The Postpartum Period Deserves More Than a Six‑Week Checkup.
Functional Fourth Trimester is the podcast co-hosted by occupational therapists Lauren Zatezalo and Melissa O'Neal, OTR/L, helping new parents figure out how daily life actually works after a baby arrives.
Sleep. Feeding. Getting through a day. Feeling like yourself again. None of those things get addressed in a postpartum appointment. This show does.
You Know What OT Is in Theory. Here Is What It Does for You Right Now.
Occupational therapy helps people do the things that matter to them: the daily activities that make someone a person, not just a patient. Getting dressed. Cooking a meal. Going for a walk. Maintaining a friendship. Feeling like yourself enough to make it to tomorrow.
After a baby arrives, every single one of those activities changes. The routines that kept you functional vanish overnight. The identity that gave your days structure gets quietly replaced by a new one you did not ask for and were not prepared to inhabit. Sleeping, moving, eating, connecting with other people. All of it requires renegotiation, and there is no appointment for that.
That is what occupational therapy is equipped to address. Not just physical recovery. Not just mental health support. The functional daily living work, the rebuilding that happens in the weeks and months after birth that the healthcare system does not see and most parenting content does not know how to talk about. This podcast is that conversation.
Recent Episodes
Three recent conversations, each built to give you something specific you can actually use.
When Birth Doesn't Go As Planned: Grieving the Vision and Trusting Your Body
Sarah
25 min
In this episode, we talk with guest speaker Sarah to hear the story of her two very different birth experiences. She shares the grief of an unexpected hospital transfer during her first planned home birth, the healing that followed, and the joy of welcoming her second baby through the peaceful home birth she had long hoped for.
Listen NowNavigating the NICU: A Nurse's Guide for Parents
Landry
25 min
What is the NICU, and what can parents expect when their baby needs specialized care? In this episode, we sit down with a NICU nurse to discuss the NICU environment, common challenges families may face, and the medical equipment and care teams parents are likely to encounter. We also share practical ways parents can support their baby, participate in care, and navigate the NICU journey with greater confidence.
Listen NowThe Postpartum Gap: Building Support and Connection for New Parents
Maria
25 min
In this episode, we talk with guest speaker Maria about the challenges new parents face postpartum, including isolation, lack of support, and the need for community during the transition into parenthood. We also explore how her business, In Kind Boxes, is helping families feel seen and supported through thoughtfully curated postpartum care boxes designed to nurture parents after birth.
Listen NowWhat Listeners Are Saying
Listener reviews coming soon. Check back after launch for real listener testimonials from Apple Podcasts.
Meet the Co-Hosts
Lauren Zatezalo
OT student and co-host
Lauren is completing her occupational therapy degree through her Capstone placement under Melissa O'Neal. She brings the learner's perspective to every episode, asking the questions that new parents are already asking and translating the OT framework into language that does not require a clinical background to understand. Her investment in postpartum care is personal as much as academic. She started this podcast because new parents deserve more support, education, and resources than they are currently getting. The fourth trimester is hard enough without having to struggle to find help during it.
Melissa O'Neal, OTR/L
Licensed Occupational Therapist | Founder, The Postpartum OT
Melissa is a licensed occupational therapist with extensive clinical experience in postpartum care. She is the founder of The Postpartum OT and the clinical anchor for everything Lauren and Melissa discuss on this show. When Melissa says something, there is a decade of practice behind it.
- How to build a daily routine that holds when you are running on no sleep.
- What OT knows about the functional reality of feeding, moving, and recovering that does not make it into your postpartum appointment.
- The framework for returning to the activities that make you feel like yourself, at a pace that is actually sustainable.
The Fourth Trimester Functional Living Guide
What an occupational therapist wants every new parent to know about the first three months. Free.
Educational content only. Not a substitute for professional care.