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

If you've ever felt like you're carrying the weight of keeping your family organized, fed, scheduled, and functioning, you're not alone. In this episode, learn how to identify the hidden mental load of parenting, understand why it often falls unevenly between partners, and discover practical strategies for creating a more balanced and supportive family dynamic.

Sarah is joined by Dr. Shoshana Bennett, a clinical psychologist, maternal mental health expert, and author whose work has helped thousands of parents better understand the emotional realities of life after baby.

Full show notes fourthtrimesterpodcast.com

FREE DOWNLOAD 'Make Invisible Work Visible' Get the free Mental Load Audit for New Parents Here

Connect with Dr Shoshana Bennett drshosh.com | Dr Shosh Radio Show | Dark Side Of The Full Moon

Dr Shoshana's books Children of the Depressed: Healing the Childhood Wounds That Come from Growing Up with a Depressed Parent | Postpartum Depression For Dummies | Pregnant on Prozac: The Essential Guide To Making The Best Decision For You And Your Baby | Beyond the Blues: Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum Depression & Anxiety

Learn more Intimacy After Baby in a Way That Feels Right for You with Dr Shosh | The Myths Of Motherhood | Why Women Are Slipping Through The Cracks | Postpartum OCD Is A Thing | postpartum.net | How a Friend or Family Member Can Help You After You Have a Baby

Resources FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Birth Plan | FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Fourth Trimester Plan | Postpartum Soups and Stews Collection

Partner Deals Prenatal & Postnatal Vitamins | Every Mother | HIRO Diapers | Yoga for Your Yoni with Britt Fohrman | Affiliate Disclosures

Connect with Fourth Trimester Facebook | Instagram

Please follow Fourth Trimester Podcast wherever you listen, and leave a rating or review if this conversation helps you feel a little more supported.

Many parents enter pregnancy and postpartum believing they can prepare enough, plan enough, or perfect their way through uncertainty. But becoming a parent often challenges the very patterns we once relied on to feel safe. In this episode, learn how self-trust, emotional flexibility, and even storytelling can help parents navigate the identity shifts of the fourth trimester with more resilience, compassion, and confidence.

Britta Bushnell, PhD is a childbirth educator, author, and expert in mythology and psychology who has spent more than 25 years supporting families through birth and early parenthood. Her work explores the cultural myths around control, perfection, and certainty, and how parents can move through major life transitions with greater self-awareness and emotional grounding.

Full show notes: fourthtrimesterpodcast.com

Connect with Britta Bushnell, PhD brittabushnell.com | Transformed by Birth Podcast | Instagram

Britta’s book Transformed by Birth: Cultivating Openness, Resilience, and Strength for the Life-Changing Journey from Pregnancy to Parenthood

Other books mentioned The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown | The Case against Perfection: Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering

Learn more A Parent’s Guide To Building Self-Trust (And Why It Matters) | Prepare Your Body and Pelvic Floor for Birth and Recovery | Intimacy After Baby and Reconnecting With Yourself and Your Partner

Resources FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Birth Plan | FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Fourth Trimester Plan | Postpartum Soups and Stews Collection

Partner Deals Prenatal & Postnatal Vitamins | Every Mother | HIRO Diapers | Yoga for Your Yoni with Britt Fohrman | Affiliate Disclosures

Connect with Fourth Trimester Facebook | Instagram

If this conversation helped you feel more grounded, supported, or less alone in your parenting journey, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a rating or review wherever you listen. These small actions help more parents discover the Fourth Trimester Podcast and support us in continuing to bring you evidence-based conversations that strengthen families.

Community doula support can change how you experience pregnancy, birth, and the fourth trimester. In this episode, you’ll learn how having the right support in place can help you feel safer, more confident, and better equipped to navigate real-life challenges beyond your birth plan.

Marlee-I Mystic and Alli Cuentos are co-executive directors of SisterWeb and experienced birth workers leading a community-based model of doula care that centers advocacy, connection, and whole-family support.

