Are you among the many mothers who are traversing both perimenopause and matrescence at the same time? Going through two rites of passage simultaneously is no joke, and it's happening for more and more mothers. The worst part? Many of them don't realize that's what's happening, and so many of them blame themselves for how challenging it can feel.
The only other person I've seen who is really looking this increasingly-common experience square in the eye is Jane Hardwicke Collings. I reached out to her to see if she'd like to deepen the conversation around the overlap of matrescence with perimenopause and, as evidenced by this podcast episode, she agreed!
First, let me tell you a little bit about Jane:
Jane Hardwicke Collings is a grandmother, former homebirth midwife for 30 years, a teacher, writer and menstrual, childbirth and menopause educator. She offers workshops on the spiritual practice of menstruation and the sacred dimensions of pregnancy, birth and menopause. Jane founded and runs The School of Shamanic Womancraft, an international Women's Mysteries School and an ongoing live teaching path called The Womancraft Way. Jane has created the first holistic menstrual cycle charting app, called Spinning Wheels.
Here's some of what Jane and I talk about in this episode:
✔️ The definition of "womb-to-tomb" midwifery, and its role in supporting women through the transition to motherhood and the transition out of their fertile years.
✔️ The way all our "portals of power," as Jane calls them (including menarche, childbirth, and menopause) have been "pathologized, medicalized, weaponized against us and monetized."
✔️ Why cycle awareness is so important, and how it holds the key to so much of what we need to know about both matrescence and perimenopause (hint: there are times in our lives when our bodies beg us to slow down, and we'll reap the consequences of not heeding that call).
✔️ What's happening, physiologically, in our bodies when matrescence and perimenopause overlap. Jane makes all of the complex experiences and emotions and physical changes we have during these simultaneous rites of passage make sense!
✔️ Practical, doable steps new mothers who are also in perimenopause can take to support themselves. Jane's wisdom here is absolute gold.
Show Notes
Jane's Website
Jane's Instagram
Jane's new offering, The Womancraft Way
Dr. Oscar Serrallach's book on Postnatal Depletion
While you're at it, if you enjoy The Becoming Podcast, I would be so grateful if you would take a moment to rate, review and even subscribe to it wherever you get your podcasts. That goes a long way toward helping more and more people find and benefit from hearing these interviews. Thank you so much!
