Lately, I've found myself thinking a lot about what it would look like to have another baby.
I'd love to give Vienna a sibling and built-in playmate. As an "older" parent, I also think about what her future might look like if she remains an only child. I have one brother, and while our relationship has been complicated, I'm grateful to have someone who understands our family history and can navigate aging parents alongside me.
But the question I keep coming back to isn't only about pregnancy. It's about postpartum and the entire journey.
How would I navigate pregnancy, birth, and recovery with a toddler? It would be an entirely different experience than the first time. Of course, millions of parents do it every day. You adapt. You figure it out. But there's also an innocence to your first pregnancy. You simply don't know what you don't know.
Now, one year postpartum, I realize just how long it takes to truly come back to yourself.
Before I had Vienna, I assumed "postpartum" meant a few months. Looking back, I think it's much closer to a full year. There are seasons to it. The early survival phase. The transition back into everyday life. And then the quieter work of rebuilding your strength, confidence, identity, and routines.
These days I'm focused on rebuilding muscle, dialing in my nutrition, improving my sleep, and feeling strong in my body again. It's a different kind of recovery than those first few months, but recovery nonetheless.
If we have another baby, I don't think I'd change much about the birth plan. I feel incredibly fortunate that my birth experience was calm, empowering, and uncomplicated.
Postpartum, though? There are a few things I would do differently.
The first time around, I intentionally built a support team: my mom, a mother-focused postpartum doula, a lactation consultant, pelvic floor PT, massage, chiropractic care, and a therapist (who I thankfully didn't end up needing).
This time, I think I'd lean into that support even more and extend it.
I'd actually schedule the massage appointments instead of treating them like an indulgence. I'd want someone monitoring my labs and overall recovery, not just making sure I was surviving, but helping me thrive in the later stages of postpartum. I'd love to hire a trainer to guide my physical recovery, especially rebuilding my core and pelvic floor. And I'd extend that support far beyond the newborn stage.
Because if postpartum really lasts a year, maybe we shouldn't concentrate all of our care into the first six weeks. Maybe postpartum isn't one chapter. Maybe it's three:
Recovery after birth.
Returning to daily life.
Returning to yourself.
That last phase is the one we talk about the least, and yet it may be the longest.
Maybe postpartum isn't one chapter. Maybe it's three.
If you're somewhere in that third phase — past the survival part, back in your life, but still not quite yourself — I don't think that means you're behind.
I think that's just where the timeline actually sits. Slower and quieter than anyone tells you. And still, very much, recovery.
Though if something feels genuinely off — not slow, but off — that's worth having someone look at. Slow isn't the same as stuck.
What's one thing you'd do differently the second time around?
💛 PPJ Provider Spotlight: Maureen Shortt, postpartum doula
I'm so pleased to introduce Maureen Shortt.
Maureen is actually my mom. She played a huge role in my own postpartum recovery, and together we've become passionate about raising the standard of postpartum care for women. She's now bringing that same mother-centered support to families in the Austin area.
Her visits blend warm, nourishing meals, restorative bodywork, and practical support around the home so mothers can truly rest and recover. Having someone whose sole focus is caring for mom can make a real difference in those early weeks.
If you're expecting, or know someone who is, I'd be happy to connect you with her. Just reply to this email.
If you're already thinking about what you'd do differently — or you're planning your first postpartum and want to build the support in from the start — that's exactly what we map out together on a Planning Call.
30-Min Postpartum Planning Call - $37 - 1:1 with Dr. Jen · via Zoom
We'll look at where you actually are, what's working, and what kind of support would make the biggest difference in the season you're in — not just the first six weeks.
Have a question before booking? Reply to this email — I'm here.
With you,
Jen
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That third phase — the rebuilding one — is where I've been paying the most attention to what I'm actually putting in my body.
Postpartum asked a lot of my body, and the fats I was getting became something I paid closer attention to. BodyBio has been a steady part of my routine, and it's stayed with me well past the newborn window.
If you're in the rebuilding season too, it's worth looking into.
If this landed for you, it might land for her too. Send it to someone who's pregnant, or somewhere in her own first year.
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Postpartum Joy Issue #012 — Maybe Postpartum Isn't One Chapter
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