Fourth Trimester Postpartum Stories

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.comDairy Ladder: https://dilanandme.com/milk-ladder-guide/ https://www.instagram.com/mommy.labornursehttps://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/  

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/Homesweethomebirthhttps://www.instagram.com/Thelittlemilkbar  https://www.instagram.com/biliblanketbabyhttps://www.instagram.com/Takingcarababieshttps://www.instagram.com/ebbirthHere is Evidence Based Birth's view on the ARRIVE study: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/arrive/  Brianna’s Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/Brianna_volkinitJoin us on the Facebook group to talk more about this episode and all things postpartum: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fourthtrimesterpostpartumstories/ 

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) comJoin 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/

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) comJoin us on the Facebook group to talk more about this episode and all things postpartum: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fourthtrimesterpostpartumstories/

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/UCjMxZzlmJVmSzpJehnFiwzAElizabeth's YouTube channel is: https://www.youtube.com/c/LifeWithElizabethHer 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/

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/

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 ThoughtsInstagram:  https://www.instagram.com/postpartumstress/Book: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Moms-Have-Scary-Thoughts/dp/1641701307Join us on the Facebook group to talk more about this episode and all things postpartum: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fourthtrimesterpostpartumstories/

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/034554806XNo Bad Kids: Toddler Discipline Without Shame by Janet Lansbury: https://www.amazon.com/No-Bad-Kids-Toddler-Discipline/dp/1499351119Podcasts: Unruffled by Janet LansburyThe Birth HourEvidence Based BirthHer 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/

Amy struggled to produce enough milk for her daughter and ultimately stopped breastfeeding, which she says really helped her to be present in her postpartum experience.  She describes some postpartum anxiety, and how she went about finding herself again.Resources and links she mentioned:Bekah Martinez: https://www.instagram.com/bekah/Expecting Better by Emily Oster : https://emilyoster.net/Her own Insta pages:https://www.instagram.com/sweatyesthi/https://www.instagram.com/kindredstudioatl/https://www.instagram.com/carelessdemaris/ Join us on the Facebook group to talk more about this episode and all things postpartum: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fourthtrimesterpostpartumstories/

Morgan had some initial breastfeeding issues with the baby not transferring enough milk, as well as developing mastitis only days after the birth, and went on to have long term supply issues.  She was also surprised that her baby only wanted to sleep on her chest for the first 11 weeks.  She discusses the evolution of her daughter’s sleep, her return to work, and her dad’s cancer diagnosis just six weeks after her daughter was born.Some resources she mentioned:The Birth Hour Podcast: https://www.facebook.com/thebirthhour/The subreddit r/NewParents: https://www.reddit.com/r/NewParents/ Karrie Locher's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karrie_locher/Join us on the Facebook group to talk more about this episode and all things postpartum: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fourthtrimesterpostpartumstories/