When a child is born, so too is a mother. This idea, known as "matrescence", was first conceived in the 1970s by American medical anthropologist Dana Raphael. Parenting in 2025 looks very different in many ways,  the scientific evidence now supports the theory that women undergo radical physiological, psychological and social changes during pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood.

This conversation was presented by the Sydney Opera House at the 2025 All About Women Festival.

Speakers

Lucy Jones Science journalist and author, Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood

Gina Rushton (host) ABC journalist and author, The Parenthood Dilemma, Procreation in an Age of Uncertainty