No matter how well-informed a woman is about birth, nothing can truly prepare her for that moment, so natural and yet so miraculous, when her life is transformed as she gives life to another human being.

“There is no switch that turns you from a woman to a mother. It is a transitional phase. You don’t become a mother the second you give birth… At every stage of your child’s life you need to be a different mother,” says veteran midwife and mother-of-two Claire Zerafa.

In the cover story of Sunday Circle, out with The Sunday Times of Malta tomorrow, Zerafa talks about her passion for the profession and how she helps women transition into mothers.

Nothing rattled motherhood more than the pandemic

Published a week before Mother’s Day, Sunday Circle looks at how motherhood evolved through the years. Three generations of mothers tell how, to them, the key is always putting family first.

Nothing rattled motherhood more than the COVID-19 pandemic that forced working parents to juggle work and family life and the elderly to keep their distance from their children.

This year most might hesitate before embracing their mothers on Mother’s Day. Which is why Pippa Mattei shares cupcake recipes for a basket of love filled with mum’s favourite flavours.

This issue also delves into the therapeutic impact of pets in the pandemic and the invaluable work of the Lino Spiteri Foundation, which facilitates inclusion of vulnerable people in the world of employment.

Pick up a copy tomorrow or enjoy the digital version at www.tom-mag.com.