We are inextricably linked to our mothers (whether we like it or not).
Thanks to a two-way exchange of cells across the placenta between the fetus and mother during our gestation, we are forever linked with our biological moms more than most of us realize. It’s called microchimerism.
Most of the cells coming from the fetus get destroyed by the mom’s immune system but some survive and embed themselves in various organs of her body. The cells from the mother are also stored in the organs of the fetus.
Interestingly, the fetus actually transfers more of its cells to the mother than the other way around. Studies have been able to prove that even cells from maternal grandmothers, acquired during the mother’s own gestation, have been passed on to the fetus. And because some fetal cells stay in the mom’s body for decades, they can also be passed on to future siblings of the previous child. We literally are our family of biological origin.
What impact do these cells have on us and our mothers?
My interest in this phenomenon goes beyond this biological exchange although that alone is very interesting. Studies have shown that many of these fetal cells passed to the mother will go to sites of injury or weakness. For example, mothers with type 1 diabetes are more likely to have fetus cells found in their pancreas. Fetal cells can, however, reproduce indefinitely and have been found in cervical and lung tumors. So, it appears there can be both good and bad outcomes from this exchange.
We do know thanks to the study of epigenetics that it takes more than DNA inheritance to cause the manifestation of certain cellular changes. For example, just because you have the breast cancer gene doesn’t mean it will get ‘turned on’. So even though you and your mother have swapped some DNA sequence with cancer potential doesn’t mean you have to experience it.
If we look at this from a spiritual healing lens, we must consider the concept that we are our mother. When we choose to heal ourselves, we heal the family lineage several generations before us but also impact the future generations as well. This is a concept spoken about in many indigenous cultures and widely shared in spiritual healing circles. I’ve personally experienced these shifts and seen it happen for others. For example, I supported one woman doing a process to heal her relationship with her mother by choosing to heal within herself that which she rejected in her mother. As she accepted and loved that rejected part of herself, the relationship with her mother shifted. They were able to become closer and have more compassion for each other. If we bring this back to microchimerism, when we reject our mother, we are literally rejecting a part of our selves since some our fetal cells are held within her.
Now let’s consider the fact that all our cells are bound by an invisible force within the quantum field. If we are experiencing deep emotional or physical pain, it is plausible that any of our cells held within our mother or siblings might also be feeling that pain as they communicate across the quantum field. Depending on how many cells our mother or siblings absorbs and how sensitive they are to the vibrational shifts within their own body, they might very well feel this pain too. Could this help explain more about mother’s intuition when their child is hurting and our innate desire to take care of our younger siblings?
This is a vast subject that a simple article like this can’t bring justice, but my intention was to spark new perspective this Mother’s Day. Whether you have a loving or complicated relationship with your mother, I hope you find new appreciation for the exchange you share and impact you have had and can have on each other.
Written by Robin Harris, Transformational Coach