the fourth trimester

Western women receive very little care after delivering a child, a far cry from the traditional practices of Zuo Yue Zi and “la cuarentena” in which women are confined to their homes and cared for by a army of female relatives with one collective goal — to help her recover from childbirth.

These traditions nourish the recovering body, support and nurture her transition to motherhood and protect the primal bond between a mother and her new child. Contrary to these deeply respectful and supportive practices of women as they become mothers, our culture celebrates a quick return to pre-pregnancy weight, and often silences the suffering many women endure throughout the transition from self to mother.

Even for those who understand the concept of “the fourth trimester”, without a personalized community of care, so much of our own recovery and wellbeing takes a backseat to the needs of our child.

〰️ Prenatal care ebbs 〰️ Pediatric care flows ....and herein lie the cracks whereby mothers fall.