Hidden Threads
A body and identity zine projectWhat happens to our identity and our bodies when we become mothers, and how can creative methods illuminate the body as a home beyond pregnancy in its role in nurturing the child and their sense of security?
Becoming a mother is a deeply personal journey that few of us can truly prepare for. The moment of pregnancy changes not just our bodies, but our sense of self. We know we’ll grow a baby and watch our bodies evolve through pregnancy and after birth. We know that we will become a mother, but the reality of sharing our body with another human—of growing a whole person inside us and then continuing to share ourselves with them after birth—is something that cannot be prepared for.
Foetal Microchimerism
I first found out about this phenomenon after I had a miscarriage. A friend who had experienced the same told me that she found comfort in the fact that a baby’s cells stay with the mother in her body for decades, maybe even until death, even if the baby was not born. I thought it was a myth, but when I looked into it, I was surprised to realise that this is a biological fact. These transfers happen during the first trimester of pregnancy when the placenta and mother's bloodstream are connected, and while many of the cells clear out of the mother’s body, there are some that infiltrate, hide out and become a genuine part of her body.
While researching, I came across an article on the National Geographic website about this.
“A mother’s children will remain part of her long after they leave her body and enter the world. This isn’t just a saying or a metaphor; it’s a biological reality. Every foetus sends some of its own cells into its mother. They cross the placenta, travel through her bloodstream, and lodge in various tissues: brain, thyroid, breast, and more. And then, they stay there. Even after the baby is born, takes its first steps, learns to speak, goes to school, gets a job, and perhaps even becomes a parent itself, some of its cells linger on in its mother. The reverse can also occur, where maternal cells are in the foetus. (Yong)
Isn’t this a fascinating phenomenon? Not only do we share our bodies with our children, but they also share their bodies with us. The bond shared between mother and child goes far beyond pregnancy and infancy. The physical connection that we have with them on the outside is also there on the inside. There’s a reason we have mothers’ intuition. I sense when things aren’t quite right. I still often find myself waking just before my children stir, get upset, or become unwell during the night. It’s more than intuition to sense my child needs me; it’s science.
Click the image below to go to the online version of the zine.