Episode 12: The "Forgotten" 4th Trimester: Real Postpartum Care for Moms with Jen Dowe, RN | Perinatal Wellness Tips from Hartford Hospital

Episode Description:

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Jen Dowe, a trailblazing nurse leader at Hartford HealthCare who’s transforming postpartum care for moms in Connecticut. She shares her journey leading the Fourth Trimester Program — a medically based support and wellness initiative built by nurses, for moms. With the average age of childbirth rising (26 nationally, and about 31 in CT), more women are experiencing complications, and Jen is here to address that gap head-on.

The We talk about:

• The 4th Trimester Program: what it is, how it works, and why it's essential.
• Nurse Navigators: compassionate care that follows moms from delivery through the first 12 weeks.
• Telehealth & accessibility: meeting moms where they are.
• How to know if a headache is serious, if your bleeding is normal, or if you're experiencing postpartum depression or anxiety.
• The 4th Trimester Plan — no, not a birth plan, the AFTER birth plan that helps you have conversations with your partner and anyone in your circle about expectations after birth (think: sleep, who is walking the dog, who is making dinner, who is allowed to your hospital room or house post-birth, household responsibilities, etc). Don’t wait for those moments when you’re touched out and sleep deprived to figure out the game plan!
• The "I Gave Birth" bracelet initiative — a groundbreaking tool that ensures moms receive proper medical attention in emergencies.
• The weekly wellness newsletter that supports moms for the entire first year of baby's life — because moms matter, too.
• Why we treat moms like the “candy wrapper” after birth — and why that needs to change.

This is a must-listen for moms, moms-to-be, birth workers, and anyone who wants to see postpartum care evolve in real time.

🎀 PINK SPOTLIGHT ROUND:
Our signature closing segment with rapid-fire fun things making life a little better this week:
✨ Kristina’s Pink Spotlight: The Laundress Laundry Detergent. Because if we’re drowning in laundry, it might as well smell like a five-star hotel.
✨ Christina’s & Jen's Pink Spotlight: Self-Tanner! We both unknowingly shared our favorites! Because nothing says ‘I’ve got it together’ like a healthy glow—no sleep required. Christina loves this gradual self tanning line that gives a natural glow and Jen loves this one that's a mousse!

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