Hi Lady! A whole variety of factors play into when your period comes back after baby. But once it does, there are several patterns those first postpartum cycles tend to follow ***if you are breastfeeding and baby latches (as opposed to exclusively or regularly pumping or exclusively formula feeding) in terms of cycle length, follicular phase length (the part of your cycle before your first ovulation) and luteal phase length (the part of your cycle after ovulation and before your next period starts). Here's what to expect in those first few cycles after you were expecting. ;)

https://naturalwomanhood.org/find-a-fam-instructor/ To find an instructor in an evidence-based fertility awareness method/natural family planning.

If you enjoyed this episode, please SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and SHARE. Get in touch at annemarie@postpartumonpurpose.com.

Hey Lady! Here's my review of the Mira monitor for the Marquette Method of natural family planning (NFP)/fertility awareness (FAM). I've used it for 5ish months during this postpartum, and during that time my fertility returned. If you're considering switching to Mira from Clearblue or another method, or tracking your cycle for the first time with an NFP method, here's what you need to know about how Clearblue differs from Mira (though both are options to track LH and estrogen as part of the Marquette Method), what surprised me about different lab values from one wand type to the next (the Ultra and Max values matched for estrogen and LH but the Plus wand estrogen readings were much lower , and what's been most helpful (confidently closing out the fertile window).

If you enjoyed this episode, SUBSCRIBE, RATE the podcast on Apple/Spotify/wherever, and SHARE it with a mom friend. Get in touch at annemarie@postpartumonpurpose.com. Find all my written articles over at postpartumonpurpose.com.

Hi Lady! Today, Let's break down a new deep dive from ParentData founder + Harvard-trained economist + best-selling author Emily Oster on why the CDC's recommendations for breastmilk storage are overly cautious.

Specifically:

-how long is it safe to keep freshly pumped milk on the counter and in the fridge?

-What about milk that was previously frozen and then thawed?

-Can you add freshly pumped milk to a bag/bottle/pitcher of cold milk from the fridge?

-And just how long do you have to use up that bottle baby started but didn't finish in one feeding?

For more reading: Emily's original article at ParentData (behind a paywall but viewable with free 7-day trial) https://parentdata.org/babies/breast-milk-storage/. My writeup (no paywall!) about it for Live Action. https://www.liveaction.org/news/parenting-expert-breast-milk-research-easier-parents

If you enjoyed this episode, SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and SHARE, SHARE, SHARE it! Want more? Head over to postpartumonpurpose.com or get in touch annemarie@postpartumonpurpose.com.

Hi Lady! Reminder that my new website, postpartumonpurpose.com, is now live!!! Each week, I post the link to the podcast in the blog, ALONG WITH anything I forgot to say, thought of later, OR links to other episodes on similar topic/s. In this episode, I'm sharing the heart or attitude or mindset behind Free Things and One Small Change, the two features I start each episode with. The ideas or attitudes behind Free Things and One Small Change can truly make or break your postpartum experience.

If you enjoyed this episode, I hope you'll SUBSCRIBE, RATE the podcast, and SHARE it with a mom friend. Get in touch at annemarie@postpartumonpurpose.com or on Instagram @postpartumonpurpose.

Lady, listen. I had no idea laundry was something that could be revolutionized...until I learned otherwise. Here, I'm sharing top tips from reading Laundry Love by Patric Richardson that will cut down the time you spend on laundry. Yes, even with the spitup on baby's clothes and your clothes and the burp cloths.

If you enjoyed this episode, RATE, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE this episode with a mom friend. Check out postpartumonpurpose.com for articles on all aspects of postpartum.

Hi Lady! Today, I've got 2 updates for you: 1) why I recommend pressing PAUSE on purchasing the Mira monitor if you're trying to avoid pregnancy 2) I have a new website (!!!!!!) postpartumonpurpose.com.

And then I've got 3 thoughts for your consideration during Lent:

1) perhaps you've got enough suffering to hold you over for the time being, but maybe your emphasis could be on approaching that suffering more gratefully

2) perhaps the resolution(s) you make of something(s) to add or take away have in mind this goal of becoming more open to the graces He seeks to bestow so that you can handle postpartum better

3) above all and before all else, lead with love, start with love

If you enjoyed this episode, I hope you'll SUBSCRIBE, SHARE with a mom friend, and RATE it so that more moms can find it. Get in touch annemarie@postpartumonpurpose.com or on Instagram @postpartumonpurpose.

Hi Lady! This episode is guest hosted by Dr. Manisha Ghemire, founder of North Carolina-based Momkinz https://momkinz.com/ directory of postpartum support specialists. Dr. Manisha distinguishes between normal vs. urgent vs. emergent symptoms during postpartum, for both physical symptoms and mental/emotional symptoms. I hope you'll keep this episode in your back pocket, especially during those early weeks home, when the majority of postpartum mental or physical emergencies arise.

If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love for you to SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and SHARE it with a mom friend. Get in touch at annemarie@postpartumonpurpose.com, or on Instagram @postpartumonpurpose.

Hey Lady! A couple months back, I saw an Instagram post from @postpartumuniversity asserting that 500 extra calories per day for breastfeeding moms might be nowhere near enough calories. In today's episode, I'm sharing why new moms might need two or even three times that many calories, especially early on, plus the mindset shift I've had about what reasonable weight loss goals and timeframe might look like (hint: it's much slower than I've historically expected).

If you enjoyed today's episode, I'd love for you to SUBCRIBE, RATE, and SHARE the podcast with a mom friend. As always, get in touch annemarie@postpartumonpurpose.com or @postpartumonpurpose on Instagram.