Navigating the Identity Shift of Motherhood: A Therapist’s Perspective on the Complex Postpartum Journey

As a therapist specializing in perinatal mental health, I have had the privilege of walking alongside many women as they navigate the profound and often challenging transition into motherhood. I also have walked this journey myself, in all of its joys and complexities. The birth of a baby is a momentous event, filled with joy, anticipation, and love. However, it is also a time of significant change—a shift in identity that touches every aspect of a mother’s life: physical, mental, social, emotional, behavioral, and even spiritual.