The Fourth Trimester
- Author
- Julie Hammond
- Narrator
- TBD
- Publisher
- John Murray Press
- Publish Date
- 19 November 2026
- Run Time
- 10 hours
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
"Your birthing journey does not end with your baby's arrival. How you recover is just as important as the birth itself."
Congratulations! You've created this amazing new being - but at the same time, your breasts are unrecognisable, your pelvic floor feels surprisingly untrustworthy, you're leaking from almost everywhere and you can't even contemplate the idea of resuming intimacy within the next decade.
Take a deep breath, remember everything you've accomplished and know that you've got this.
Family doctor Dr Julie Hammond combines medical expertise with personal experience to provide reliable, compassionate guidance through postpartum recovery. Acting as the trusted friend every new mother needs, she helps you make sense of your changing body and reassures you that what you're experiencing is both common and worthy of support.
The Fourth Trimester is for anyone navigating those special and uniquely demanding days, weeks, and months after their first baby and for anyone who wants to better support both mother and baby - parents, partners, friends and family.
Inside you'll learn about how to:
- Support your body's recovery after birth, including C-section recovery 🌸
- Navigate common breastfeeding challenges with confidence 🍼
- Understand and manage bladder and bowel issues after pregnancy💧
- Address intimacy concerns, painful sex, and other lesser-mentioned postpartum experiences ❤️
- Explore a wide range of parenting experiences, including SCBU stays and neurodivergent parenting 🤝
- Find your feet as a new parent with renewed confidence for your body, career, friendships and relationships 💫
The Fourth Trimester is the best friend in your book, answering the questions you can't quite bring yourself to ask, with compassion, expertise, and a reassuring reminder that both you and your body are doing your best.
Critics Review
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The period following birth is an often-overlooked phase of recovery and adjustment with lasting impact on physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing. In The Fourth Trimester, Julie thoughtfully explores this transition, drawing on personal experience with vulnerable honesty and clarity. An invaluable read for families and those who support them.
Dr Tipswalo Day, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
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The Fourth Trimester is a powerful, honest and essential companion for new mothers. Julie Hammond shares her lived experience with authenticity, warmth and courage, offering comfort through the physical and emotional journey of early motherhood. Her empowering guidance reminds every mother that healing, hope and connection are possible and deeply deserved.
Juliet Abekah Amoa, Associate Director, DEI, London Borough of Lambeth
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A clear, honest guide that says what most postnatal care doesn't. It combines clinical insight with real lived experience, helping women understand what's actually happening to their bodies and minds after birth. Practical, validating, and needed, this fills a gap that shouldn't exist in modern maternity care.
Gemma Poole, Midwife, CEO and Founder, The Essential Baby Company
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The Fourth Trimester by Dr. Julie Hammond is a compassionate and honest guide to postpartum life, effectively blending medical expertise with lived experience. Reassuring, practical, and deeply relatable, it empowers women to understand this transformative stage with confidence. Julie tackles often unspoken challenges with clarity and empathy, offering reassuring and practical advice.
Laura Spence, Midwife, CEO and Founder, Neuronal
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The Fourth Trimester is an emotional and insightful read on postpartum life, blending personal stories with practical advice. Dr Hammond breaks cultural barriers around sharing emotions and addresses often unspoken topics like libido with honesty. Relatable, supportive and easy to understand, it felt like therapy - offering guidance, validation and a powerful message about healing, intention and thriving
Dr Catherine Benhura, GP and Founder MumsPride and the Community Health Hub
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Julie Hammond
- Narrator
- TBD
- Duration
- 10 hours
- Release Date
- 19 November 2026
- ISBN
- 9781399842433
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- John Murray Press
- Genre
- Pregnancy, birth and baby care: advice, topics and issues, Women’s health, Birth control, contraception, family planning
Synopsis
<h4><strong>THE HONEST, REASSURING GUIDE TO RECOVERING, HEALING, AND THRIVING AFTER BABY - PERFECT FOR NEW & FIRST TIME MUMS</strong></h4><br><p><i>"Your birthing journey does not end with your baby's arrival. How you recover is just as important as the birth itself."</i></p><br><p>Congratulations! You've created this amazing new being - but at the same time, your breasts are unrecognisable, your pelvic floor feels surprisingly untrustworthy, you're leaking from almost everywhere and you can't even contemplate the idea of resuming intimacy within the next decade. <br><br><strong>Take a deep breath, remember everything you've accomplished and know that <i> you've got this.</i></strong><br><p>Family doctor Dr Julie Hammond combines medical expertise with personal experience to provide reliable, compassionate guidance through postpartum recovery. Acting as the trusted friend every new mother needs, she helps you make sense of your changing body and reassures you that what you're experiencing is both common and worthy of support.<br><br><em>The Fourth Trimester</em> is for anyone navigating those special and uniquely demanding days, weeks, and months after their first baby and for anyone who wants to better support both mother and baby - parents, partners, friends and family.<br><br>Inside you'll learn about how to:</p><br><ul><br><li>Support your body's recovery after birth, including C-section recovery 🌸 </li><br><li>Navigate common breastfeeding challenges with confidence 🍼 </li><br><li> Understand and manage bladder and bowel issues after pregnancy💧</li><br><li>Address intimacy concerns, painful sex, and other lesser-mentioned postpartum experiences ❤️ </li><br><li>Explore a wide range of parenting experiences, including SCBU stays and neurodivergent parenting 🤝 </li><br><li>Find your feet as a new parent with renewed confidence for your body, career, friendships and relationships 💫 </li><br></ul><br><p><strong><em>The Fourth Trimester</em> is the best friend in your book, answering the questions you can't quite bring yourself to ask, with compassion, expertise, and a reassuring reminder that both you and your body are doing your best.</strong></p>
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