Peanut App Aims to Add 'Matrescence' to the Dictionary

The social network for moms collected 11,000 signatures in a campaign to legitimize the term describing the transition to motherhood.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 2:04pm

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A blurred, intimate photograph of a mother and child embracing, with the background softened into warm, pastel-colored light, conceptually representing the transformative journey of new motherhood.Peanut's campaign to add 'matrescence' to the dictionary aims to legitimize the profound psychological and social changes new mothers experience.NYC Today

Peanut, a social networking app for moms, recently ran a campaign to get the word 'matrescence' added to the dictionary. Matrescence refers to the psychological, social, and developmental changes that occur when becoming a mother. The campaign, which included print, out-of-home, and social media ads, resulted in over 11,000 signatures on a petition and a 5,000% increase in Google searches for the term.

Why it matters

Peanut believes that recognizing and understanding matrescence is critical for supporting new mothers. By getting the term officially recognized, it can help destigmatize the challenges of new motherhood and provide a framework for the major life transition.

The details

Peanut's campaign highlighted that the word 'matrescence' was coined by an anthropologist in the 1970s but has not been added to most dictionaries. The ads encouraged people to sign a petition to get the term included. About a month into the campaign, the petition had garnered around 11,000 signatures, exceeding Peanut's goal. The campaign also generated significant buzz on social media, with 6 million impressions on Peanut's owned channels.

  • Peanut launched the matrescence campaign in February 2026.
  • About a month into the campaign, the petition had around 11,000 signatures.

The players

Peanut

A social networking app for moms that aims to connect women and provide support during the transition to motherhood.

Michelle Battersby

The President of Peanut, who spoke about the importance of recognizing matrescence for the app's community of 5.5 million active users.

Tommee Tippee

A baby products brand that co-branded with Peanut on the matrescence campaign, as Peanut has worked with over 150 brands since launching brand partnerships as a revenue stream in 2022.

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What they’re saying

“Just like how we all understand we go through adolescence when we're teenagers, we need to know that we are going to go through matrescence when we become a mom because it completely shifts how we view ourselves.”

— Michelle Battersby, President, Peanut

“It allows us to look at that transformation with much more understanding and compassion. Instead of comparing ourselves to who we were before, we're able to know, 'Oh, our brains are literally being rewired, we are changing, we are different, and actually that is what is meant to happen.'”

— Michelle Battersby, President, Peanut

What’s next

Peanut is continuing to work with Merriam-Webster to get the term 'matrescence' officially added to the dictionary, though it has already been added to Dictionary.com.

The takeaway

Peanut's campaign to legitimize the term 'matrescence' highlights the importance of recognizing and destigmatizing the major life transition of new motherhood. By giving a name to this experience, the app aims to provide a framework for supporting women during this transformative period.