Bringing a new life into this world is a magical thing. But from pregnancy into motherhood, it is a time of profound change for women

In many ways leaving behind the life that we had before and starting a new journey, which will be filled with tears and laughter.

The thing is, from the moment prospective parents find out they are expecting, everything is focused on the new baby.

Of course, it’s incredibly exciting, and we all want to do the best we can for our children.

We take courses about the birth, and how to look after them.

Buy a million things we may or may not need.

And generally, spend all our time thinking and planning about when they will arrive.

But what we miss here is how their arrival will affect us a person.

Matrescence is the name given to the changes a women goes through from pregnancy and into motherhood. Not many people know this term, probably including about 99% of the women who have gone through it.

But it’s an incredibly important word, as it helps us to describe the journey a women will go through.

Scientists have now been able to show that the mental and physical changes a woman will go through during her Matrescence are just as powerful as when we become teenagers.

Yet there is so little discussion around this change, and then its not surprising that so many women feel overwhelmed when they go through it.

MAIA has been created to help support new mothers through this change.

Knowledge really is power and understanding what we may experience can make a vast difference to the mental health and wellbeing of new mothers.

MAIA is made up of three key elements, education, support and community.

Education

Understanding Matrescence and Maternal Mental Health are a key part of our education. Self-compassion is a key theme, along with helping women to understand what to expect and plan for their positive wellbeing, so too understanding when experiences are common, or to know when they may need to reach out and get more support.

Our Mindfulness and Breathwork coaches provide practical tools to empower women to support their mental and physical health are taught including. Giving women the ability to get instant relief from stressful situations and feel grounded. And importantly again helping to promote self-compassion.

The physical demands of carrying a baby and then caring for that newborn take a lot from a woman’s body. Our Nutritionist has created classes to show women what they might need to help support their bodies recovery, and how to eat to have more energy, and support their mental health. Plus a little trick on how to be able to enjoy a slice of cake (a new mother’s right) without crashing their blood sugar levels.  

Taking a break from work can be daunting for many women. Our Maternity Leave coach give key advice to help you feel more in control and ready for a smooth transition. Then support on what to consider while you are off and how to make that move back into work, making sure that you can still keep your goals in place, or indeed change what they look like, its all about making sure you can achieve what you want to do for your and your new family.

Our last education element is sleep. More than anything else, new mothers cite sleep deprivation as the main issue effecting their mental health. Our sleep coach covers the basics of how to get into a routine and what to do when things aren’t working. With an understanding of sleep routines and patterns parents can feel more confident and empowered, and most importantly get more sleep!

Support

Reaching out for support can be difficult for new mothers, they may not feel like they are able to, or find the time, or just know where to look. And unfortunately, sometimes when they do reach out for help it doesn’t come. The NHS is struggling to cope with the level of demand they are facing, and this has a direct impact on maternal health, with some mothers waiting over a year to get support, and figures from NHS freedom of information requests showed nearly 20k women were denied support when they asked for it.  

We are working in partnership with Maternal Mental Health Psychotherapists, Laura Greenwood Therapy, to offer support if a woman needs it. MAIA will include an assessment with the specialist therapists and then they can see if they need further support which can be arranged, privately or through their employer.

This will give the women the time and space to talk about how they are feeling and any birth trauma they may have experienced, or just simply give them a chance to let out their emotions with someone who understands and will not judge them.

Sadly many women will lose their babies before birth, or at a young age. This is an incredibly difficult time for women and their partners. We have formed a partnership with The Firgrove Centre. They provide a compassionate and caring service for seeking help with the impact of miscarriage, stillbirth, neo-natal death or sudden infant death (SID) Included with MAIA is the coordination of an initial support session with one of their counsellors, once this has taken place then they can offer a longer treatment which can be organised through their employer or privately. By having this support in place we hope to make it a bit faster for women to access the right help they need.

Community

Our online community is all about creating a warm, welcoming community for mums who might feel a bit isolated on their motherhood journey.

Pregnancy and motherhood can be tough, especially without a strong support network, but our group offers a space to connect, share, and encourage one another.

It’s a safe, judgment-free zone to talk about everything—joys, worries, and all the emotions in between.

Whether it’s a tough day or a big win, you’ll find understanding, validation, and support from women who truly get it. And the opportunity to share victories, big or small—so we can celebrate every milestone together.