The 4th Trimester with Enedina Robles, LCSW

11/23/2025

Self-care is an act of protection for the family you are raising.

Adele’s line hits with the force of lived experience: women are praised for sacrificing everything,
then criticized the moment they draw a boundary. Generosity is expected. Exhaustion is
normalized. Self-preservation is judged.
But choosing yourself isn’t selfish.
It’s survival.
It’s clarity.
It’s the moment a woman realizes her worth isn’t measured by how much of herself she gives
away.
Every woman who has carried a family, held a community together, worked until she broke, or
kept showing up while empty — this is your reminder:
You are allowed to rest.
You are allowed to say no.
You are allowed to stop setting yourself on fire to keep other people warm.
Adele didn’t just write a quote.
She named a pattern countless women quietly endure and she handed them the language to
walk away from it.

11/19/2025

We need more help for mamas.

11/17/2025

This is why things feel heavier at times

Millennials are rewriting the rules of parenting. Over two-thirds of this generation report that they are actively trying to reparent themselves while raising their own children.

Reparenting is the process of revisiting childhood wounds, learning healthy coping mechanisms, and giving yourself the guidance or support you may have missed as a child. For many millennial parents, this happens simultaneously with the day-to-day demands of raising their kids.

Experts note that this dual approach can be both challenging and transformative. Parents are not only shaping their children’s emotional development, but also addressing their own unmet needs and patterns. By modeling self-awareness and emotional regulation, they can break cycles of trauma and create healthier family dynamics.

Being aware of your own emotional growth while parenting isn’t easy. It requires reflection, patience, and sometimes professional support. Yet the payoff is profound: children benefit from parents who understand themselves better, communicate more effectively, and create emotionally safe environments.

This is the first generation in history experiencing both forms of parenting at once. Millennials are simultaneously raising their children and themselves.

11/17/2025

Important information for breastfeeding mamas

If you’ve been around for a while you know I had multiple lumps in my armpit. These lumps were actually breast tissue that migrated into my armpit as a result of breast feeding. I’ve had the lumps for 19 years. They were painful and tender all the time. The surgeon removed most of them causing a ton of drainage on my right side and a bit of pain. I have my post op on Tuesday to ask about the remaining lumps…like why didn’t they get removed and what do we do now, and hopefully an answer on how long they will take to drain and heal. This condition is really common but most women don’t realize it’s a result of breast feeding. Either way, if you have lumps in your armpits, please have them mammograms and ultrasound to make sure that the tissue is benign. I had no idea that breast tissue could migrate.

11/17/2025

Researching supporting the profound changes that the perinatal body can experience for up to six years postpartum.

Pregnancy doesn’t reset in six weeks — it transforms the brain for years. Studies using MRI scans show that motherhood reshapes regions linked to memory, emotional regulation, empathy, and stress response for 2 to 6 years after birth. These neurological changes help mothers bond with their babies, detect dangers faster, and stay emotionally attuned. They are not “baby brain,” but a deep rewiring of the maternal brain designed for protection, caregiving, and survival.

This long-term adaptation explains why new mothers may face memory lapses, heightened stress sensitivity, mood shifts, or changes in decision-making. The physical body may heal quickly, but the brain continues its recovery and evolution long after childbirth. Recognizing this extended timeline creates space for more compassion, realistic expectations, and emotional support for mothers navigating the biggest biological transformation of their lives.

11/15/2025

How much the female body changes during pregnancy:

During pregnancy, the female body goes through an incredible transformation, and one of the most remarkable changes happens in the uterus. This small, pear-shaped organ, which begins about the size of a lemon—around 3 inches long and weighing just over an ounce—slowly grows large enough to hold a full-term baby. By the end of the 40-week journey, the uterus can reach the size and weight of a watermelon, growing to nearly 2 pounds as its muscles stretch and strengthen. Its amazing elasticity not only supports the developing baby but also allows it to return close to its original size after birth. This natural healing process, known as uterine involution, usually takes around six weeks.

Healthcare providers monitor this growth using a simple measurement called fundal height. This distance, taken from the p***c bone to the top of the uterus, often matches the week of pregnancy and helps track healthy baby growth. As the uterus expands, it rises from deep in the pelvis to above the belly button by about 20 weeks. Whether supporting one baby or multiples, the uterus highlights the incredible power of pregnancy, women’s health, and the strength of motherhood.

10/13/2025

Hey mama…

❤️

10/02/2025

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPOpVFbjteK/

09/23/2025

ACOG reaffirms the safety and benefits of acetaminophen use during pregnancy.
More than two decades of research have found no causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability in children. Acetaminophen continues to be an important and safe option for managing pain and fever in pregnancy—conditions that can pose serious risks to pregnant patients and their fetuses if left untreated. Learn more about acetaminophen use during pregnancy: https://bit.ly/4mqIzWr

09/21/2025

Such a powerful piece ❤️

The statue was created by Spanish artist Luis Quevedo and is officially named "La Mujer del Almanecer" (The Woman of Dawn), installed in the town of Zaragoza, Spain.

It depicts a woman burdened by a massive pile of household objects—washing machines, brooms, baby items, shopping bags—symbolizing the invisible weight of unpaid domestic labor carried primarily by women.

The woman in the sculpture leans forward from the heavy load, yet still holds her children's hands with care and love, showing the strength and emotional labor behind her role.

The sculpture serves as a social commentary on how society undervalues domestic work, especially when done by mothers and homemakers, by labeling it as “nothing.”

In reality, these tasks are vital to the well-being and functioning of households and society at large.

It challenges the common narrative and brings awareness to the mental, physical, and emotional toll of domestic responsibilities that are often taken for granted or dismissed as unproductive.

This monument is widely appreciated for shedding light on gender inequality and has become a symbolic representation of respect and recognition for unpaid care work across the world.

09/18/2025

This is a gendered double standard where women are measured against an ideal of perfection and self-sacrifice, while men are exempt from the same scrutiny.

Society often places a heavy expectation on women to master the impossible art of “doing it all” - excelling at work while being deeply involved and present as mothers - framed under the idealised notion of “balance.”

This motherhood paradox praises women who somehow manage both, yet quietly blames or shames them when either side slips, ignoring that such a standard is unattainable and structurally unsupported.

Meanwhile, men in similar positions are rarely asked how they balance career and fatherhood; their professional success is assumed to be separate from, or even enhanced by, their family status, while their parental contributions are applauded as exceptional rather than baseline.

08/23/2025

I think moms have so much on their plates period

A TODAY Parents survey revealed that mothers with three children reported feeling the most stressed compared to moms with fewer or even more kids. Experts suggest this stage is especially difficult because it represents a tipping point where the balance between control and chaos becomes harder to manage.

With three kids, parents often find themselves juggling competing demands like crying toddlers, sibling fights, and schoolwork all at once, leaving little space for personal downtime. On top of that, cultural pressure to “enjoy every moment” can intensify feelings of guilt and overwhelm, making the parenting experience at this stage uniquely stressful.