Full show notes: fourthtrimesterpodcast.com

Connect with SisterWeb sisterweb.org | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Learn more How to Prepare for Postpartum Support So You Feel Less Alone After Baby | How Nethal Abdul-Mumin Is Helping Muslim Families Find Their Reflection In The Parenting Community | Get A Healthy Start - Nutrition, Breastfeeding & Building Your Community with WIC's Kiran Saluja

Resources FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Birth Plan | FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Fourth Trimester Plan | Postpartum Soups and Stews Collection | Postpartum Support Collection

Recommended Books The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother(related podcast episodes featuring the authors of this book are Seven Factors That Influence The First Forty Days and Four Relationship-Saving Questions To Ask Before Baby Arrives) | Becoming the Parent You Want to Be: A Sourcebook of Strategies for the First Five Years

Community-based support can also include parent groups and classes. Resources like Natural Resources offer structured support, education, and connection with other families navigating the same transition.

Partner Deals Prenatal & Postnatal Vitamins | Every Mother | HIRO Diapers | Yoga for Your Yoni with Britt Fohrman | Affiliate Disclosures

Connect with Fourth Trimester Facebook | Instagram

If you found this episode helpful, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or rating us on Spotify or wherever you listen. It helps more families find the information and support they need.

Postpartum recovery after 38 is not just about healing from birth. It is about protecting your metabolism, stabilizing insulin, and understanding the hormonal shifts that can quietly influence your long-term health. In this episode, you’ll learn what most providers are not routinely testing, how nutrition and muscle mass impact recovery, and the small daily habits that build resilience for the years ahead.

Sarah is joined by Megan Pfiffner, perimenopause nutrition expert and creator of the Perimenopause Matrix™, who brings a data-driven, systems-based approach to helping women reclaim their energy and hormonal balance.

Full show notes: fourthtrimesterpodcast.com

Connect with Megan Pfiffner meganpfiffnernutrition.com | Mornings With Megan Podcast | Instagram | Facebook

Megan's Perimenopause Decoder helps you understand what's happening during perimenopause so you can make decisions from a place of clarity, not chaos

Learn more When Perimenopause And Postpartum Overlap with Dr. Shosh Bennett | Prevent and Manage Gestational Diabetes With Certified Diabetes Educator Lily Nichols, RD | Nutrition and Nourishment - The Essentials | Prevent and Manage Gestational Diabetes With Certified Diabetes Educator Lily Nichols, RD | Fitness Coach Advice For Safe Exercise During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Resources FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Birth Plan | FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Fourth Trimester Plan | Postpartum Soups and Stews Collection

Partner Deals Prenatal & Postnatal Vitamins | Every Mother | HIRO Diapers | Yoga for Your Yoni with Britt Fohrman | Affiliate Disclosures

Recommended Fourth Trimester Books The First Forty Days | Thriving Postpartum

Connect with Fourth Trimester Facebook | Instagram

If this episode helped you think differently about postpartum recovery after 38, we would be so grateful if you left a rating or review on your favorite podcast platform. Reviews help more parents and perinatal professionals discover these conversations when they are searching for trusted, evidence-based support.

Thank you for being part of this community. Sarah & Esther xo

Your baby’s nervous system is the foundation for sleep, emotional regulation, and lifelong health, yet most parents are never shown what actually supports its development. In this episode, you’ll learn how everyday moments of connection, movement, and time in nature can shape calmer behavior and more resilient outcomes for your child.

Kathleen Lockyer brings nearly 30 years of experience in pediatric development and nervous system regulation, offering grounded, practical insight for parents navigating the early months.

Full show notes fourthtrimesterpodcast.com

Connect with Kathleen Lockyer kathleenlockyer.com | Instagram | Facebook

Kathleen's Book Wild Inside: How Nature Protects Your Child's Mental Health and Restores Yours

Learn more Micro Destressing For Busy Parents with Sarah Ezrin, Author of The Yoga of Parenting | Wire Your Baby for Success Through Optimal Newborn Brain Development | Baby Carrier Guide: Benefits, Safety & Tips with Whitney Dula, IBCLC, Postpartum Doula, and Babywearing Educator | Why And How To Bond With Your Newborn - Dr Joanna Parga-Belinkie

Resources FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Birth Plan | FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Fourth Trimester Plan | Postpartum Soups and Stews Collection

Partner Deals Prenatal & Postnatal Vitamins | Every Mother | HIRO Diapers | Yoga for Your Yoni with Britt Fohrman | Affiliate Disclosures

Connect with Fourth Trimester Facebook | Instagram

If this episode helped you better understand your baby’s needs and feel more confident in these early months, we’d be so grateful if you left a rating and review wherever you listen. Your support helps more families find trusted, evidence-based support during the fourth trimester.

It also helps us continue bringing you conversations like this one with Kathleen Lockyer, focused on improving outcomes for parents and babies. Thank you and enjoy!!

