The 4th Trimester project brings together new mothers, health care providers, researchers and other stakeholders to build knowledge about postpartum health issues.

Help us create the 1st woman-centered postpartum health support website The 4th Trimester Project is proud to partner with the Global Health Foundation to lay the foundation for creation of the first woman-centered website to address postpartum self-care questions and needs.  Please take a few minutes to share your experience and ideas with us: http://bit.ly/4thtrimestersurvey .

Understanding and Supporting Women and their Families  Read the most recent 4th Trimester Project publication, " Elevating mothers’ voices: recommendations for improved patient-centered postpartum ." Through woman-centered engagement, the 4th Trimester Project's patient–researcher–clinician–advocate team co-developed priority areas for research, policy, communication, and health care service delivery.

NPR Charlotte Talks: Why Are So Many Women Dying in Childbirth? Dr. Sarah Verbiest joined NPR's Charlotte Talks to discuss maternal mortality and explores underlying contributors and potential solutions to address this public health crisis. Listen now! Sarah's contributions begin 21 minutes into the program .

Improving Postnatal Unit Care Dr. Kristin Tully co-authors a Hospital Pediatrics commentary with pediatrician Dr. Carl Seashore: “Supporting new mothers and their infants to have an optimal postpartum recovery is one of the best investments that can be made toward improving human health. Preventing falls is an important aspect of that work, along with support for breastfeeding, education, modeling around safer sleep, and ensuring that new parents have the tools they need to confidently take home their new infant and learn to grow and thrive together.”

Shifting the Landscape of Postpartum Care  Women need sustained support and care in the weeks following birth. We can’t expect good outcomes if we leave them to muddle through for 42 days before seeing a women’s health care provider.” Dr. Alison Stuebe le d a revised opinion on postpartum care through the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) that establishes a “fourth trimester” of comprehensive care for new mother s. Read the ACOG revised opinion.

The Impact of Breastfeeding on Maternal Health and Ways to Enable Realization of Goals Dr. Stuebe co-authored a review w hich summarizes the latest evidence around the association between breastfeeding and maternal health outcomes and addresses the effectiveness of community, workplace, and health care system–based programs and policies aimed at supporting and promoting breastfeeding.

Have you already taken the 4th Trimester Project survey? Please forward to your network and post on your social media channels! Click to Retweet | Click to Repost on Facebook | Click to Love on Instagram

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Questions? Comments? Interested in partnering? Email 4thTrimester@med.unc.edu.