Fourth Trimester Postpartum Stories

Marci Coleman
  • 5.0 (5)
  • PARENTING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Holding space for parents to share their postpartum journeys.

  1. 02/01/2022

    14. Redeemed: A Difficult Recovery From a Third Degree Tear, Lip and Tongue Ties, PPA, PTSD, and Then Navigating Postpartum a Second Time – Rachel Campbell

    Rachel had her first baby via a forceps delivery.  A few days later, the resulting third degree tear became infected.  After months of unsuccessful treatment, she finally had surgery, and was medically cleared at 6 months postpartum.  That experience left her with postpartum anxiety and PTSD.  She discusses how both talk therapy and EMDR helped her process and heal. She talks about breastfeeding a baby with severe lip and tongue ties, as well as how her oversupply affected her. Her second postpartum came with a lot of the same issues with ties and oversupply, but she was ready to deal with them, and was proactive about pelvic floor therapy.  This time, she was diagnosed with postpartum depression at 5 months, and she discusses the treatment she chose.  Resources she mentioned: Elvie Curve: https://www.elvie.com Dairy Ladder: https://dilanandme.com/milk-ladder-guide/   https://www.instagram.com/mommy.labornurse https://www.instagram.com/Karrie_locher   Rachel’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doula.rachel.clt    Join us on the Facebook group to talk more about this episode and all things postpartum: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fourthtrimesterpostpartumstories/

    40 min

  2. 01/25/2022

    13. It Takes a Village: Postpartum Experiences With and Without Extended Family – Brianna Volk

    Brianna’s first baby had jaundice, and she describes her challenges feeding in the hospital while having to keep him under the lights.  She and her husband were living with her parents after her first birth, and she describes her postpartum experience as blissful.   Her second postpartum experience started similarly with jaundice, but she was prepared for that.  However, her son failed the 24 hour cardiac test and needed to come home with an oxygen tank.  Going home with a baby on oxygen, taking care of a four year old, no longer living with her parents, and her husband returning to work at 2 weeks postpartum made this postpartum period very different.  She shares her experience, including taking, and then weaning, from Zoloft. Resources she mentioned: Instagram accounts she follows: https://www.instagram.com/Homesweethomebirth https://www.instagram.com/Thelittlemilkbar   https://www.instagram.com/biliblanketbaby https://www.instagram.com/Takingcarababies https://www.instagram.com/ebbirth Here is Evidence Based Birth's view on the ARRIVE study: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/arrive/   Brianna’s Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/Brianna_volkinit Join us on the Facebook group to talk more about this episode and all things postpartum: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fourthtrimesterpostpartumstories/

    35 min

  3. 01/18/2022

    12. Recovery After Bedrest and Healing From Postpartum Anxiety – Parvati Mani

    Parvati was diagnosed with placenta previa 20 weeks into her pregnancy.  She was put on bedrest at 26 weeks, and then had a C-section at 36 weeks.  She describes how her physical recovery was affected by her weeks of bedrest.  She also discusses how the judgement she experienced when she stopped pumping contributed to the anxiety she felt about all of her postpartum choices.  She talks about an app she’s creating to help women find local resources to help them wherever they are in their own postpartum journey. Parvati wrote this music while she was pregnant and postpartum: https://parvatimani.hearnow.com/ Her instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/parvati_mani/ Or you can reach her via email: parumani (at) gmail (dot) com Join us on the Facebook group to talk more about this episode and all things postpartum (and to hear about Parvati's app when it goes live!): https://www.facebook.com/groups/fourthtrimesterpostpartumstories/

    31 min

  4. 01/11/2022

    11. A Postpartum Journey With Her Miracle Baby: Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, Turner Syndrome, and Adrenocortical Carcinoma – Lauren Hiddleson

    Lauren found out that she had LFS just days before finding out that she was pregnant with her daughter Josie.  After a planned home birth turned hospital induction due to IUGR, she describes her early weeks postpartum, including latch issues with her tiny baby, trying to get fasting blood sugar readings, and her own hospital visits for high blood pressure and retained placenta.  At 5 months postpartum, she found out that her daughter also had LFS, as well as Turner Syndrome, and already had cancer.  She describes her daughter’s treatment journey through the first 17 months of her life. To follow Josie's journey, join her Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/josiesbutterflies/ For more information on LFS:  https://livinglfs.org/ The Living LFS Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/LivingLFS/ Turner Syndrome information:  https://www.turnersyndrome.org/ Lauren's email address is: laurenhiddleson (at) gmail (dot) com Join us on the Facebook group to talk more about this episode and all things postpartum: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fourthtrimesterpostpartumstories/

