The postpartum period can be beautiful, overwhelming, exhausting, and everything in between, and yet so many parents are sent home with a baby and very little support. That is why we created Functional Fourth Trimester, a podcast designed to leave new parents feeling informed, supported, and encouraged during this major life transition.
Who Are We?
We are your hosts, Melissa and Lauren. Melissa is an occupational therapist with experience in postpartum care and the founder of The Postpartum OT. Lauren is an occupational therapy student completing her doctoral capstone project alongside Melissa. Together, we share a passion for postpartum care and a strong belief that occupational therapy has an important role to play in supporting parents during postpartum.
Through this podcast series, we are learning, advocating, and having honest conversations about what daily life looks like after having a baby.
Why This Podcast Exists
A lot of parents leave the hospital after birth feeling unprepared and unsure of how to proceed, not because they have done anything wrong, but because the system often leaves gaps in education and support during postpartum.
In a recent needs assessment, 63% of moms reported experiencing medical complications during pregnancy, delivery, or postpartum, and nearly half shared they felt unsure of where to turn for help and support at times. The majority of respondents said education and support from others made the biggest difference during postpartum.
Functional Fourth Trimester was created to help fill those gaps. Our goal is to normalize asking for help, build practical skills, and make daily life feel more manageable during postpartum.
What to Expect Each Episode
Each episode we will focus on a specific occupational challenge commonly faced by new parents. We will share practical, concrete education and pair it with real life perspectives from parents or healthcare professionals who have lived experience with the topic. Everything is discussed through an occupational therapy lens, meaning we look at how postpartum challenges affect your ability to do the things you want and need to do each day.
Topics We Cover
We dive into topics like sleep, feeding, mental health, physical recovery, parenting multiples, balancing household responsibilities, and more. These conversations are meant to be honest, validating, and actionable.
Who This Podcast Is For
This podcast is for:
- New parents
- Expecting parents
- Parents in the thick of postpartum
- Caregivers or providers wanting a deeper understanding of postpartum challenges
We also want this space to be for both moms and dads. Even when topics feel more mom specific, we hope dads gain insight into their own postpartum experience and feel more equipped to support their partner.
Listen to the Functional Fourth Trimester on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.