28 Aug 2026
40 Days Postpartum With Baby #3: 9 Things I’m Doing Differently This Time
Coach the Mother is back!!
After more than a year away from the podcast, Dr. Natalie Forsell returns to the mic following a year that changed nearly every part of her life.
Her podcasting journey was interrupted by the sudden death of her parents, followed by grief, pregnancy, constant transition, and ultimately the birth of her third baby, Maverick, just three days after the first anniversary of their death.
Now, 40 days postpartum, Natalie is reflecting on something she did not necessarily expect: This is her strongest early postpartum recovery yet. Not because this season has been easy. Not because she “bounced back.”
And definitely not because she found one magical postpartum hack. With every pregnancy and birth, she has learned more about what her body actually needs to heal, rebuild, and feel like home again. In this deeply personal return episode, Natalie shares nine lessons shaping her third postpartum experience, including ditching the scale, strength training through pregnancy, preparing nourishing food before birth, therapy and radical acceptance through grief, intentional supplementation, contact naps and co-regulation, movement as a mental health anchor, the hormonal overlap between lactation and other low-estrogen seasons of women’s lives, and learning to celebrate her body for what it can do rather than how small it can become.
She also breaks down the research behind several of these choices and explains why postpartum recovery deserves much more than a six-week green light. This is not an episode about getting your body back. It is about becoming more informed, more supported, more capable, and more deeply grounded in the body carrying you into motherhood.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Postpartum Recovery Program
Natalie’s fully virtual 16-week, 4-phase postpartum recovery experience combining pelvic floor rehabilitation, progressive strength training, personalized coaching, weekly check-ins, direct support, and a plan that adapts to your actual body, symptoms, and goals.
Learn more: [INSERT POSTPARTUM RECOVERY PROGRAM LINK] (Postpartum%20Recovery%20Program)
Needed Supplements
Natalie personally uses and recommends Needed for perinatal nutritional support. Needed’s Prenatal Multivitamin Pro has been studied in an IRB-approved observational clinical study involving 235 pregnant women, and their practitioner partnership currently allows providers to offer their communities 20% off.
Shop Needed with my provider discount:
https://thisisneeded.com/natalieforsell (https://thisisneeded.com/natalieforsell)
Disclosure: I am a Needed practitioner partner and may receive compensation when you purchase through my link.
Follow Natalie:
@drnatalieforsell (https://www.instagram.com/drnatalieforsell/)
RESEARCH REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE
Resistance training in pregnancy: systematic review and meta-analysis of pregnancy, delivery, fetal and pelvic floor outcomes
Read on PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40610191/)
Prenatal exercise and urinary incontinence during and following pregnancy: systematic review and meta-analysis
Read on PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30337466/)
USPSTF: Interventions to Prevent Perinatal Depression
Counseling interventions, particularly CBT and interpersonal therapy, are recommended for pregnant and postpartum women at increased risk of perinatal depression. Read the USPSTF recommendation (https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/perinatal-depression-preventive-interventions?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Impact of postpartum physical activity on maternal depression and anxiety: systematic review and meta-analysis
Read on PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39500542/)
Parent-Infant Skin-to-Skin Contact and Stress Regulation: A Systematic Review
Read on PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33924970/)
Epigenome-wide association studies of prenatal maternal mental health and infant epigenetic profiles: a systematic review
This review found that associations between prenatal maternal anxiety/depression and infant epigenetic changes remain inconsistent, which is why the episode discusses this area carefully rather than deterministically. Read on PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38062042/)
Genitourinary syndrome of lactation: a new perspective on postpartum and lactation-related genitourinary symptoms
Read on PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38062042/)
Postpartum and Lactation-Related Genitourinary Symptoms: A Systematic Review
This 2025 review found high rates of vaginal dryness, atrophy, dyspareunia, and sexual dysfunction among lactating postpartum women. Read on PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40373318/)
A pilot randomized controlled trial of vaginal estrogen on postpartum atrophy, perineal pain, and sexual function
Read on PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35441854/)
Creatine Supplementation in Women’s Health: A Lifespan Perspective
Read on PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33800439/)
Placentophagy: therapeutic miracle or myth?
The evidence for placenta consumption improving postpartum mood, lactation, or recovery remains limited and inconclusive. Read on PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26043976/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Human placentophagy: a review
This review discusses the lack of demonstrated clinical benefit and potential safety concerns surrounding placenta encapsulation. Read on PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28859955/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Needed Prenatal Multivitamin Pro clinical study information
Needed reports an IRB-approved observational study of 235 pregnant women comparing nutrient blood levels between women taking Needed Prenatal Multivitamin Pro and women taking standard prenatals. View Needed’s clinical study information (https://thisisneeded.com/products/prenatal-multivitamin-pro?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Medical disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not individualized medical advice. Talk with your own healthcare provider regarding postpartum symptoms, exercise progression, medications, vaginal estrogen, or supplementation while pregnant or breastfeeding.
