Fourth Trimester: The First Months and Beyond | Parenting | Newborn Baby | Postpartum | Doula

Dr. Angelique Millette is a Family Sleep Consultant, Parent Educator, and creator of The Millette Method™. We welcomed her back on our show for a third time because she is simply that amazing. Here's what we discuss:  How to prepare a baby for sleeping in their own room in a way that emphasizes safety and love for the child When to start thinking about making the transition from room-sharing...

Ever heard of Vaginal Steaming? Neither had we! Turns out, V-Steaming is a well-known and well-loved practice around the world. People love the practice for fertility, cycle cleanses, postpartum recovery & menopause. File it under "feels good and has potentially awesome benefits."  We invited a V-Steam expert, Keli Garza, to join us on Fourth Trimester Podcast and share all the juicy...

Renée Ann Cramer is our guest on episode 45 of the Fourth Trimester Podcast. She wrote "Pregnant With The Stars: Watching And Wanting The Celebrity Baby Bump" as part of her research into the culture around pregnancy and celebrity. She shares personal stories about her experience as a mother, as well as her fascinating perspective on how celebrity image plays into the psyche of modern parents...

In this episode, Esther has a really fun and intimate chat with long-time pre- and post- natal yoga instructor Jane Austin about giving birth, what pregnant and new mommas need and the power of yoga. We have some laughs and Jane offers a lovely guided meditation!! Full show notes fourthtrimesterpodcast.com Learn more Prepare For Birth With Confidence With Leah Keller, Founder Of Every Mother |&nbs...

Here's what we cover on this episode: What to do when breastfeeding doesn’t go as imagined Typical breastfeeding issues that come up for new mothers  What factors drive whether a woman can breastfeed or not Tips for breastfeeding success - what you can do in the hospital / right after giving birth The ins and outs of the initial physical pain of breastfeeding What breastfeeding accessories yo...

The FINAL Birth Plan Episode. We provide a Birth Plan Template you can download and customize for your own use in hospital or for a home birth. It is 1,000 times easier to edit a birth plan template compared to creating one from scratch. Listen to episodes 13 & 40 & 42 (for Parts 1 & 2 & 3 respectively) to hear Esther and Sarah explain each item on the plan. Love, Sarah &...

'Why Not Home: The Surprising Birth Choices of Doctors and Midwives' is about "changing the conversation about birth in America and spreading evidence-based information about birth across settings." The short answer to home birth or hospital birth question is that there is no right answer. "Both options carry risks", Jessicca is quick to point out. However, some of the risks of a hospital birth ar...

Here's a Birth Plan Template you can download and customize for your own use in hospital or for a home birth. It is 1,000 times easier to edit a birth plan template compared to creating one from scratch. Listen to episodes 13 & 40 (for Parts 1 & 2 respectively) to hear Esther and Sarah explain each item on the plan. Love, Sarah & Esther Full show notes fourthtrimesterpodcast.com B...

This episode is a high-level introduction of RIE infant parenting. Some of the themes discussed are about slowing down, truly connecting with your baby by giving them your full attention, and creating some predictability for your infant as part of the day-to-day routines. Listen to learn how to apply some of these principles to your own experience as a new parent. Full show notes fourthtrimesterpo...

Parents can have a hard time doing something for themselves, but will do anything for their child. When new moms and dads take care of themselves, they are increasing the capacity they have to take care of their baby. Here's what you can do for yourself in order to give your infant a better experience. Full show notes fourthtrimesterpodcast.com Learn more Self-Care is Critical to Caring for Others...

The Fourth Trimester Podcast is honored to have guest Miriam Zoila Pérez on our program. She and Esther discuss issues around birth support work as it relates to racism, politics, gender roles, anthropology and yes, even chemistry.  Full show notes fourthtrimesterpodcast.com Learn more Build Your Community Around You  | Our Family Coalition LGBT Parenting | The Second Child Transition |...

Part of what’s difficult about becoming a parent is deciding on the kind of parent we want to be. And once we've decided, sometimes the parent we are and the parent we imagined we would be are different. Full show notes fourthtrimesterpodcast.com Kimberly's books The Fourth Trimester (Catchy title!) | Call of The Wild Learn more Post-Birth Libido, Birth Injury & How Past Trauma Affects Birth &...