    1h 6m

  5. 01/04/2022

    10. Surgical Repair Immediately Postpartum, IGT, and a Very Different Experience With Her Second Baby - Elizabeth Shinko

    After a non-medicated birth, Elizabeth had to go to the OR and have a spinal placed to have her “3.75” degree tear repaired.  She dealt with low supply, likely due to IGT, and describes her journey of triple feeding and power pumping and trying all the galactagogues before starting to supplement with formula.  She also had pain while nursing that ended up being a lymph backup, which was finally diagnosed and treated by her chiropractor.  She shares her very different experience with her daughter, with a much less eventful immediate postpartum and breastfeeding journey. She mentioned Nurse Zabe's YouTube channel, which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjMxZzlmJVmSzpJehnFiwzA Elizabeth's YouTube channel is: https://www.youtube.com/c/LifeWithElizabeth Her Instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/life_withelizabeth/ Join us on the Facebook group to talk more about this episode and all things postpartum: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fourthtrimesterpostpartumstories/

    32 min

  6. 12/28/2021

    9. Her Fourth Postpartum Experience in Five Years, Gallstone Surgery, the Grief of Knowing She Was Done Having Kids, and a Surprise Pregnancy – Part 2 of 2 - Miranda McCarty

    In part two of her episodes, Miranda shares her fourth postpartum experience.  She talks about going through the grieving process of knowing she just had her last baby, only to get pregnant with number 5 around 7 months postpartum (just a month after gallstone surgery). You can find her on instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/randipaige_peace/ Join us on the Facebook group to talk more about this episode and all things postpartum: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fourthtrimesterpostpartumstories/

    42 min

  7. 12/22/2021

    8. Having Kids Close Together, Postpartum Anxiety and the Value of a Good Therapist – Part 1 of 2 - Miranda McCarty

    Miranda has four kids (and is 14 weeks pregnant with her fifth).  Having kids close together meant that her early postpartum experiences happened alongside her subsequent pregnancies.  She needed surgery 5 months postpartum after her first baby to repair the damage from her 3rd degree episiotomy. After having her second baby, she went to counseling for postpartum anxiety, but the group she saw was not equipped to help her.  She got pregnant with her third about 8 months postpartum, before she even realized she was fertile.  Her milk quickly dried up and she had to switch to formula for her second baby, which caused her feelings of guilt.  She had a brief NICU stay with her third baby.  She had a much better therapist after that baby and was able to deal with her anxiety. She shares so many tips for thriving with having babies so close together in age. Tune in next week for the story of her fourth postpartum experience!   The resource she mentioned in part 1: Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/postpartumstress/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Moms-Have-Scary-Thoughts/dp/1641701307 Join us on the Facebook group to talk more about this episode and all things postpartum: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fourthtrimesterpostpartumstories/

    43 min

  8. 12/18/2021

    7. Postpartum Hormone Crash and Preparing the Second Time – Alaina Goss

    Despite feeling a wave of exhaustion when she got home from the hospital, Alaina was unable to sleep.  Once she got over the initial hormone crash, she started splitting nights with her husband to care for their baby, who didn’t sleep more than a few minutes if he wasn’t held.  She used a lactation consultant to help with the unexpected challenges of breastfeeding, until it became easier a few months in.  The physical recovery of (an uncomplicated vaginal) birth surprised her. She talks about sleep being better with her second and all of the changes she made for that to happen, including hiring a postpartum doula.  She shares what was similar and different that second time around. Resources she mentioned: https://www.instagram.com/babysleep.answers/ https://www.instagram.com/kids.eat.in.color/  Books: No drama discipline by Daniel J. Siegel https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/034554806X No Bad Kids: Toddler Discipline Without Shame by Janet Lansbury: https://www.amazon.com/No-Bad-Kids-Toddler-Discipline/dp/1499351119 Podcasts:  Unruffled by Janet Lansbury The Birth Hour Evidence Based Birth Her instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/alainas/ Join us on the Facebook group to talk more about this episode and all things postpartum: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fourthtrimesterpostpartumstories/

    54 min
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Holding space for parents to share their postpartum journeys.

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