This episode featuring Dr Amanda P Williams is dedicated to how data can be a tool for informed decision-making, creating positive outcomes for both parents and their children.

With 35% of U.S. counties classified as Maternity Care Deserts—lacking essential maternal care resources—data and technology are critical in bridging gaps in access and information. Tools like virtual visits, online data platforms such as Peristats, and virtual parenting assistants like HelloGaia empower parents and caregivers with the resources they need. This approach combines in-person care, virtual care, and technology-based support to create a "best of the best" layered experience.

Data-driven parenting using evidence-backed information in combination with the very important practice of self-trust and gut-instinct is increasingly the way forward for many parents and caregivers.

Learn how to find and use evidence-based information that empowers parents.

Full show notes fourthtrimesterpodcast.com

Connect with Dr Amanda P Williams LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | Stanford Medicine

March of Dimes marchofdimes.org | Peristats | State Report Cards | Maternity Care Deserts Report

Learn more Irth App Hospital Reviews | HelloGaia Parenting Assistant | California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC) | US News Top Obstetrics Hospitals Rankings | American Academy of Pediatrics | American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists | Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine | The State of Postpartum Maternal Health with Dr Amanda P Williams

In this episode, Jesse Bennett, an author and advocate for positive thinking among children, guides us on helping kids boost their success by developing a positive mindset through kindness, self-talk, and mindfulness practices. She emphasizes that kindness begins within oneself. By teaching children to love and believe in themselves and encouraging them to recognize their inner light, they can extend this kindness to others.

Full show notes: fourthtrimesterpodcast.com

Connect with Jesse Bennett jessebennett.co | Instagram

Learn more Wire Your Baby for Success Through Optimal Newborn Brain Development | Preparing For Your Second Baby - The Second Child Transition | Encourage Infant Speech Learning, Security & Confidence Through Communication and Play | Mom Group Guide: How To Find, Join Or Facilitate Your Own Mom Group

In this episode, hosted by Didi D'Errico as a special edition, we focus on ACTIONABLE ways you can build more reliable, more accessible and more timely support as a new parent.

We know there are enough barriers to support for new parents as it is, as highlighted by March of Dimes in their recent report on Maternity Care Deserts - THANK YOU for providing insights and data!

We talk you through specific steps you can take to have a better-resourced fourth trimester and beyond. We highlight FREE planning templates and tools that every new and expecting parent needs to know about, including a service we are very excited about called HelloGaia.

HelloGaia is a FREE AI-driven search-based chat tool that is designed to help families find fast, trustworthy, always-available answers to questions that will arise during pregnancy, postnatally and as their child grows. Get started with HelloGaia here.

Full show notes fourthtrimesterpodcast.com

Links to HelloGaia hellogaia.ai | Use Cases & Quotes (Listen to the bonus track at the end of this episode to hear a full review from Esther Gallagher, postpartum doula)

Resources mentioned FREE Birth Plan Template | FREE Fourth Trimester Plan Template

Learn more What To Expect From A Doula | March of Dimes Report on Maternal Care Deserts 

In this episode, Sarah Trott talks with pediatric sleep consultant Dr. Angelique Millette to answer the top 10 TODDLER sleep questions every parent has. (Go to the BABY episode if you want help with baby sleep! Link below.)

Dr. Millette shares her expertise on the challenges of toddler sleep, providing practical solutions for common issues like bedtime resistance, night wakings, early morning risings, and more. She also covers how to recognize signs of sleep readiness, establish effective bedtime routines, and create an environment that supports restful sleep.

Listen to learn strategies tailored to meet a toddler’s specific needs, fostering smoother nights for the whole family.

Full show notes fourthtrimesterpodcast.com (FREE Birth plan download here)

Connect with Dr Angelique Millette angeliquemillette.com | Facebook | YouTube

Resources mentioned Safe Sleep Guide for Room Sharing and Bed Sharing

Angelique's other sleep episodes Dr Angelique Millette on Sleep Training | The No-low Cry Sleep Method | Help Your Little One Prepare For Sleeping In Their Own Room | The Top 10 Baby Sleep Questions Every Parent Asks

Learn more Wire Your Baby for Success Through Optimal Newborn Brain Development | A Parent’s Guide To Building Self-Trust (And Why It Matters) With First Forty Days Author Marisa Belger

Connect with Fourth Trimester Facebook | Instagram | About & Contact

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Ida Eden, a reproductive psychiatrist and faculty member at Weill Cornell Medicine, to explore how you can optimize your emotional and psychological well-being during pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond.

Whether you're dealing with anxiety, depression, or simply navigating the transition into parenthood, Dr. Eden will provide insights and practical tools to help you feel empowered and supported. Find out what to do BEFORE baby arrives, and how you can start optimizing if you ALREADY have your baby (or older child!) in arms.

Full show notes: fourthtrimesterpodcast.com

Connect with Dr Ida Eden idaedenmd.com | Weill Cornell Medicine

Learn more Birth Doula 101: What to Expect From A Birth Doula with Esther Gallagher | Mom Group Guide: How To Find, Join Or Facilitate Your Own Mom Group | MGH Center for Women's Mental Health | Mother to Baby Factsheets (Check which drugs are okay to use while pregnant or breastfeeding) | Postpartum Support International

On this episode of the Fourth Trimester Podcast, we're bringing you the ultimate travel guide for parents.

