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.
Healing Birth Trauma
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
Good Enough Mothering & Self Acceptance
Good Enough Mothering is actually The Best Mothering
Build Your Community Around You
Most women in the USA do not have a community coming to support them and their new family during the first 90 days after having a baby.
Listen to this episode to learn about the advantages of building up a community of friends, family, trusted neighbors, and professional supporters (e.g. a postpartum doula, a night doula).
Chicken Soup for the Soul – Life Lessons for Busy Moms
On Episode 56 of the Fourth Trimester Podcast we speak with Lynn Benson, co-author of “Chicken Soup for the Soul Life Lessons for Busy Moms.”
Listen to hear more about:
Signs you’re suffering from burnout as a result of caregiving
The physical, emotional stress and financial toll of caregiving
Tools and resources available to help family members with the challenges of caregiving
One In Three Women Experience Urinary Incontinence After Having A Baby – It Doesn’t Have To Be You
As it turns out one in three women experience urinary incontinence after having a baby. The good news is that urinary control is something that can be regained. In other words, if you wee yourself a little bit (like Kate Winslet), this isn’t something you have to live with forever.
Women can regain confidence that they aren’t going to accidentally pee during exercise (think running, jumping jacks, CrossFit, etc.), when they sneeze, laugh out loud, or simply when they have to go to the bathroom. Here’s how.
Preparing For Life With A Newborn
This is THE PREP LIST episode that can act as an essential checklist for any expecting parent. Here’s what we cover:
1. Caring for the postnatal body
2. Preparing for life with a newborn – an introductory playbook — seriously, it’s good
The Benefits Of Movement Therapy For You And Your Baby
The episode about MIND + MOVEMENT. We speak with Evelyn Freebury who is a movement therapist and who has decades of experience working with parents and newborns. She shares ways in which movement therapy benefits both parent and newborn.
At the end of the episode, Evelyn leads us through a live, guided somatic experience. Enjoy!
The Twins & Multiples Episode – What You Need To Know If You’re Expecting More Than One
No one parenting experience is the same as another, but one thing we can continually agree upon for all new parents is that support for the new family during their first few months with a newborn is paramount. Moms and Dads are better equipped to take care of their babies when they themselves are getting their needs met. And when it comes to twins, there is perhaps double the reason (or triple if you’re having three babies!) to make sure you’ll be well-supported during the first six weeks at home.
We are excited to call this episode of the Fourth Trimester Podcast the TWINS episode. Here’s what we cover:
Having twin babies prematurely and a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) experience
Why it isn’t just a simple formula of twice the work
Identifying and getting help for postpartum anxiety
Feeding two babies at the same time
Taking shifts between parents, and additionally with the help of a doula or someone else and how that can benefit everyone
Preparing for the specific differences between preparing for having multiple babies compared to a single baby