The fourth trimester A postpartum guide to healing your body, balancing your emotions, and restoring your vitality
Book - 2017
A holistic, practical guide to help support women through post-partum healing on the physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual levels. Pregnancy, childbirth, and post-partum offer women some of the most emotionally enriching and satisfying experiences of their life. But many women entering motherhood are shocked at their lack of preparation or awareness about what that actually means for their bodies, minds, spirits, and relationships. Kimberly Johnson, a doula, post-partum recovery expert, and yoga instructor has created a wise and supportive illustrated guide that offers women a roadmap to this very important transition that can last a few months--or even a few years. She draws from her vast professional experience, as well as her ow...n personal experience, and also a number of disciplines including Western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, yoga, herbal medicine, energetics, and traditional (folk) remedies, among others, to create a truly rich and holistic guide. The book offers advice for pregnant women on how to prepare their body for birth; how to organize themselves and their households for the best possible transition to motherhood; simple practices to facilitate healing and restore energy; and how to strengthen relationships and aid the return to sex. Johnson also explores the complex and often conflicting emotions that arise post-partum, and explores the profound nature of childbirth and new motherhood. She helps women contextualize their experience and tap into the spiritual opportunities it can provide.
- Subjects
- Published
-
Boulder :
Shambhala
[2017]
- Language
- English
- Main Author
- Edition
- First edition
- Physical Description
- xiii, 343 pages ; 23 cm
- Bibliography
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- ISBN
- 9781611804003
- Foreword
- Introduction
- My Own Birth and Postpartum Experience
- Part 1. Preparing for the Fourth Trimester
- 1. The Postpartum Revolution
- 2. Setting Yourself Up for a Smooth Transition to Motherhood
- 3. Creating a Postpartum Sanctuary Plan
- 4. Third Trimester: Preparing Your Body for Birth
- Part 2. Savoring the Fourth Trimester
- 5. Balancing Your Emotions
- 6. Restoring Your Vitality
- 7. Rebuilding Your Body
- 8. Understanding Medical Realities
- 9. Owning Your Birth Experience
- 10. Deepening Intimacy
- Part 3. Beyond the Fourth Trimester
- 11. Rediscovering Your Body
- 12. Reclaiming Your Sexuality
- 13. Discovering the Mother You Are
- Conclusion: Continuing the Revolution
- Acknowledgments
- Appendix 1. Postpartum Sanctuary Plan
- Appendix 2A. Postpartum Relationship Plan
- Appendix 2B. Dividing Household Chores
- Appendix 3. Letter for Meal Train Participants
- Appendix 4. Sign for Your Front Door
- Appendix 5. Essential Foods for Postpartum Healing
- Appendix 6. Recipes
- Bibliography
- Index
- About the Author