Motherhood is... a woman’s rebirth
Photo by Mariia Liulevych on Unsplash
When Petra Tamas became a mother, she fell in love with motherhood as a journey. Her personal experience with the births of her two daughters—and everything that followed—inspired her to build her business. A certified yoga instructor, she went on to deepen and expand her skills. Today, she is a doula, childbirth educator, womb massage therapist, and a self-confessed wellness enthusiast. Here she shares some thoughts about what motherhood is to her.
For me, entering motherhood was an underworld journey - which is often not seen and recognised by the outer world.
My journey into the world of motherhood began when I had my first child. There was a period when I struggled to take care of myself and my baby. I was anxious, overwhelmed and lost.
Pregnancy, birth and motherhood formed me in so many ways.
For me, motherhood is more than a biological or social role. For me, it unfolded as a profound inner transformation, much like what traditions describe as a rite of passage. In that sense, it parallels the classic three stages found in many initiation journeys: separation, transformation, and return or integration.
Separation: The loss of something, or of who I was.
Transformation: This is what we most often recognise as the rite of passage. It is here that the body and mind are pushed beyond comfort, where marks are made - the birth experience itself.
Return: This is where the rite completes its arc. I came back bearing insight, stories, and a steadiness that wasn’t there before. I had something to offer, which is not just knowledge, but a perspective shaped by passage - something the community I am building can draw from and honour.
I feel there’s also a symbolic layer. Motherhood mirrors cycles of creation, destruction, and rebirth. Parts of my old identity fell away, which felt disorienting. But that space became a fertile ground for new insights, ideas and creative energy.
Caring for my children pulled me into the moment—there’s very little room to live entirely in abstraction. That grounded awareness can sharpen intuition and deepen empathy, which are both powerful drivers of creativity.
Not everyone experiences motherhood as a clear “transformation,” and not all journeys into motherhood follow the same path.
What is for sure is that I realised we have moved away from village-mindedness, and it’s mothers who suffer the most. It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a village to raise a mother.
This journey was never intended to be made alone. I believe a supportive community is an essential part of pregnancy, parenthood and womanhood itself.
Looking back at my journey so far, my rite of passage into motherhood guided me to the path I walk today. All the ups and downs, all the support I received and the support I didn’t receive.
It has been about finding my path and purpose to support and give my clients the trust to believe in their bodies and themselves, to believe in their abilities to handle anything and to let them gain the knowledge of the array of choices that are available so that they can make informed decisions when it comes to their personal journey throughout pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
Petra is a founding member of Wellnest,