maternal health & wellness
conversations on matrescence, postpartum recovery, maternal mental health, and maternal wellbeing—centering the lived experiences of women of color
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speaking | workshops | collaborations in houston & globally
Hi, I'm Vanessa
This is my praxis, my passion, and what is now my calling
My work in this space started with my own experience of becoming a mother.
After having my son, I knew I wasn’t experiencing postpartum depression or anxiety—but I also knew something felt off. I felt different, and I couldn’t fully explain why.
That led me to matrescence and it changed how I understood everything I was experiencing.
As I went deeper into this study and personal journey, I started seeing the same patterns in my clients. And what became clear very quickly is this:
While 1 in 5 women are diagnosed with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, all mothers go through matrescence—and yet, it’s rarely talked about, especially in Black and brown communities.
At the same time, I was seeing another gap.
So much of the conversation around maternal mental health stays focused on birthing, or on emotions and coping, while leaving out the full-body reality of what women experience—nutrition, biology, nervous system changes, and the broader systems shaping their lives, as they transition into motherhood.
My work, and my voice, sits at the intersection of all of that.
I speak about matrescence, motherhood, postpartum recovery, and maternal wellbeing in a way that brings these pieces together, so women, and the people who support them, can finally understand what’s happening and what they actually need.
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Topics for speaking
Take a look
1. The Postpartum Cliff: What Happens After the Support Disappears
2. Rethinking Postpartum Recovery Beyond the First 6 Weeks, 12 months
3. Mother-Care: Why Self-Care Isn’t Enough
4. Reimagining Comprehensive Postpartum Support
1. The Transition of Motherhood: What’s Happening in Your Body
2. Why You’re Exhausted: Hormones, Stress, and the Nervous System
3. Understanding the Physiological Load of Motherhood
4. The Neuroscience of the Postpartum Experience
1. What It Actually Means to Care for Yourself in Motherhood
2. Moving Beyond Basic Self-Care in Postpartum and Beyond
3. Understanding Your Needs, Capacity, and Energy as a Mother
4. Supporting Your Wellbeing in a Way That Actually Works
1. Supporting Mothers Beyond PMADs and Symptom-Based Care
2. Expanding How We Understand Maternal Mental Health
3. Integrating Holistic, Real-Life Considerations into Care
4. What’s Missing in How We Currently Support Mothers
1. Matrescence: The Transition No One Prepares You For
2. Why You Feel Like a Different Person After Baby
3. Identity, Capacity, and the Invisible Shifts of Motherhood
4. Matrescence in Black & Brown Communities
Category: Matrescence & Identity
Category: Postpartum Recovery & Mother-Care
Category: The Science & Spirit of Motherhood
Category: Maternal Health & Wellness
Category: Rethinking Maternal Mental Health Care (For Providers & Organizations)
ways we can work together
You Can Book Me For:
Keynote speaking engagements
Workshops and trainings
Panel discussions and moderated conversations
Podcast interviews and guest features
Organizational consulting and collaborations
Contracted work for grants and funded programs
Who I Work With:
Corporate wellness and employee resource groups
Schools, colleges, and training programs
Community-based organizations and nonprofits
Hospitals, clinics, and healthcare systems
Birthing centers and perinatal service providers
Mental health and wellness organizations
inquire about booking
If you’re looking for a speaker, trainer, or collaborator for your event, organization, or community, I’d love to connect. Topics can be tailored to your audience, setting, and goals.