Postpartum on Purpose

Hi Lady! If you knew for sure that this was your last baby, how would that shape your postpartum? In this episode, guest host Kaitlin shares her experience of postpartum after a planned C-section and hysterectomy (plus unexpected complications) for suspected placenta accreta with baby #6. This episode's for you if you experienced medical complications, whether during pregnancy that impacted your p...

Hi Lady! Here I'm sharing the single most influential habit that made all the difference in my most recent postpartum experience. You can start while you're still pregnant, or however far you are into baby's first year. It's fast and it's effective for helping you handle the discomfort, uncertainty, and lack of control that are part and parcel of being postpartum.  Get in touch at annemarie@postpa...

Hi Lady! Today's guest host, Emily Busby, shares the origin story behind her children's book Mommy's Not an Octopus. This episode isn't long, don't blink or you'll miss it. And you won't want to miss the relatability, the insights, the affirmation, of both the struggles and the growth of postpartum, from a mom who's been there and gets it. You're in for a treat.  Find the full show notes, includin...

Lady, hi! It's my pleasure to share a book review of Rattled: How to Calm New Mom Anxiety with the Power of the Postpartum Brain, by psychologist Nicole Amoyal Pensak. I highlight the reasons I recommend every pregnant or postpartum mom at least borrow, maybe buy, this one. Bonus, I'm offering a "wine and cheese" pairing and a "wine + cheese + chocolate" pairing option of two other books I think w...

Hi Lady! Today's guest host, Maranda Bower of Postpartum University, shares excerpts from her long-form article "Postpartum Digestion is not Normal Digestion." (full article link is below) As an example, "Nourishment is not defined by the nutrient content of food alone, but by what the body can actually break down and transport and utilize. Food that cannot be digested is not nourishing, no matter...

Oh, lady. :) This episode has been in my heart and mind for such a long time. And it's not a quick listen. But here is the heartbreak and hope of my experience with postpartum OCD. If you struggle with your mental health during postpartum, know another mom who does, or are afraid of being hit by a PMAD (perinatal mood or anxiety disorder), this episode is for you. And if you're not affected but yo...

Hi Lady! In today's guest episode, Marianne shares her experience of postpartum just months after moving with her family to a new state where she knew a grand total of no one. Here's what was hard and what helped.  Remember to check out the full show notes at postpartumonpurpose.com. Get in touch at annemarie@postpartumonpurpose.com . 

Hey Lady! Around 8 months postpartum after the last couple babies, I notice in a particular way that my stomach isn't flat or firm. Of course, right? I've grown and birthed 5 babies now. But that doesn't mean I don't notice. Here's the attitude I choose and the practical things I do when I recognize all over again that, even if the baby weight is gone (and this time it's not yet), my stomach doesn...

Hey Lady! I'm fortunate to know today's guest host personally, and I'm truly grateful she agreed to share her story of her son's inexplicable healing from a serious heart condition, even amidst her own struggles with postpartum medical complications. If you or someone you love are facing the unknown of a serious medical diagnosis for their baby, even one the medical team doesn't fully understand,...

Hi Lady! In this episode, I talk (at length!) about the idea of losing yourself in motherhood or not feeling like yourself after baby. I share how many hours of consecutive sleep I've found I need bare minimum in order to not feel like a zombie. But then I ask you to consider the question: what does it mean to you to 'lose yourself' or 'not feel like yourself' during postpartum?  The three themes...

Hi Lady! I last did a Postpartum State of the Union address ;) at 4 months postpartum, so I thought it was time for another. Here's how things are going with baby's sleep and eating and walking and teething, plus mom's exercise/activity/healing/movement, weight loss, mood, cycles/return of fertility, and more. I hope what comes across in this episode is the idea that, yes, generally improve and pr...

Hi Lady! When today's guest host reached out to me about hosting an episode on a breastfeeding-related topic, my initial reaction was that I have a fair amount of breastfeeding content already. But when I learned the 'why' behind her decision to become an IBCLC (international board certified lactation consultant), I realized it was my privilege to share her story with you. Here's one woman's exper...

Hi Lady! You've heard the jokes about what you call people that use natural family planning (though it's often mistakenly equated with 'the rhythm method'): parents. But if you've been in the trenches of postpartum fertility awareness/NFP, you also know it can be particularly tricky deciphering your fertility (don't go it alone!!!), and you're far from the only one who thinks that. In this episode...

Hi Lady! A whole variety of factors play into when your period comes back after baby. But once it does, there are several patterns those first postpartum cycles tend to follow ***if you are breastfeeding and baby latches (as opposed to exclusively or regularly pumping or exclusively formula feeding) in terms of cycle length, follicular phase length (the part of your cycle before your first ovulati...

Hey Lady! Here's my review of the Mira monitor for the Marquette Method of natural family planning (NFP)/fertility awareness (FAM). I've used it for 5ish months during this postpartum, and during that time my fertility returned. If you're considering switching to Mira from Clearblue or another method, or tracking your cycle for the first time with an NFP method, here's what you need to know about...

Hi Lady! Today, Let's break down a new deep dive from ParentData founder + Harvard-trained economist + best-selling author Emily Oster on why the CDC's recommendations for breastmilk storage are overly cautious. Specifically: -how long is it safe to keep freshly pumped milk on the counter and in the fridge? -What about milk that was previously frozen and then thawed? -Can you add freshly pumped mi...

Hi Lady! Reminder that my new website, postpartumonpurpose.com, is now live!!! Each week, I post the link to the podcast in the blog, ALONG WITH anything I forgot to say, thought of later, OR links to other episodes on similar topic/s. In this episode, I'm sharing the heart or attitude or mindset behind Free Things and One Small Change, the two features I start each episode with. The ideas or atti...

Lady, listen. I had no idea laundry was something that could be revolutionized...until I learned otherwise. Here, I'm sharing top tips from reading Laundry Love by Patric Richardson that will cut down the time you spend on laundry. Yes, even with the spitup on baby's clothes and your clothes and the burp cloths.  If you enjoyed this episode, RATE, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE this episode with a mom frien...

Hi Lady! Today, I've got 2 updates for you: 1) why I recommend pressing PAUSE on purchasing the Mira monitor if you're trying to avoid pregnancy 2) I have a new website (!!!!!!) postpartumonpurpose.com. And then I've got 3 thoughts for your consideration during Lent:  1) perhaps you've got enough suffering to hold you over for the time being, but maybe your emphasis could be on approaching that su...

Hi Lady! This episode is guest hosted by Dr. Manisha Ghemire, founder of North Carolina-based Momkinz https://momkinz.com/  directory of postpartum support specialists. Dr. Manisha distinguishes between normal vs. urgent vs. emergent symptoms during postpartum, for both physical symptoms and mental/emotional symptoms. I hope you'll keep this episode in your back pocket, especially during those ear...

Hey Lady! A couple months back, I saw an Instagram post from @postpartumuniversity asserting that 500 extra calories per day for breastfeeding moms might be nowhere near enough calories. In today's episode, I'm sharing why new moms might need two or even three times that many calories, especially early on, plus the mindset shift I've had about what reasonable weight loss goals and timeframe might...

Hi Lady! How much exercise should you be getting during postpartum, and when is it safe to start? Here's how I'm incorporating the idea that 'movement is medicine', starting in my earliest postpartum days through now, almost 8 months(!) with my fifth baby. For further reading, an article I wrote for Natural Womanhood  https://naturalwomanhood.org/postpartum-exercise/ , plus the guideline I referen...

Hi Lady! You know by now how I feel about free things, so it'll come as no surprise how enthused I was about the free Hinge Health app offered through my husband's employer. Here are all the things I love about the app, including built-in accountability to keep me honest and actually using it, plus how virtual physical therapy (a la Hinge Health) and in-person physical therapy (a la pelvic floor P...

Hi Lady! If you've had a C-section (or known someone who has!), this guest episode is for you. I asked physical therapist assistant Sarah to cover the steps of C-section scar self-massage, and she delivered! Maybe most importantly, you can do C-section scar massage even if your C-section was YEARS ago (she explains early on in her video how a recent client got pain relief working through scar tiss...

Hi Lady! Up until several months ago, I had never heard of a C-section scar defect, Cesearan scar defect, uterine isthmocele, or uterine niche (yep, those are all names for the same thing). But once I learned that between 30 and 70% of C-sections (depending on the research study) may result in C-section scar defect, I realized that every.single.woman who has a C-section should know what to look ou...