Samantha O’Donovan is the founder of Rewoven Matrescence, a gentle space to navigate the becoming of motherhood. Drawing on her background as a paediatric occupational therapist and her own lived experience of matrescence, Sammy blends evidence-based care with deep emotional and somatic support. Her work is rooted in the belief that mothers deserve to be held, guided and truly seen, not just in the early postpartum period, but throughout the evolving journey. Through Rewoven Matrescence, she is helping to redefine maternal care by offering a more connected, compassionate and holistic approach to supporting women and families. Here, she talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the passion behind her work and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
My passion for supporting women truly ignited after having my own children. I had worked as a paediatric OT for years and loved supporting families, but becoming a mother myself revealed a different layer of need – one I felt deeply.
Along the way, I experienced loss and the challenges of fertility, including miscarriages and IVF. These brought their own layers of grief, hope and reflection. I found myself longing for a village, for more comprehensive support, and noticing gaps in my own post-birth care that made those early months harder than they needed to be.
Those experiences shaped me. They showed me how transformative matrescence is, and how much women deserve to be held, guided, and truly seen through it. I created this work so other women wouldn’t have to navigate those same gaps alone, and so they could move through their becoming with more support, softness and connection than I had.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
In the beginning, it all started quietly. Just me, full of ideas, and a deep knowing that women needed more support than what was currently available. I began by listening: to my own story, to other mothers, to the gaps we all felt but rarely named. I drew on my years as a paediatric OT, blending that knowledge with my lived experience of matrescence, and slowly shaped a vision for a space that offered the kind of care I once needed myself.
As the vision began to take shape, I sought guidance to help bring it to life, because I believe women aren’t meant to build alone. With support and mentorship, that quiet idea began to root and grow, and over time, it became Rewoven Matrescence – a space built to support women through one of the biggest transformations of their lives.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
My biggest breakthrough came when I realised that supporting women in matrescence needed to be more than education or traditional therapy; it needed to be a deeply integrated approach. Bringing together occupational therapy, somatic awareness and reflective practice created something truly different: a model that honours both the science and the soul of becoming a mother.
As I started weaving these elements together, I saw the potential for women to feel not just informed, but truly seen, regulated and reconnected with themselves. That integration became the heart of my vision, shaping the way I create space for mothers to navigate the profound changes of matrescence.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Balance, for me, isn’t a perfect split; it’s a rhythm I keep returning to. Some seasons ask more of me as a mother; others allow more space for my work, and I’ve learned to honour those shifts instead of fighting them. And truthfully, there are days when it doesn’t feel balanced at all – when I’m overstimulated, behind on emails, touched-out or carrying the quiet guilt of feeling like I’m not fully present anywhere.
In those moments, I try to meet myself with the same compassion I offer other women. I come back to what matters most: presence with my kids, meaningful work and caring for myself so I can hold space for others. I set gentle boundaries, work in pockets of time that truly align and remind myself that I don’t have to prove my worth by doing everything at once.
It’s not about achieving constant harmony; it’s about noticing when I’m tilting too far in one direction and gently recalibrating. The ebb and flow, the missteps and the returns have become my version of balance.
