Mothershift
Reclaiming Motherhood as a Rite of Passage
The first matrescence book to offer mothers a map for the transition to motherhood
Winner of the 2025 Nautilus Book Awards Gold Medal
Shortlisted for the 2026 Nova Scotia Book Award for Non-Fiction
Order your copy of the Mothershift matrescence book
What if we reclaimed the transition to motherhood as a radical transformation to a person's whole life – as the rite of passage that it truly is?
And what if we decided that losing yourself in motherhood is not the problem but the point?
What if we saw motherhood as an opportunity for a mother to access a deeper sense of her own power and authenticity?
Order your copy of the Mothershift matrescence book
About Mothershift
Mothershift is the first book of its kind to dive into the science and soul of the transition into motherhood, known as matrescence, which takes 2-3 years to traverse, not 6 weeks or 3 months like we've been led to believe.
This transition isn't just about learning how to change diapers or make really strong coffee: it's a change to who you are. In times past and places far away, this rite of passage was guided by ritual, ceremony and community support, but our modern, Western understanding of matrescence remains largely uncharted territory. Today’s mothers are encouraged to “bounce back” and told not to “lose themselves in motherhood," and everything from social policy to social media has made this transformative time more challenging now than it has ever been. As a result, modern mothers are in crisis. One in four mothers experience postpartum anxiety and depression, which are so common that the term “postpartum” is now shorthand for a mood disorder, and not for the period of time following birth.
Mothershift offers new mothers a guide that helps them navigate matrescence, offering them resources to thrive during this transformative time. The book
Helps mothers to identify the cascade of changes they can expect to their lives as they enter motherhood
Normalizes the feelings of grief and loss of self they may feel during matrescence and reassures mothers that they are not broken, they are becoming
Supports mothers to begin to explore who they are now that they are mothers, or mothers again
Helps readers cultivate a sense of empowerment and leadership in motherhood, showing them how mothering is a counterculture act, and how to become powerful change agents in a world that desperately needs mothering.
Order your copy of Mothershift matrescence book
Reviews of Mothershift
Testimonials
“So many guide books for mothers focus on the baby, and yet Mothershift author Jessie Harrold knows that the root of family well-being begins with care for the mother. Rather than what we do as mothers, it is how we feel that truly matters in terms of an empowered and embodied mothering experience. The elemental framework in Mothershift for navigating the transformation of motherhood speaks to our mothering bodies, and the “MotherPowers” that Harrold names are a road map for rebuilding a personal and collective mother-loving culture that will benefit us all.”– Tami Lynn Kent, author of Wild Feminine, Wild Creative and Wild Mothering
Testimonials
“Mothershift is a beacon and essential read for the early years of motherhood. While reading it, all I could think about was how much less lonely I would have felt if I'd had this book when my babies were young. But, even though my children are older now, Harrold's words reframed my memories, tenderly soothing remaining traces of not-enoughness or unattended grief. As Harrold says, when you become a mother, you become something new. Finally, we have a book to compassionately shepherd us through that process of becoming.”– Mara Glatzel, author of Needy: How to Advocate for Your Needs and Reclaim Your Sovereignty
Testimonials
“Mothershift is a beautiful companion to anyone going through the transformative rite of passage of motherhood. Jessie Harrold has gifted us an intelligent, well-researched, and tender book. If you find yourself asking, 'What is going on?' or 'Is this normal?' Mothershift is the book for you.”
– Britta Bushnell, PhD, author of Transformed by Birth
Testimonials
“Jessie’s words are medicine for every new mama’s heart, and wisdom that this world so desperately needs as we re-learn how to honor this profound transition into becoming “Mother." Even after 5 years of first becoming a mother, her words orient me in a new way - and support me in the process of still becoming.”
– Dhyana Masla, author of Ayurveda Mama
Testimonials
“This book is the real deal companion every new mother needs to support her through the complex emotional and spiritual landscapes that come up in new motherhood. It’s so much more than a guide - Mothershift provides the data, research, and grounded truths to validate a woman’s complex experience of matrescence. I envision mothers gathering around kitchen tables discussing this book!”
– Becca Piastrelli, author of Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community and the Self
Shortlisted for a Nova Scotia Book Award
Testimonials
“Engagingly written, thoughtfully researched, and deeply compassionate, Mothershift outlines a compelling argument for why and how our society needs to reframe the transition to motherhood as a rite of passage. Jessie Harrold's voice is thoughtful, decisive and accessible, as she draws readers into her vision of how we might reimagine what it means to become a mother.
Harrold draws on her experience as a researcher to craft a perspective on motherhood that is both ancient and revolutionary, backing up her thesis with plenty of evidence and examples. Mothershift is vulnerable, relatable and empowering for parents who find their sense of self unmoored by their foray into motherhood. Harrold's practice as a doula weaves its way through these pages and her authorial voice reads as a caring accompanying guide through the bodily, emotional, relational and personal changes one encounters in the first several years of parenting."– Jury, Nova Scotia Book Awards
About the Author
Jessie Harrold is a coach, doula and author who has been supporting women to navigate life transitions and rites of passage for nearly two decades. A world-leading matrescence expert, she is the founder of the internationally acclaimed matrescence support program MotherSHIFT as well as The Village, a Matrescence Educator Certification program for perinatal professionals and other mother supporters.
Jessie also works one-on-one with women and mothers in her practice as well as facilitating group programs, circles, rituals and retreats. She has a Master’s in Health Promotion and a B.Sc. in Neuroscience, and her research on women’s experiences navigating health and wellbeing has won multiple awards and been published in peer-reviewed journals internationally. Jessie’s writing and work have been featured in International Doula Magazine, Spirituality & Health, Today’s Parent, Green Parent, Mindful Magazine, Motherly, She Explores, and more. She is also the editor of Mother Becoming: Reflections and Scholarship on Matrescence, the author of Project Body Love: My quest to love my body and the surprising truth I found instead and the host of the Becoming Podcast.
Jessie lives with her partner on the wild east coast of Canada where they raise their children and steward the land.
“This book is where you can receive support in making sense of who you are, as a woman, now that you’re a mother. It’s a place to seek refuge, to receive guidance through your transition to motherhood, and to feel as if you are being mothered as you mother. It’s a place where you can understand, in your bones, that your experience of this radical transformation in your life is real, meaningful, and okay.”
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