Caring for Mothers in the Fourth Trimester: A Call to Faith and Community

Laura Vazquez Santos reflects on the challenges new mothers face and explores how the postpartum time can become a sacred season of healing and grace. 

When a baby is born, we rally with balloons, casseroles, and gifts for the new arrival. But often, after the first week or two, the focus fades and the new mother finds herself alone, exhausted, and unsure how to navigate this new season. And with a growing phenomenon in which mothers find themselves with a shrinking or even nonexistent village, the postpartum period often leaves mothers feeling forgotten.  

I’ve been reflecting on this lately after speaking with friends who have recently given birth. Their stories sound so familiar: joy mingled with deep fatigue, the ache of isolation, and a longing for support that doesn’t come. They express the difficulty of finding room for prayer, for faith, and for hope the more exhausted and socially isolated they feel. I remember those days myself, wondering why our medical systems and society, in general, seem so unprepared to care for mothers in the same way it celebrates nine months of pregnancy and babies.   

The Fourth Trimester is A Forgotten Season 

We talk a lot about delivery and attend periodic, necessary check-ups throughout pregnancy, but once we give birth, we are left to just “figure it out on our own” or going down the anxious rabbit hole of Google when we have any postpartum questions. We rarely talk about the “fourth trimester,” namely, the first three months postpartum, when a mother is physically recovering, hormonally adjusting, and emotionally finding her footing in this new identity that is motherhood.   

In many cultures throughout history, this period was seen as sacred, and mothers were cared for by a network of women who brought meals, tended the home, and helped with older children, allowing the mother’s more wiggle room to focus on recovering and find time to ground themselves again.   

In our fast-paced, individualistic society, we have lost that rhythm. Instead of support, new moms often get subtle (or not-so-subtle) pressure to “bounce back,” resume work, keep up a spotless home, and maintain a picture-perfect social media presence.  

It seems as though we have also lost sight of the vital conversation about how this transitional period is sacred, being the commencement of a vocation graciously given to us by the Lord.  

Why This Matters Spiritually  

Motherhood, like any vocation, is sustained by grace. But grace is often also mediated through those close to us that are living out Christian virtues, leading by example. Their kindness, encouragement, hope, and faith can be a vital source of strength for mothers during this especially vulnerable time. When a new mother is left to struggle alone, we are, in a sense, failing to be the Body of Christ to her.  

The Catechism reminds us that “the family is the original cell of social life” (CCC 2207), but families don’t thrive in isolation. The early Church modeled a radical form of community:

Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart. (Acts 2:46)  

Imagine if we reclaimed that kind of life-giving presence and community for postpartum moms and their families.  

Integrating Faith into Postpartum Care  

We can see postpartum care not as a luxury, but as part of our mission to live out the Works of Mercy. Visiting the sick includes sitting with a mother in recovery. Feeding the hungry can mean stocking her freezer or making sure she has nourishing meals. Counseling the doubtful might be reassuring her that she’s not failing, rather that she’s simply human and in need of rest. 

And beyond practical help, we can nurture her faith.   

Imagine if every parish had a postpartum outreach team, formed by members in that parish community that offered: 

• A home blessing for the new baby and family, where possible 

• Prayer visits from parish members or fellow moms 

• Catechesis delivered gently in conversation — perhaps reflecting on the Blessed Mother’s postpartum experience after the birth of Jesus and the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary for contemplation 

• Encouragement to see her present limitations not as weakness, but as a season of hidden fruitfulness  

I know these are just ideas and not always possible to bring to fruition (in smaller parishes, especially), but just imagine if we did at least one out of the four; wouldn’t that be better than leaving moms to feel forgotten and alone?  

A Marian Model  

When we think of the postpartum period, we can turn to Our Lady. Though Scripture tells us little of her first weeks after Jesus’ birth, we know she was surrounded by the humble support of St. Joseph and likely, the women of their family and community. Mother Mary shows us the quiet, hidden strength of a mother who ponders all things in her heart (Luke 2:19) and she reminds us that God meets us in our exhaustion, our questions, and our small acts of love.  

What We Can Do  

For those of us who are past our own postpartum seasons, or haven’t experienced them yet, we can still make a difference: 

• Check in regularly with new moms and not just during the first week. 

• Offer tangible help with things like meals, laundry, or childcare for older kids. 

• Pray with and for her and let her hear you say it. 

• Encourage rest and spiritual renewal even if that means bringing the Church to her in small ways or simply being a present and loving ear for her to vent. 

Let’s Implement a Culture Shift  

If we want to build a culture of life, we must also build a culture of care. A mother who is supported, loved, and strengthened in her faith during the fourth trimester is better equipped to nurture her child not just physically, but spiritually.   

This is evangelization in its most tender form: meeting mothers where they are and reminding them, they are never alone.  

Let’s be the hands and feet of Christ in the nursery, the kitchen, our local communities, and the quiet spaces where new mothers sit, rocking their little ones in the middle of the night.  

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Copyright 2025 Laura Vazquez Santos
Images: Canva