Postpartum Identity: Why You’re Not Supposed to Bounce Back | Andrea Ford, PhD

Postpartum identity can shift how you experience independence, equality, work, family, and your sense of self. In this episode, Sarah Trott and Esther Gallagher talk with cultural and medical anthropologist Andrea Ford about the pressures new parents absorb from the culture around them and why stepping back from those expectations can create useful perspective.Andrea draws on her experience as a doula and her work as the author of Near Birth: Contested Values and the Work of Doulas. The conversation explores postpartum identity, autonomy and interdependence, asking for help, cultural differences in postpartum support, birth debriefing, and intuition as knowledge built through experience.Full show notes fourthtrimesterpodcast.comConnect with Andrea Ford University of Edinburgh research profileAndrea's books Near Birth: Contested Values and the Work of Doulas | Hormonal Theory: A Rebellious Glossary (Theory in the New Humanities)Resources Mentioned 51& | Matrescence: On Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood | FemTech Innovation | EUmetriosis | Endo1000 | WISH*Learn more A Parent’s Guide to Building Self-Trust | The Birth Doula’s Guide to Navigating New Motherhood | Postpartum Bodies Change and That’s a Good ThingFourth Trimester Resources FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Birth Plan | FREE DOWNLOAD Customizable Fourth Trimester Plan | Postpartum Soups and Stews CollectionPartners HIRO Diapers | GutPersonal Prenatal & Postnatal Vitamins | Every MotherConnect with Fourth Trimester Facebook | InstagramPlease follow Fourth Trimester Podcast wherever you listen, and leave a rating or review if this conversation helps you feel a little more supported.