The Mask of Motherhood: How Becoming a Mother Changes Our Lives and Why We Never Talk About It

It's the process whereby we:

• get used to the massive responsibility that motherhood brings;
• develop a new identity (in academic lingo, it's called developing an "integrated maternal identity" ~ figuring “how to be fully ourselves and fully a mom and somehow mesh them"); and
• develop a new configuration of day-to-day life that integrates our parenting responsibilities with our various other responsibilities, relationships, and interests.

This section of the Motherhood Cafe website is dedicated to providing mothers with information about adjusting to motherhood.

Click on the links below to find articles and information to help you navigate your adjustment experience.

Adjusting to Motherhood: An Overview of the Process


Main Tasks of the Adjustment Process


Main Phases of the Adjustment Process


How Long does the Adjustment Process Take?


The Resources of Adjustment: How to Prevent Postpartum Depression


Is it Postpartum Blues, PPD, or just part of the Adjustment Process?


Managing Postpartum Fatigue: The importance of self-care


Read "Having a Tough Time: Towards an Understanding of the Psycho-social Causes of Postpartum Emotional Distress"


Worried about PPD? See the Postpartum Problems section of the Motherhood Cafe


Baby's First Birthday


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