Fourth Trimester: How to Plan Ahead

Pregnancy Podcast

Vanessa Merten

Newborn, Parent, Homebirth, Vbac, Kids & Family, Doula, Firsttimemom, Midwife, Pregnancy, Doctor, Parenting, Pregnant, Vanessamerten, Physician, Csection, Prenatalcare, Breastfeeding, Naturalbirth, Nursing, Birthcenter, Family, Baby, Hospitalbirth, Health, Obgyn, Research, Trimester, Expecting, Labor, Mom, Diet, Dad, Birth

4.5 • 948 Ratings

🗓️ 1 June 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Your baby’s birth marks the beginning of a significant transition, not just for your newborn, but for you. The early postpartum weeks are often referred to as the fourth trimester, and while it is common to focus on preparing for birth, it is equally important to prepare for what comes after. Recovery can take longer than expected, and adjusting to life with a newborn brings emotional and physical challenges. In this episode, I will walk you through how to prepare for a smoother postpartum experience. We will cover how to set yourself up for rest, healing, and support so that your recovery is more comfortable and manageable.

Thank you to our sponsors

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Read the full article and resources that accompany this episode.

Join Pregnancy Podcast Premium to access the entire back catalog, listen to all episodes ad-free, get a copy of the Your Birth Plan Book, and more.

Check out the 40 Weeks podcast to learn how your baby grows each week and what is happening in your body. Plus, get a heads up on what to expect at your prenatal appointments and a tip for dads and partners.

For more evidence-based information, visit the Pregnancy Podcast website.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You are listening to the pregnancy podcast with Vanessa Merton.
0:10.7	Hello, thank you for tuning into the pregnancy podcast.
0:15.7	In today's episode, we're talking about how to plan ahead for the fourth trimester.
0:23.7	Your baby's birth marks the beginning of a very significant transition, not just for your baby, but also for you. The early
0:31.0	weeks postpartum are often referred to as the fourth trimester. And of course, during pregnancy, you're preparing for your birth
0:39.7	and your new baby, but it is equally important to prepare for what comes after that. Recovery
0:47.0	could take longer than expected, and adjusting to life with a newborn brings a lot of physical
0:53.4	and emotional challenges.
0:55.9	In this episode, I will walk you through how to prepare for a smooth postpartum experience.
1:02.3	We'll cover how to set yourself up for rest, healing, and support so that you have a comfortable and manageable recovery. You can find the complete article
1:14.5	and all of the resources for this episode at Pregnancypodcast.com slash postpartum planning.
1:25.0	You are on the public feed of the podcast, which gives you access to add supported
1:30.7	content from the last year. Become a pregnancy podcast premium member to access every single
1:38.5	episode of the podcast that includes hundreds of episodes exclusively available to premium members, plus all of the
1:47.4	premium content is ad-free. Check out Pregnancy Podcast Premium at Pregnancy Podcast.com
1:56.7	slash premium. Thank you to Mommy Steps for their support. Studies show that pregnancy can actually
2:05.5	make your feet grow. In one study, 61% of participants had a measurable increase in foot length,
2:13.6	and 22% reported going up a shoe size. If the thought of having to replace every pair of shoes that you owns freaks you out,
2:22.2	you should know that wearing insoles can help protect your feet from going up in size.
2:28.9	Check out the mommy steps insoles at Pregnancypodcast.com slash feat and use the promo code Feet to save 20%.
2:39.3	AG1 NextGen is a clinically backed daily health drink that combines a multivitamin,
2:47.1	probiotic, and blend of superfoods in one scoop.
	...

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