#fourth trimester

[bryonyashaw]

Postpartum isn’t just one phase and each one deserves care, grit and emotional truth. Yesterday I spoke about nutrition post partum but today it's about the itty gritty of it.

Whether you’re in the thick of it or supporting someone who is, here’s a breakdown of the real postpartum timeline:

Acute Phase (0–12 hours)

The body’s in shock. Uterus contracting, bleeding monitored, adrenaline crashing. It’s raw, surreal, and often overlooked.

Subacute Phase (24 hours–6 weeks)

Hormones swing, sleep vanishes, feeding begins. Lochia, soreness, hot flashes, identity shifts. This is where emotional realism matters most.

Delayed Phase (6 weeks–6 months)

Recovery isn’t linear. Fatigue lingers, pelvic floor needs support, mental health deserves attention. Reintegration takes time—and nourishment.

Extended Recovery (6 weeks–2 years)

This is where the quiet work happens. Pelvic floor healing, mental health support, reintegration. Stamina takes patience. Nourishment matters. And the emotional echoes? They’re real.

This isn’t just medical. It’s emotional, cultural, and deeply personal. If you’re documenting, supporting, or simply surviving it - your story matters.

I’ve built visuals and recovery tools that honour every stage. No gloss, no erasure. Just truth, warmth and practical clarity.

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

[4herforever]

there are some things that don’t show up on a baby registry.

like someone who will hold your hand through the unraveling rebirth and cracking.

like a hot meal when you’re leaking and starving.

like pads and nipple cream and a kind voice that doesn’t ask for ANYTHING in return.

i don’t have a title or any credentials yet.

i’m not a nurse. i’m not a guru.

i’m a woman and a mother who bled and wept and got up anyway.

and i am building something from the ache i was left with and the ache i can imagine other women have felt.

~ postpartum kits.

~ tea and witch hazel and prayers and affirmations.

- help with laundry or groceries or sitting beside you while you cry or holding the baby so you can shower.

~ soul-level companionship for the most sacred transition on earth.

i don’t want to fix you.

i want to witness you.

i want to bring beauty into the mess and warmth into the silence.

🛒 check out my Etsy where you can find prints like the one below ⬇️

📌 check out my instagram where you can see me document this journey with more visuals and less words 🤣

all @4herforever

[peachyvalkyrie]

𝙱𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚖 𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕.

𝙸 𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚊 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚝𝚞𝚖𝚘𝚛, 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚝 125𝚕𝚋𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚐𝚗𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚢. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝙸 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚢. 𝙼𝚢 𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚢 𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚣𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜.

𝚈𝚎𝚝, 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚐𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚣𝚒𝚗𝚐.

𝙸´𝚖 𝚝𝚛𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚢 𝚊𝚜 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚕𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚖𝚢 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚖 𝚏𝚒𝚝𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚓𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚢.

𝙸𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚖: @𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚢.𝚟𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚢𝚛𝚒𝚎

[artichokefartichoke]

I went back to work today for the first time since January, being pregnant and having the baby. I reeeaaally missed him, but oh my god, it was so great to be out of the house. Doing other stuff. Using my brain a little bit. Interacting with people. 😌

[inedensgarden]

Click here to support Help Rachael Become an IBCLC organized by Rachael Phipps

My work as a Doula started six years ago, but my love for supporting birthing and postpartum families started nearly a decade before that wi

My work as a Doula started six years ago, but my love for supporting birthing and postpartum families started nearly a decade before that with the births of my two youngest sisters. Since I was a teenager I have wanted to help new families, and when I discovered Doula work I never looked back. My practice has evolved over time. I started out as a birth Doula, but now I make my living almost entirely by doing postpartum work. I am one of the only Doulas in my community who offers overnight support to families, helping them get precious sleep, knowing that their infants are in experienced hands. Sleep deprivation can be a major component in postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, and I have seen many times how extra support can make a real impact.

My Doula training prepared me to support families, but left me lacking in the knowledge I needed to offer comprehensive breastfeeding support. For many of the families I work with I am the support person who truly gets to know them and their babies. On a number of occasions I have been asked to attend meetings with an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) to help speak to their journey and their struggles. If I were trained as an IBCLC myself I would be able to offer hands on, comprehensive breastfeeding support and work with families and their care provider to ensure that both the baby and nursing parent are thriving.

Becoming an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) is an involved process which includes 90 hours of specialized training, 45 hours of which will be obtained in a week long intensive hands on training, college level study in fourteen health science courses, five additional required Lactation specific courses, and 500 hours of directly supervised apprenticeship with a practicing IBCLC. You can see the full requirements here: https://iblce.org/step-1-prepare-for-ibclc-certification/lactation-specific-clinical-experience/pathway-3-mentorship/

This is a huge step forward in my career, and it will take a significant investment in terms of time and money to obtain it. Knowing that I will be able to better provide for my own family, while supporting so many families in my community, makes it all worth it.

Which is where this fundraiser comes in. I know with enough hard work and dedication I can achieve this goal, but with the support of my community I can truly focus entirely on accomplishing this next step. If you can donate you will have my deepest thanks and appreciation. If you can’t, consider sharing this so more families know about the options they have for support in their own community. At the end of the day, if just one family sees this and knows they do not have to go through this time alone, it will have been worth it.

[adventureswithartie]

Look at her sleepy little face. I haven't brushed my hair yet (it's almost 3pm) nor my teeth and I look like I've been crying because I have been (therapy appointment today after a break) and I'm absolutely knackered (Arthur woke up at 4.30am). But I am enjoying a quiet cuddle on the sofa reading a book. Though I really do need to pee.

[whereisbizzy]

Second child

Not enough time has gone by for me to have forgotten the miserable 4th trimester. But I was already a geriatric mother with this dude, it's not going to get better.

So what do you do when you think you're going to want a second child, but you don't yet, but also you don't have the luxury of time? Go for it and hope for the best? I don't know how else you do it.

My therapist said it's totally normal to be hesitant. I guess I'm just a little afraid of going through all that again. My nipples cringe thinking about it.

[sailo-toi]

My sweet angle is 3 months old! He’s 13 pounds now. He was 6 when he was born. He’s the most talkative baby I’ve ever seen. I didn’t expect that at all. His dad and I were both quiet babies. He’s already trying to stand up. Feels like he is going to skip crawling. He tries to hold his bottle on his own already. I swear I’ve heard him say “mama” but my husband says I’m crazy 🙄 My boy is growing so fast 😭