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My name is Katie, and I am a wife, mother, occupational therapist and the founder of Mother + Me. I am driven to do what I can in the time and space that I have, to support mother's on their journey to and through motherhood.
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My own transition to motherhood has led me to this work. Becoming a mother for the first time brought with it the biggest, most fulfilling kind of joy and purpose, but with it too came waves of confusion, doubt and overwhelm. Motherhood is the ultimate paradox. I found myself questioning how on earth these two realities could exist at once, and I was left feeling alone in my attempts to make sense of it all. Then I found Matrescence. And it slowly started making more sense.
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What is Matrescence?
First described by Dana Raphael in the 1970s, and then resurrected by Dr Aurelie Athan at Columbia University, Matrescence is the revolutionary way we now understand what happens to a woman when she becomes a mother. Amy Taylor-Kabbaz, a journalist and leading thought leader on Matrescence, describes:
"Matrescence. Just as adolescence describes the natural but all-encompassing transition from child to adult, and affects every part of your life, Matrescence describes the natural but all-encompassing transition from woman to mother. And it affects every part of your life."
Mama Rising
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I am here to play my part in filling the gaps where society lets mothers down, where community does not exist like it was designed to, and where patriarchal systems lead us to feel we have to uphold the "perfect mother myth". Not only in those precious weeks and months after the birth of your child, but into what is now your new reality. Postpartum is in fact forever.
Wherever you are on your motherhood journey, you are seen, heard and welcome here.
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"Mother + Me"
As a woman makes the shift from maiden to mother, it is a significant and life altering rite of passage. The role of ‘mother’ can be all consuming, especially in the precious “fourth trimester” and into the first year of life. ‘Mother + Me’ describes the process a mother will navigate in order to redefine, reimagine, recapture and rediscover sense of self, identity and belonging, alongside their new role of mother.
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The constant dance between identities. That’s where the name ‘Mother + Me’ stems from. I am a mother, but I am also me. The process of gently unraveling these strands that are so tightly intertwined is a beautiful yet convoluted ride.
Occupational Therapists support people to do the things they need and want to do when illness, injury or life transition has got in the way. Occupations are our everyday tasks, all the things that come together and create the rhythm of our lives. It’s through our occupations that we build our lives and create meaning and purpose from them.
As Occupational Therapists, we are curious about roles, routines, habits, values, identity, body systems and environmental factors that impact our “doing”. Another layer we explore is the sense of being, becoming and belonging that guides our participation in everyday life. In other words, how we relate to and show up in the world.
An Occupational Therapy Lens
The Intersection of Motherhood and OT
Motherhood is one of the most significant life transitions, with large, obvious changes to body function and capacity, and also more subtle changes that still create significant impact, like changes to rhythms and routine. We can be so quick to pathologize the mother and what she’s experiencing, rather than critiquing the environment that she’s required to birth and mother in.
Occupational Therapists are perfectly positioned to support mothers as we are skilled in assessing Person, Environment and Occupation factors influencing wellbeing through the ebbs and flows of the transition to motherhood.
To empower mothers to know themselves,
their baby, and the delicate dance that is
motherhood.
We support women and mothers to realise their potential, navigate life transitions, and connect to their mind and body, in order to feel and be their best, first for themselves, and then for their family, community and beyond.
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Credentials
I completed my Bachelors Degree with honours through Curtin University. Along with this, and 10 years of experience, I hold the following certifications and memberships:
