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

Our amazing guest for Episode 78 is Jeanae Hopgood-Jones who has taken a tragic and powerful experience as a mother and found a space of creativity and inspiration.  Her blog  https://blackangelmom.com/  is not only beautiful and sincere, it addresses areas of parenthood and life that are all too often relegated to the purely personal and not given or allowed a voice by the larger culture.  The loss of her twin daughters and reaching towards families of color and their experiences of loss are the seeds of this endeavor. https://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

Pelvic floor stability champion Susi Hately returns to the Fourth Trimester Podcast to talk about how she advocated for herself while she was pregnant with TWINS and had the complication of placenta previa. Hear her inspirational story of how she was true to herself throughout her pregnancy and postpartum period https://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

We had the pleasure of speaking with Dr Adrian Villalba about perinatal chiropractic practices that benefit mothers. Having balance in your body both before and after giving birth can benefit new mamas in their recovery process. Adrian is certified in Webster Technique by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. Listen to learn more about out how this works.https://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

In this episode, Lisa shares with us practical lessons on how to understand  our own body signs. Learn how to chart your own cycle. Hear how important it is to listen to what your menstrual cycle indicates for your wider health overall. For example, if your period doesn't return ~ 18 months after having a baby, that's a sign that something may be wrong, and it is a good time to have a medical professional help investigate. https://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

Here's a quick guide to the questions every new parent asks. https://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

Emily Flynn is a birth and postpartum doula and health consultant in the Bay Area. She specializes in connecting folks in various places in their gynecological health cycles with compassionate and evidence-based care providers best suited to their individual needs. Emily's journey into birth work started through her legal research work with international organizations supporting migrants and refugees, which has informed and inspired her work with other birth care providers in building solid contracts and safe, strong, and satisfying businesses. https://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

Suzannah Neufeld, MFT, yoga therapist has dropped by my house to have tea and discuss her new book Awake At 3AM and tell us about how she applies insights both from psychotherapy and yoga/mindfulness practice to help parents through the very challenging perinatal period. Suzannah herself suffered with grueling hyperemesis and was thrown into depression and anxiety as a result.  Hear her story and learn about her approach to helping us with the tough stuff.https://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

Melissa Hurt is our guest this episode and she offers us an easy and rather fun and funny technique for "finding our voice" as new parents.This little exercise, known as the Y-Buzz will warm up your vocal chords and open your voice and tickle your face.  But it's not just for fun-- this technique is something you may find empowering as well as spirit-lifting.https://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

How to avoid anemia (and recover from anemia) using nutrition. Anemia is common during and after pregnancy. Esther talks about how to stave it off, and how to use nutrition and what you eat to help recover from mild to severe anemia. https://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

The Dos and Don'ts and Whys and Hows of being a respectful and HELPFUL visitor to your new-parent family and friends. This is some frank talk based on Esther's decades of observation and cultural comparison. Everyone can learn from this episode, whether or not they are, themselves, or know new-parents-to-behttps://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

Esther and Sarah return to the subject of visitors. A discussion of why visitors in the first two to six weeks aren't always the right thing for new parents from a physical, emotional-social and spiritual perspective, as well as why our culture doesn't foster appropriate support. This episode of the Fourth Trimester Podcast is a playbook for handling visitors, including: setting boundaries for yourselfcommunicating how you need visitation to work to your loved onesthe difference between visitors who help vs visitors who don't know how to positively contribute how to set up an appropriate 'meet the baby' event why your birth story is a private experience you may or may not choose to share https://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

Wait, what is Postpartum OCD? Yep. It's Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that develops or is magnified as part of the postpartum experience. Women who don't have OCD can develop it as part of their childbirth experience. Women who already have OCD can see their symptoms intensify during postpartum. Most simply defined, OCD is when "intrusive thoughts" become fairly constant, and a person starts acting on those thoughts. On episode 67 of Fourth Trimester Podcast we focus on postpartum OCD and speak with Megan Ellow who is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Delaware. The episode covers: -- Signs of Postpartum Anxiety and Postpartum OCD-- How to find help if you think you may have symptoms of Postpartum Anxiety and Postpartum OCD (Hint: start by calling an anonymous helpline 800-944-4773) -- Megan's true story of postpartum OCD and her recovery https://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

I had a ton of anxiety about THE BIRTH. And then a fair amount of feelings about being a parent - would I be good enough? I appreciated talking with Leah Chalofsky about the New Parents Circle and Cesarean Birth Support Group, anxiety (as it relates to pregnancy and parenting), domestic violence, and teen pregnancy/parenting. The recorded conversation (Episode 66 of Fourth Trimester Podcast) includes all these topics: Hormones and their influenceEmotions prior to birth Anxiety, Depression and "feeling bad about feeling bad" First two years of child's life - transitions physical and mental Benefiting from being around other parentsRuling out physical issues - how physical and emotional are intertwined LISTEN AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS - I’m a Mom doing this for other Moms :)https://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

