Description
matrescence, noun /mæ'tres.ents/ the process of becoming a mother: The physical, psychological and emotional changes you go through after the birth of your child… Largely unexplored in the medical community —Cambridge Dictionary
Most new mothers bring their infants to the doctor but ignore any distressing feelings or sensations they might themselves have—that sense of being “rattled” at many moments throughout the day and night. In Rattled, Nicole Pensak shares her own experiences and those of her patients to help new mothers feel informed, validated and guided through matrescence.
Pensak provides practical and emotional support, helping to relieve the anxiety and pressure for perfection in motherhood and paving the way for a better beginning for families and babies. She discusses mental health treatment and the upside of therapy during this changing time, and offers accessible scientific information, relatable anecdotes and strategies for self-care. The result is a reassuring and practical handbook that new mothers and their families will refer to time and again.
Reviews
"Becoming a new mother can be extremely overwhelming, and it can lead to increased mental stress. Dr. Pensak has done an exceptional job in examining the ins and out of maternal mental health and providing practical and accessible evidence-based knowledge and strategies for new parents. If you’re an expectant or new parent, Rattled is a must-read." — Eve Rodsky, The New York Times best-selling author of Fair Play and national bestseller Find Your Unicorn Space
"Our children are precious—and so are their mothers. This extraordinarily helpful book provides fresh insights and many practical suggestions for those crucially important first years. Dr. Pensak is brilliant, funny, blunt, honest about her own experiences, and endlessly kind and supportive. In our turbulent days—and when the so-called village it takes to raise a child often looks more like a ghost town—we need her guidance more than ever." — Rick Hanson, PhD, author of Mother Nurture, Buddha’s Brain and Making Great Relationships
"RATTLED will be a useful tool for many new mothers, offering practical advice on how to build up their support system during pregnancy and tools for coping postpartum with their own changing neurobiology." — Chelsea Conaboy, author of Mother Brain, How Neuroscience is Rewriting the Story of Parenting
