"The book every new mom needs, for herself"
The Fourth Trimester offers practical advice to support women through postpartum healing on the physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual levels—and provides women with a roadmap to this very important transition that can last from a few months to a few years.
Kimberly Ann Johnson draws from her vast professional experience as a doula, postpartum consultant, yoga teacher, body worker, and women’s health care advocate, and from the healing traditions of Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, and herbalism—as well as her own personal experience—that covers:
• how a woman can prepare her body for birth;
• how she can organize herself and her household for the best possible transition to motherhood;
• simple practices and home remedies to facilitate healing and restore energy;
• how to strengthen relationships and aid the return to sex;
• learning to exercise safely postpartum;
• carrying the baby with comfort;
• exploring the complex and often conflicting emotions that arise postpartum;
• and much more.
“In all my years as an ob/gyn, I never once met a woman who was able to get by the initiation of labor and birth and focus on the critical postpartum time frame—a time which is largely ignored in our culture. After all, most “maternity leaves” end at mere 6 weeks—nowhere near enough time to truly honor and carry out the true work of the fourth trimester. No—we tend to focus only on the birth—and if mom and baby make it through in a reasonably healthy way, we figure we’re done. Not even close. In this eye opening and vital book, all those who care about women, children, and families will find a treasure trove of information and practices that are vital for the health of society. I highly recommend this book.” —Christiane Northrup, M.D., ob/gyn physician and author of the New York Times bestsellers: Goddesses Never Age: The Secret Prescription for Radiance, Vitality, and Wellbeing, Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, and The Wisdom of Menopause
Kimberly Johnson/Magamama's The Fourth Trimester promo (2017) from Loren Robertson Productions on Vimeo.