Learn how to reduce birth anxiety and feel calmer, more grounded, and in control during birth using simple, practical tools. Erin Acharya, a certified clinical hypnotherapist and hypnobirthing instructor, shares how to work with your mind and nervous system so you can approach birth with real confidence.

Full show notes: fourthtrimesterpodcast.com

Connect with Erin Acharya birthevolved.com | In The Wash Podcast

Code: FOURTHTRIMESTER for 10% OFF on courses at birthevolved.com

Learn more Birth Center vs Hospital Birth - What Parents Should Know Before Choosing | Prepare your Vagina for Birth | How to Prepare for Hospital Birth (and Avoid Unnecessary Interventions) with HeHe Stewart | The Best Hospitals For Labor And Delivery - Ratings App ‘Irth’ Created By Kimberly Seals Allers | The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Resources FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Birth Plan | FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Fourth Trimester Plan | Postpartum Soups and Stews Collection

Partner Deals Prenatal & Postnatal Vitamins | Every Mother | HIRO Diapers | Yoga for Your Yoni with Britt Fohrman | Affiliate Disclosures

Connect with Fourth Trimester Facebook | Instagram

If this episode helped you feel calmer or more prepared for birth, it would mean so much if you left a quick review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or wherever you listen. Your review helps more parents find this information when they need it most.

And if you know someone who’s feeling anxious about birth, consider sharing this episode with them. It could make a real difference in how they experience it.

Preparing for birth is only part of the journey. What happens after baby arrives matters just as much.

This is about how to have a well-resourced fourth trimester so that you know what actions you can take in the first weeks, months and year with your newborn.

In this episode, Esther and I explore postpartum support and how to prepare for life after baby so you don’t feel alone.

Our guest, Claudia Penate, birth and postpartum doula and educator, shares how to:

• build your support system before baby arrives

• align with your partner on expectations

• navigate the first six weeks with more confidence

• prioritize self-care without guilt

Support is not optional in the fourth trimester. It shapes recovery, mental health, and how your family begins.

Full show notes: fourthtrimesterpodcast.com

Connect with Claudia Penate claudiapenate.com | Instagram

Mindfulness Birth Prep & Parenting Courses Natural Resources | Mindful Birthing

Learn more Improve Birth Recovery: Three Recommendations From An OBGYN | The Birth Doula’s Guide to Navigating New Motherhood with Carson Meyer | The Top 10 Baby Sleep Questions Every Parent Asks | Evidence Based Care for Improving Postpartum Recovery with Dr Rebecca Dekker | Postpartum Recovery Support Through Honoring the Sacred Window With Christine Eck

Resources FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Birth Plan | FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Fourth Trimester Plan | Postpartum Soups and Stews Collection

Partner Deals Prenatal & Postnatal Vitamins | Every Mother | HIRO Diapers | Yoga for Your Yoni with Britt Fohrman | Affiliate Disclosures

Recommended Fourth Trimester Books The First Forty Days | Becoming the Parent You Want to Be

Connect with Fourth Trimester Facebook | Instagram

If this episode helped you feel more prepared or supported, we’d really appreciate it if you left a review and rating on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listened to this episode.

Your feedback helps other parents find this show and access the kind of support that can make a meaningful difference in the early weeks with a new baby.

We are covering fourth trimester fundamentals with this conversation and talking about what is needed in the first few weeks and months after birth. We're looking at postpartum recovery support through the lens of Ayurvedic practices and introducing the concept of the "sacred window".

Most parents prepare for birth, but far fewer are prepared for what comes after. The early postpartum period is often when families feel the most depleted and unsupported.

In this episode, we explore postpartum recovery support through honoring the sacred window, an Ayurvedic framework that centers rest, nourishment, and long-term healing.

Christine Eck, founder of the Center for Sacred Window Studies, shares how her own postpartum experience led her to this work and what modern families can learn from these time-tested practices.

In this conversation, you’ll hear:

• why the first 42 days postpartum matter for long-term health
• simple ways to support recovery through food, rest, and daily rhythms
• how to create better support systems for yourself or your postpartum clients

This episode offers practical, accessible ways to feel more supported during one of life’s biggest transitions.

Enjoy!

