What is the Fourth Trimester? Supporting the mother post birth.

Integrating Chinese Medicine

For our first episode for 2023, Georgia and Elizabeth share their insight into what actually is the Fourth Trimester from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective. Also known as Zuo Yue Zi, the Fourth Trimester is the first forty days post giving birth. Your hosts delve into what this confinement period looks like culturally in China and in other traditions around the world and how this practice can be implemented into your postpartum period realistically in the Western world.

After discussing the five insights to consider implementing into the first forty days, Elizabeth and Georgia discuss how Acupuncture, Mother Warming treatment and Chinese Dietary Therapy are key elements of support in the fourth trimester. They discuss Placenta Encapsulation and why to reconsider this practice, building your support network before Baby arrives as well as setting expectations of how you would like the first forty days to be post birth.

Your hosts then dive into how an integrative model of care in the fourth trimester benefits the new mother in addition to where to seek support for your mental health.

Resources discussed in this episode -

The Golden Month by Jenny Allison

https://www.chinabooks.com.au/search.cfm?UR=43703&search_stage=details&records_to_display=50&this_book_number=19

The First Forty Days by Heng Ou

https://motherbees.com/pages/book-the-first-forty-days

The Dao Does journal post - TCM Postpartum Broth

https://thedaohealth.com.au/the-dao-does-postpartum-tcm-broth/

The Dao Does journal post - Placenta Encapsulation

https://thedaohealth.com.au/why-you-should-reconsider-placenta-encapsulation/

Pig Trotter Soup recipe for milk supply

https://whitepineinstitute.org/chinese-herbs-for-lactation/

PANDA Postnatal support https://panda.org.au/

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