The Fourth Trimester: Why Postpartum Healing Matters

Supporting Moms with Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, and Functional Care in San Diego

You’ve prepared for birth—but what about after?

The postpartum period, often called the “fourth trimester,” is a sacred time of healing, yet in Western culture it’s often rushed, overlooked, or skipped entirely. At EAST & WEST Functional Family Medicine & Acupuncture in San Diego, we’re changing the way women recover after birth. Using Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, and functional nutrition, we help mothers feel supported, replenished, and empowered in this critical transition.

What Is the Fourth Trimester?

The “fourth trimester” refers to the first 6–12 weeks after birth, a time when your body, hormones, nervous system, and emotions are rapidly shifting. Traditionally, cultures around the world honor this window with rest, warmth, nourishment, and care—all of which are essential to long-term recovery and well-being.

Why Postpartum Healing Is So Important

Ignoring postpartum healing can contribute to:

• Lingering fatigue and burnout

• Anxiety, depression, or overwhelm

• Hormonal imbalances

• Painful breastfeeding or mastitis

• Poor wound or scar healing (vaginal or C-section)

• Pelvic floor dysfunction

• Future fertility issues

  
  

When you invest in postpartum recovery, you’re not being selfish—you’re protecting your long-term health and capacity to care for your family.

How Chinese Medicine Supports the Fourth Trimester

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), postpartum is seen as a time when Qi (energy) and blood are depleted. The body is vulnerable—but also highly responsive to the right nourishment and care.

We use:

• Acupuncture to rebalance hormones, ease pain, support emotional well-being, and aid digestion

• Chinese herbal formulas to support lactation, stop excessive bleeding, improve sleep, and regulate mood

• Yoni steaming to promote circulation, uterine healing, and pelvic recovery

• Nutritional therapy based on warming, blood-building foods like our Postpartum Chinese Chicken Soup Kit

• Lifestyle guidance to help you rest and recover (with permission!)

Postpartum herbal chicken soup

What Postpartum Support Looks Like at EAST & WEST

Your care is customized to your needs and may include:

• Acupuncture sessions with gentle modalities (gua sha, cupping, infrared)

• Placenta encapsulation

• Moxibustion to restore warmth and rebuild energy

• Herbal consultations and targeted supplementation

• A spa-like environment with dim lighting, organic towels, warm tea, and a paging system so you’re never alone

We also offer home-prep support kits with teas, healing rinses, nipple salves, and more here—to help you set up a postpartum station before baby arrives.

You’re Not Meant to Do This Alone

Postpartum healing isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. Our integrative, compassionate care model is here to help you feel nourished, seen, and whole.

Book a postpartum consultation today or explore our Postpartum Recovery Box—a doctor-formulated collection of healing tools for your fourth trimester.