Continuity of Care: A Conversation on Motherhood, Matrescence, and Ongoing Support

A Q&A with Doula Bridget Lynn and Author Melissa Edwards

Q: Bridget, doulas are known for offering “continuity of care.” What does that really mean?

Bridget:
Continuity of care is about being a steady, familiar presence throughout the whole journey of pregnancy, birth, and into motherhood. It’s the trust that comes from being truly known and understood, not just cared for. When a woman is supported by someone who walks beside her through every stage, she feels safe enough to soften, to trust her body, and to honour her own rhythm and intuition.

Q: Melissa, your work explores the recently revived term matrescence — how does that connect to continuity of care?

Melissa:
Matrescence is the process of becoming a mother — emotionally, physically, socially, and spiritually. It’s a metamorphosis that deserves the same understanding we give to adolescence.
Continuity of care honours that transformation by not drawing a line at birth but giving mothers permission to embrace years of their unique becoming. When a doula stays connected through postpartum, she’s holding space for a woman as she finds her new rhythm, identity, and strength. That’s where real integration happens — and it’s also where my (work)book becomes such a powerful companion.

Q: Bridget, what do you notice in mothers who have that ongoing support compared to those who don’t?

Bridget:
The difference is profound. Mothers who have that ongoing support often feel more at ease within themselves and more confident in their role. She’s usually calmer, more confident, and more connected to her baby and her instincts. She tends to recover better, ask for help when she needs it, and trust the process instead of second-guessing herself. It’s not that challenges disappear, but when she feels genuinely supported by someone who knows her and has walked beside her from pregnancy into postpartum, she doesn’t feel so alone in them. That sense of being understood makes all the difference in how she experiences those early weeks of motherhood.

Q: Melissa, your Matrescence Journal is designed as a tool for that reflection. How does it fit into a doula’s work?

Melissa:
My Book offers mothers 100+ guided prompts and exercises to process their experiences — from pregnancy to the identity shifts that come with raising little ones up to 10-years-old. It’s both practical and soulful, encompassing a broad arc of motherhood and proven techniques. For doulas, it can extend the continuity of care beyond their sessions — a way for mothers to maintain a rhythm of self-inquiry to support embodying their mama season — between and beyond visits. Some doulas include or recommend it as part of their postpartum packages deepening mama support and boosting the act of fully embracing the fleeting experiences. It’s a win-win all round and I’m gratefully, fulfilling my purpose by working with these powerful women.

Q: Bridget, why do you think matrescence awareness is so important in the doula space?

Bridget:
Matrescence awareness is essential because it helps us recognise that becoming a mother isn’t just about having a baby, it’s a complete transformation of identity. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, everything shifts. It allows us to see beyond the practical side of support and really acknowledge that a woman is moving through the loss, the growth, and the redefinition of self that happens in motherhood. When we name that process and normalise it, mothers feel less alone and more understood in what can be such an overwhelming and transformative time.

Q: What message would you both love mothers to hear?

Melissa:
That it’s both human and magical to become through motherhood. That the version of yourself that emerges through matrescence is growing, expanding, and learning new ways to love. That mothers deserve tailored support tools and to invest in themselves, which, has overflows benefits to their family.
Bridget:
I’d love mothers to know that they’re already enough. You don’t have to do it all or have it all figured out, and you don’t have to do it alone. Having a doula or a circle of support isn’t a luxury, it’s a return to what mothers have always needed: community, care, and continuity. When you feel truly supported, everything about motherhood feels a little lighter and more possible.

Closing Words

Motherhood is a journey that deserves to be witnessed and supported from the very first stirrings of matrescence to the grounded wisdom of seasoned motherhood.

Together, doulas like Bridget and tools like My Sacred Initiation Into Motherhood Matrescence Journal help mothers embody that sacred unfolding, not just survive it.

You can learn more about Melissa’s Matrescence Journal at motherwortandchild.com.au
and connect with Bridget’s doula services at bridgetlynn.com