Fourth Trimester Plan

Designed for expectant parents who would like to spend the first three months of their newborn baby's life at home, not having to take baby to a medical office, recovering from baby's birth, but still plan to establish care with a pediatric practice to follow the first three months. Also for those who may want to try home-visits but not commit to any longer than the first few months before they know whether it is going to be a good fit for them. .

What is the Fourth Trimester?

A term first coined by Dr. Harvey Karp, a pediatrician, refers to the transitional time between the birth of a baby and three months of age. Karp notes that babies are not yet fully developed, that it takes an additional three months for their central nervous systems to mature to the point of being able to really interact with the world around them. Karp notes that during this time a baby's primary needs are to be, held, fed, rocked, shushed and swaddled because crying is their only mode of communicating. Likewise, for parents this is a time of sleep deprivation, rapid hormonal shifts and of need for extra support.

All of the above has lead to increasing evidence that post-partum care of baby and Mom should be done in the home. Doing this leads to less re-hospitalization, reduced need for ER or urgent care visits, and fosters the development of a strong parent-baby bond. Our fourth trimester plan is designed with all of this in mind.

Services Provided

Prenatal consultation via Zoom, to discuss any relevant history, birth plan and your thoughts about your fourth trimester. Partners are welcome and encouraged to attend.
First newborn visit within 72 hours of birth
Weight checks as needed during first two weeks of life (including collection of the second state newborn screening blood spot test)
One month and two month well checks
Transition back to work plan for Mom
Help transitioning to your child's pediatrician for the four month well check or to one of the other HHP plans
Telemedicine visits as needed
Electronic patient portal for each child
Access to Dr. Tiffany via text, email, and telemedicine between visits to your home, and after normal business hours between 7am-11pm 7 days a week
Prescriptions when needed
Referral to specialists when needed