MOMENT | “I Didn’t Know Who I Was After My Baby” with Michelle Kennedy on Matrescence
Who are you now? And why does motherhood feel like it’s quietly rewritten you?
Today’s Motherkind Moment is with the incredible Michelle Kennedy, founder of Peanut, who has just launched the powerful “Make Matrescence Mainstream” campaign.
Zoe was proud to be part of this campaign and truly encourages you to look it up, watch it, and sit with it. Because matrescence, the profound identity shift we go through when we become mothers, is still something we don’t talk about nearly enough.
In this short but powerful clip, Zoe asks Michelle how her identity changed across her two matrescence experiences.
What Michelle shares might surprise you.
She speaks honestly about not knowing who she was after her first baby. She knew Michelle the professional. Michelle, the friend. Michelle, the daughter. But she didn’t yet know Michelle the mum.
She shares how clarity didn’t arrive overnight; it evolved slowly. How motherhood became the best chapter of her life, but not the only chapter. And how realising she is multifaceted changed everything.
They also explore trade-offs. The myth of “doing it all.” Why filling your own glass first isn’t selfish — it’s necessary. And why something as simple as a 20-minute shower can be the most humanising act in early motherhood.
If you’ve ever felt like you’ve lost yourself…
If you’ve wondered why this transition feels so seismic…
If you’ve felt guilty for wanting space, ambition, rest or boundaries…
This conversation is for you.
However, your matrescence has unfolded, whether it felt joyful, destabilising, lonely, clarifying, or all of the above, you are not alone.
In this Moment, you’ll hear:
Why it’s completely normal to feel like you “lose yourself” after becoming a mother
How matrescence reshapes your identity over time, not overnight
Why motherhood can be the most powerful chapter of your life without being the only chapter.
How protecting small, non-negotiable moments for yourself is not selfish — it’s foundational.
If you liked this moment, listen to the full episode: How to Turn Your Hardest Motherhood Struggles Into a Career With Purpose with Michelle Kennedy
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This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
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