We are so happy to introduce Nethal Abdul-Mu-Amin to our listeners.  In this episode we also give our listeners an opportunity to learn a bit about Islamic cultural diversity and how Nethal is helping Muslim families find their reflection in the Parenting Community.We discuss the following and more:Homebirth Midwifery in the era before legalization and the current state of accessNethal’s background and what led her to become a Birth and Postpartum Doula and Childbirth EducatorResources Nethal has helped develop  as a Childbirth Educator, specifically for the Muslim communityhttps://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

Here’s a good introduction to the topic of Perinatal Herbalism. Beth Rees is an Herbalist, a SF-based Doula and she has worked with families over 20 years. Beth tells us about how herbs can nourish us and add enjoyment, rest and recovery to our intensive work growing our families. Listen to episode 64 of Fourth Trimester Podcast to hear: How Beth became a doula/herbalistGeeking out about Birth and PostpartumHeart-opening  Herbal self-nourishment and caring for the new mom and babyHerbalism/Acupuncture integrationLocal approachesGentle Giants of the herb worldInternal and external nourishment and healingHow to make your own breastfeeding teaGo to fourthtrimesterpodcast.com to download recipes for specific herbal supports for parents and children https://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

Trusting another person to care for your child can be challenging. Having a plan in place for hiring and employing a childcare provider will go a long way in alleviating some of the stress. Put your plan in place with episode 63, including: when to start looking for a nanny / childcare provider (accounting for how long it can take to hire someone)how to pre-screen candidates and conduct the interview process (because you need more than one interview with your final selections)conducting a nanny trial period how to develop and maintain a good line of communication between parents and care providerswhat to expect for how to pay a nanny (over the table vs under the table) and having contracts how to consider the nanny's perspective, including pressure they may feel (e.g. if you don't have any backup care)how to set clear household expectations https://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

Confidence-building is a lifelong exercise for all people, including parents. Listen to this Confidence Masterclass on episode 62 of the Fourth Trimester Podcast. Learn the confidence-building foundations. This audio masterclass is designed for women and mothers in particular. The course covers: The importance of demonstrating confidence to our childrenLoving and respecting yourself What self care means How to unearth your true identity https://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

LGBTQ Parenting and the community organization that supports it in the Bay Area are our topic in this episode. Our Family Coalition is a non profit that is also involved in policy work and advocacy throughout the state of California. Our guests Dy Nguyen and Jeanette Page bring their individual and collective experience to the show to talk about family-making outside the heterosexual box. We discuss:Differences in the process of becoming a family with kidsGetting pregnant— finding a donor/partner/village, acquiring sperm, insemination servicesWhat the LGBTQ “village” can look likeOur Family Coalition programs: playgroups, support groups, parenting classesBig eventshttps://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

Sometimes simply knowing your options is what makes all the difference. Education is key for pregnant mothers as they prepare for their birth and early motherhood.Birth Education is important for women because the "childbearing year" of pregnancy, labor, birth and the fourth trimester,  is the moment where fundamental respect, care and nurturing can be experienced and where culture-change can begin in each life with the benefits paying forward to individuals and society. In this episode we have the honor and delight of speaking with a mother-daughter duo whose work together spans this cultural intervention of doula work in the context of social justice.  We weave together these elements along with the practical benefits of doula care. We explore the generational and traditional threads of women caring for families.https://fourthtrimesterpodcast.com/

Every woman deserves the opportunity to fully heal and recover from birth trauma. It is never too late to address a past trauma.Listen to this episode of Fourth Trimester Podcast to hear: How to recognize that you've experienced trauma or PTSD How to begin addressing a potential trauma - the first steps to take for healing Full show notes fourthtrimesterpodcast.comLearn more How to Rewrite Your Birth Story and Find Joy After Trauma with Chanti Smith | Somatic Experiencing Can Build Attachment Between Parent And Child | The Birth Doula’s Guide to Navigating New Motherhood with Carson Meyer | How a Friend or Family Member Can Help You After You Have a Baby | The Second Child Transition | Improve Birth Recovery: Three Recommendations From An OBGYNResources HelloGaia Parenting Copilot | FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Birth Plan | FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Fourth Trimester Plan | Fourth Trimester Deals & Discounts Connect with Fourth Trimester Facebook | Instagram