Our special guests, Mother Up creators Kacie McDonnell Hosmer, former host of FOX Nation and Mansion Global, and Gianna DeMedio Simon, host of the podcast So Sorry for Your Loss, share their tried-and-true tips for traveling with little ones.

Between them, they’ve wrangled three children under four while navigating air and car travel, and their advice will help you make your next trip as stress-free as possible. Whether you’re planning a flight or a road trip, Kacie and Gianna will walk you through everything from packing essentials to managing those inevitable meltdowns.

Tune in for practical advice, personal stories, and the confidence to travel like a pro with your kids.

P.S. Don't forget to chat with your pediatrician for advice on how early you can travel with your newborn - every situation is unique!

Full Show Notes (all links on fourthtrimesterpodcast.com)

Connect with Kacie McDonnell Hosmer & Gianna DeMedio Simon motheruppod.com | Instagram Kacie | Instagram Gianna

Learn more Simple Way To Adjust Baby To Time Change (Schedule Template) | Evidence Based Care for Improving Postpartum Recovery - Advice From Dr Rebecca Dekker | Preparing For Your Second Baby - The Second Child Transition

Travel Items Mentioned Recommended Travel Essentials | Mother Up Amazon Storefront

Connect with Fourth Trimester Instagram

Thanks in advance for taking a moment to please rate Fourth Trimester Podcast on Pocket Casts - this helps other people discover our program and supports the work that we do!

https://pocketcasts.com/ratings

Rather amazingly, there hasn't been much research into the causes and potential cures for the nausea that around 70% of people experience during pregnancy. Until now.

Thankfully, Dr Marlena Fejzo is dedicating her life's work to finding ways to alleviate the full spectrum of mild cases of "morning sickness" to severe nausea to, on the extreme end, hyperemesis. She herself experienced hyperemesis. She knows firsthand the debilitating effects of the disease. Already she has clearly identified one gene (GDF15) linked to the cause and she is working on finding more.

Listen to the full episode to learn what Dr Fejzo recommends for alleviating symptoms of morning sickness and treating true hyperemesis. There are ways to find some relief now, even ahead of the groundbreaking new therapies that are on the horizon.

Full show notes: fourthtrimesterpodcast.com (all links below can also be found here)

Connect with Dr Marlena Fejzo USC Profile & Contact | USC Marlena Fejzo Research Fund

Learn more Time Women Of The Year 2024 | Harmonia Healthcare Clinics for Nausea & Hyperemesis Treatment | HER Foundation RESOURCES | 23andMe

Connect with Fourth Trimester Facebook | Instagram | About & Contact

In this episode of Fourth Trimester Podcast, we are joined by an experienced financial advisor, Laura Davis CFP. 

This episode centers on how families can create a budget that sets the family up for financial success, including: what a budget is, how to create one, considerations before having a baby, what to budget for during pregnancy, postpartum and longer term (kids education, your own retirement etc.)

We also have a great conversation around helping raise children to be financially independent.

Full show notes: fourthtrimesterpodcast.com

Connect with Laura Davis financiallab.us

Learn more  (all on fourthtrimesterpodcast.com)

Family Financial Wellness: Three Finance Must-dos for Families 

How a Friend or Family Member Can Help You if You Don’t Have a Doula (What is a Doula?)

Mindfulness Childbirth and Parenting Courses

FREE Download - Birth Plan Template

Dr Rebecca Dekker of Evidence Based Birth provides clear, plain-language guidance on postpartum recovery, including the very immediate period after birth from delivering the placenta and then through the extended fourth trimester.

Learn what the evidence points to so that you can make informed decisions and enhance your recovery period.

Full show notes

fourthtrimesterpodcast.com

Resources

Skin to Skin After A Cesarean

Evidence on Pitocin During the Third Stage of Labor

Why Postpartum Midwifery is Vital to Healing With Serena Saeed-Winn

FREE DOWNLOAD Birth Plan Template (a.k.a. Birth Intentions Document)

Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)

The Best Hospitals For Labor And Delivery - Ratings App ‘Irth’ Created By Kimberly Seals Allers

The State of Postpartum Maternal Health with Dr Amanda P Williams 

In this episode of the Fourth Trimester Podcast, we asked a panel of breastfeeding educators and practitioners to help us put together a 2-part guide on breastfeeding. Importantly, this is a NO JUDGMENT guide. Just the facts and plain language explanations that help you on your journey.

Part 2 covers a wide range of topics including: managing milk supply, breast pump usage, feeding schedules and more.

Full show notes:

fourthtrimesterpodcast.com

Links and resources mentioned on the show:

Lactation Resources Find a Lactation Consultant | Mahogany Milk Support Group | Drugs That Are Safe While Breastfeeding - Medications Fact Sheets | NC A&T Outpatient Clinic | Kelly Mom Breastfeeding Articles | Donate Extra Breastmilk | Ready Set Baby | Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine | Fourth Trimester Project

Learn more The Real Story Behind Breastfeeding | Wire Your Baby for Success Through Optimal Newborn Brain Development | FREE DOWNLOAD The Ultimate Birth Plan Template You Can Customize | mothertobaby.org | infantrisk.com | believeipe.org | Gold Lactation Conference