Dr Stephanie Stewart is a psychologist and therapist who has developed her own brand of travel therapy, mostly by taking patients on epic surf retreats around the world. She tells us how being present and putting ourselves in new situations can help uncover new insights into our own personal development journey. Full show notes fourthtrimesterpodcast.com Learn more  Pinpoint Where You Are on...

"Shortly after the birth of my daughter, I spent 10 days locked in the psych ward of the hospital after my postpartum depression and psychosis made me suicidal. In my altered psychotic state, I thought my house was bugged and the police were coming to arrest me for a crime for which I was wrongly accused. I thought the only way out of my crisis was to kill myself, so I told my mom and husband that...

Jane Honikman gives us an overview and outline for finding ourselves on the spectrum of mental health. Listen to the episode to find out how to identify different parts of the continuum and better understand where you yourself might fall on that spectrum. She talks about her time studying with Dr. James Hamilton who was interested in maternal mental health at a time when it might have seemed as if...

Our latest episode's guest is Dr Shoshana Bennett. She helps us bust up some "myths of motherhood." Often, when we acknowledge that all those myths are indeed false ideas, the pressure to be perfect is alleviated and some of the feelings of depression dissipate. Full show notes fourthtrimesterpodcast.com Dr Shoshana's books Children of the Depressed: Healing the Childhood Wounds That Come from Gro...

The number one complication of pregnancy is a form of postpartum depression or anxiety. Despite how common it is for women to experience a degree of anxiety or depression associated during pregnancy or post-natally, there are still cases where women aren't receiving the care they need. To help crack the issue wide open, Maureen Fura and her co-producer Jennifer Silliman created a documentary film...

Sara Mauskopf came home from the hospital with a healthy baby. She herself on the other hand, while healthy otherwise, struggled with postpartum depression. With help from her family, friends and professionals, she came out the other side fully recovered. Her experience as a new mom, both because of the depression and in general, helped inspire her to create parenting app Winnie. Be it Winnie or a...

Here's what we'll answer on this episode: How does eating while pregnant factor into baby's palate? What is the relationship between milk supply and foods? Which foods work well for first solids to try with your 4-6 month old? What nutritious foods are helpful for a recovering new mom? Listen to the show to find out the answers to these questions and more. Full show notes fourthtrimesterpodcast.co...

As Jennifer Garner puts it, "From now on ladies, I will have a bump. And it will be my baby bump. And let's just all settle in and get used to it. It's not going anywhere." Love your body. Love your body for so many reasons. Your body created new life. Your body gave you a baby you love. Your body works hard every day. Your body isn't a girl's body, it is a woman's body. Bodies change after having...

Ever wonder about when you'll be able to have sex again after having a baby? Or how your body will feel and heal after giving birth? Curious about how having a baby affects intimacy, sensation and your body in general? Answering these questions for us is Kimberly Johnson. She is a bodyworker, doula, postpartum women’s health specialist, and single mom. Having had a difficult postpartum experience...

Chanti Smith is an expert at human connection. She has worked with people of all ages to strengthen their parental attachment relationships. In particular, the work she does through Somatic Experiencing has helped parents develop a strong sense of connection and attachment with their babies. Full show notes fourthtrimesterpodcast.com Learn more How to Rewrite Your Birth Story and Find Joy After Tr...

How To Build Your Strength After A Major Life Change - Jane Honikman Shares The Steps To Wellness Jane Honikman gave her first baby up for adoption because she felt pressure to "do things in order". She later finished college, married the father and had additional babies with the same man who is now her husband. Jane described her experience of giving up her first baby as a trauma. Compounding tha...

In a word, Ann Jonas is resilient. She incorporates her own sense of spirituality into her coaching work, having experienced the sudden loss of her parents (her father killed her mother and died himself shortly thereafter in jail) and subsequently experienced the loss of her partner when her daughter was only two years old. One of Ann's takeaways from her journey thus far is that "life happens for...

Women who don’t meet their personal breastfeeding goals tend to think it is their own fault. It is time for women to stop blaming themselves. Women are starting to learn that difficulty with breastfeeding isn’t their fault, and that oftentimes what is happening is that the hospital environment and modern medical system isn’t setting women up for breastfeeding success. Full show notes fourthtrimest...