Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood

by Lucy Jones

From the moment I was pregnant, I didn’t just feel different. I was different. I am different. On a cellular level. I would never be singular again.

My children are the main actors, and I am the audience. I will always be in thrall to them, but they won’t always be in thrall to me. And I won’t always be able to watch over them, to keep them safe in my protection. This intimacy has a shelf life. Already, it hurts. I feel a premonition as I watch them grow before my eyes. This is life, and it is hard, and it is right.