There are moments in early motherhood when the longing for support is so real it sits in the body like a weight. And for many families, that longing is met with another ache—the sense that professional postpartum care is out of reach.
In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Sarah Trott and Esther Gallagher, the soulful hosts of the Fourth Trimester Podcast, for a conversation that feels like a deep exhale. Together we explore what becomes possible when we look beyond traditional expectations of paid postpartum care and instead rediscover the ancient, human patterns that have held new mothers for generations.
Sarah shares her experience of hiring Esther for both of her births, and how that early connection eventually led them to create their own platform of postpartum education. Esther—whose decades of experience in postpartum and birth work are rooted in an extraordinary story that began when she was just eight years old—offers wisdom that reminds us how natural it once was for mothers to be held by their community.
Together, we hold the question so many mothers carry quietly:
What do you do when you know you need help, but don’t have the means to hire support?
In this conversation, we explore:
✨ How postpartum support was originally communal—not professionalized
✨ What “doula” truly meant before the term expanded into birth work
✨ Creative, accessible forms of care that don’t depend on financial resources
✨ The Universal Mother Principles as an inner compass when support feels scarce
✨ The power of reciprocity, presence, and small gestures of nourishment
✨ How to soften the shame so many carry around “not having a village”
This episode is a reminder that while the culture around us may not naturally provide postpartum care, the possibility for care is never lost. Community can be built, even slowly. Support can arrive in small, meaningful doses. And the sacred window can still be held with reverence, even when resources feel thin.
Wherever you are in your journey—mothering, caregiving, remembering your own postpartum story—I hope you feel seen here. You deserve support. You deserve nourishment. You deserve to be held.
✨ Connect with Us
Learn more about the Conscious Postpartum Caregiver Certification, free resources, and community offerings at the Center for Sacred Window Studies.
Links for Sarah and Esther:
Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care?
Reach out! Schedule a time with Christine to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path.
Here is the link to our free class
@sacredwindowstudies
Join our Facebook Group
Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at Sara Emmitt.