Full show notes: fourthtrimesterpodast.com

Connect with Christine Eck sacredwindowstudies.com | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Christine's Center for Sacred Window Studies Conscious Postpartum Care Training

The Sacred Window Podcast Apple | Spotify

Learn more A Parent’s Guide To Building Self-Trust (And Why It Matters) | The Birth Doula’s Guide to Navigating New Motherhood with Carson Meyer | The Top 10 Baby Sleep Questions Every Parent Asks

Resources FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Birth Plan | FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Fourth Trimester Plan | Postpartum Soups and Stews Collection

Partner Deals Prenatal & Postnatal Vitamins | Every Mother | HIRO Diapers | Yoga for Your Yoni with Britt Fohrman | Affiliate Disclosures

Recommended Fourth Trimester Books The First Forty Days | Thriving Postpartum

Connect with Fourth Trimester Facebook | Instagram

If this episode helped you think differently about postpartum recovery, I’d really appreciate it if you took a moment to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Your review helps more parents and professionals find this information and feel supported during the fourth trimester. Thank you!

In this episode, we explore birth center vs hospital birth, and what parents should know before deciding where to welcome their baby.

Our guests are Certified Nurse Midwife Nancy Myrick, co-founder of the San Francisco Birth Center, and Monica Levine, Board Member of the San Francisco Birth Center Foundation. Nancy brings more than three decades of experience supporting births across home, hospital, and birth center settings.

We discuss what birth center care actually looks like, how midwife-led care differs from hospital birth, and what research says about outcomes for low-risk pregnancies.

For this episode, we are participating in Podcasthon, a global initiative highlighting nonprofits making a meaningful impact, and we’re honored to spotlight the work of the San Francisco Birth Center Foundation.

Full show notes: fourthtrimesterpodcast.com

Connect with Nancy Myrick sfbirthcenter.com | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn

SF Birth Center Links SF Birth Center Info Sessions | SF Birth Center Foundation | Donate Here!

Find a Birth Center and/or Midwife near you American Association of Birth Centers | Birth Center Equity | American College of Nurse-Midwives

Learn more Birth Center Research on Outcomes | Embrace Empowerment: The Transformative Benefits of Birth Center Birthing | Home Birth As An Alternative To The Hospital | Why And How To Bond With Your Newborn - Dr Joanna Parga-Belinkie

Birth Place Lab facilitates multi-disciplinary and community-based participatory research on high quality maternity health care across birth settings

Resources FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Birth Plan | FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Fourth Trimester Plan | Postpartum Soups and Stews Collection | Book: First Forty Days

Partner Deals Prenatal & Postnatal Vitamins | Every Mother | HIRO Diapers | Yoga for Your Yoni with Britt Fohrman | Affiliate Disclosures

Connect with Fourth Trimester Facebook | Instagram

Please follow Fourth Trimester Podcast wherever you listen, and leave a rating or review if this conversation helps you feel a little more supported.

In this episode, perinatal psychologist Dr. Shosh shares how becoming a grandparent may reactivate old experiences, including anxiety from early parenthood. We explore healthy boundaries, communication, and how families can navigate this stage with confidence, clarity and care. This episode is so informative, and it also works beautifully as a conversation kickstarter between the new parents and new grandparents. Communication is key.

Full show notes: fourthtrimesterpodcast.com

Connect with Dr Shoshana Bennett drshosh.com | Dr Shosh Radio Show | Dark Side Of The Full Moon

Dr Shoshana's books Children of the Depressed: Healing the Childhood Wounds That Come from Growing Up with a Depressed Parent | Postpartum Depression For Dummies | Pregnant on Prozac: The Essential Guide To Making The Best Decision For You And Your Baby | Beyond the Blues: Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum Depression & Anxiety

Learn more Generational Parenting, featuring PSI Founder Jane Honikman | The Recipe for Being a Cool Grandpa with Greg Payne | When Perimenopause And Postpartum Overlap with Dr. Shosh Bennett | Intimacy After Baby in a Way That Feels Right for You with Dr Shosh | The Myths Of Motherhood | postpartum.net

Resources FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Birth Plan | FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Fourth Trimester Plan | Postpartum Soups and Stews Collection

Partner Deals Prenatal & Postnatal Vitamins | Every Mother | HIRO Diapers | Yoga for Your Yoni with Britt Fohrman | Affiliate Disclosures

Connect with Fourth Trimester Facebook | Instagram

If this episode helped you better understand the transition to grandparenthood, please leave a review. Your feedback helps other families find grounded, evidence-based support during the fourth trimester and beyond.