Hello and welcome to Mombodypoet where I write about motherhood, daughterhood, prenatal and perinatal experiences, early childhood, the body, and poetry. I explore loss in its many forms, during pregnancy and beyond. I’m a research psychologist, writer, poet, and educator.

I combine research-backed insights from developmental psychology and science with personal experiences. I want to shine a light on the unseen aspects of motherhood, such as loss and trauma, as well as the developmental process of becoming a mother, known as matrescence.

I am studying somatic practices to understand how the nervous system influences our experiences in the lived body. Our bodies are critical to our sense of self and identity and how we navigate the world. The body holds memories that we don’t remember consciously. The body memory is connected to the development of the self – when does it begin?

I intend to offer reflections on the parental brain and nervous system, personal memoir essays on birth and prenatal psychology, as well as creative exercises, including poetry, that can help you to explore your own story.

I want to begin with how loss and separation have initiated me into motherhood. I tell the story of my traumatic birth to raise awareness about chorioamnionitis, an intrauterine infection I contracted during labor, and the complications that threatened the life of my newborn daughter. I hope that more people become aware of the infection and learn how to interact with medical professionals to protect their bodies and babies.

Thank you for stopping by.

Warm regards,

Terhi, creator of Mombodypoet

Photo credit: Alex Pasarelu on Unsplash