/48lx8eK

📺 Things to watch
Alexandra Sacks TEDTalk on Matrescence - https://bit.ly/4tsBcCt

💻Things to check out
Yerkes-Dodson Law: Stress Level - https://bit.ly/4cOT2IO
peanut x Tommee Tippee campaign on matrescence - https://bit.ly/4mQDicU

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🩵To purchase our journal (or your novel) My Imperfect Life, click here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuW

🩵To join our subscriber community, A Little More Imperfects, follow this link - http://bit.ly/4mqunxu

🩷 AND you can subscribe to A Little More Imperfects through Apple Podcasts too, here - http://apple.co/theimperfects

The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.

According to perinatal and reproductive psychiatrist Dr Edna Lekgabe, matrescence is the motherhood equivalent of adolescence. Puberty 2.0, if you will.
💌Join 6,500+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter -&nbsp;<a href="http://bit.ly/45NyQDy">http://bit.ly/45NyQDy</a>
Joining us in the academy of imperfection, Dr Edna explores the cataclysmic identity shift women undergo during motherhood, and how partners can best support them.
Exploring the impacts of mastrescence with Hugh, Ryan and Josh, Dr Edna breaks down the difference between matrescence, anxiety and depression, and why mental illness is the number one pregnancy complication.
We&rsquo;re talking hormonal changes, physiological changes, sociological changes that are SO significant, you can see them in brain scans. Matrescence is messy, a developmental earthquake, and it&rsquo;s not talked about nearly enough.
This episode might just break the internet (and your heart) wide open.
0:00 &ndash; Introducing Hugh&rsquo;s perinatal psychiatrist 7:30 &ndash; Matrescence? Huh? 21:14 &ndash; The biology of baby brain 34:10 &ndash; The difference between matrescence and depression 40:46 &ndash; Reasonable worry vs anxiety disorder 47:40 &ndash; The emergence of neurodivergence 54:04 &ndash; Post-natal depression 1:00:04 &ndash; Matrescence after loss 1:05:50 &ndash; Getting to know a brand new person 1:11:19 &ndash; Can women have it all? 1:18:32 &ndash; On a societal scale &nbsp;1:26:12 &ndash; The paternal earthquake
If you want to watch this full episode on YouTube, follow this link -
🫖&nbsp;Other Imperfect&rsquo;s episodes mentioned in this episode
<ul>
<li>Bron Lewis - Is It Me or Postnatal Anxiety? - <a href="https://bit.ly/4vHn1eh">https://bit.ly/4vHn1eh</a></li>
</ul>
📖&nbsp;Things to read
<ul>
<li>Being Female: Reproduction, Power and Change, by Dana Raphael - <a href="https://bit.ly/48jC5EO">https://bit.ly/48jC5EO</a></li>
<li>The Birth of a Mother, New York Times, by Alexandra Sacks - <a href="https://bit.ly/3OjB9tp">https://bit.ly/3OjB9tp</a></li>
<li>Men at Work: Australia&rsquo;s Parenthood Trap, Quarterly Essay, by Annabel Crabb - <a href="https://bit.ly/4mLE8Hx">https://bit.ly/4mLE8Hx</a></li>
</ul>
🎧Things to listen to
<ul>
<li>Perinatal OCD: When &lsquo;the happiest time of your life&rsquo; turns dark - <a href="https://bit.ly/48lx8eK">https://bit.ly/48lx8eK</a></li>
</ul>
📺&nbsp;Things to watch
<ul>
<li>Alexandra Sacks TEDTalk on Matrescence - <a href="https://bit.ly/4tsBcCt">https://bit.ly/4tsBcCt</a></li>
</ul>
💻Things to check out
<ul>
<li>Yerkes-Dodson Law: Stress Level - <a href="https://bit.ly/4cOT2IO">https://bit.ly/4cOT2IO</a></li>
<li>peanut x Tommee Tippee campaign on matrescence - <a href="https://bit.ly/4mQDicU">https://bit.ly/4mQDicU</a></li>
</ul>
🩷To host your own Vulnerabilitea House, purchase here -&nbsp;<a href="http://bit.ly/4lyuuWz">http://bit.ly/4lyuuWz</a>
🩵To purchase our journal (or your novel)&nbsp;My Imperfect Life,&nbsp;click here -&nbsp;<a href="http://bit.ly/4lyuuWz"></a><a href="http://bit.ly/4lyuuW">http://bit.ly/4lyuuW</a>
🩵To join our subscriber community, A Little More Imperfects, follow this link - <a href="http://bit.ly/4mqunxu">http://bit.ly/4mqunxu</a>
🩷 AND you can subscribe to A Little More Imperfects through Apple Podcasts too, here - <a href="http://apple.co/theimperfects">http://apple.co/theimperfects</a>
The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you&rsquo;re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.

We’re all imperfect. On this podcast, founder of The Resilience Project Hugh van Cuylenburg, his good friend Ryan Shelton, and only one of their brothers, Josh van Cuylenburg, talks to a variety of interesting people who vulnerably share their own struggles and imperfections, or expertly pass on their wisdom on the subject of imperfection. Whether it’s in The Vulnerabilitea House, The Academy of Imperfection, or with our very own psychologist, Dr Emily, The Imperfects are here to find some valuable takeaways we can all apply to our own imperfect lives.

Interesting people, allowing themselves to be vulnerable, sharing with us, their imperfect lives.