Dr. Carole Keim welcomes OB-GYN and integrative medicine physician and co-founder of Mone Wellness, Dr. Kate Hom, to The Baby Manual for an encouraging conversation about postpartum recovery and what it really means to “get back to normal” after having a baby. Dr. Hom explains why the traditional six-week postpartum visit is an important medical checkpoint but does not mean that a mother’s body has completely recovered. Together, they discuss the significant hormonal and physical changes after delivery, pelvic floor recovery, nutrition, birth trauma, mental health, and the importance of having a strong support system throughout the postpartum period.
Dr. Hom and Dr. Keim also explore the pressure of “bounce back” culture and why recovery can take much longer than six weeks. They talk about pelvic floor therapy after pregnancy, including for mothers who deliver by C-section, as well as baby blues, postpartum depression and anxiety, birth plans, doulas, epidurals, Pitocin, and some of the realities of labor and delivery. Dr. Hom shares her integrative approach to postpartum wellness, including attention to nutrition, blood sugar regulation, nervous system support, gentle progressive movement, and mental health care. She also introduces Mon Wellness, an app she helped create to give postpartum mothers access to education, expert guidance, community features, wellness tracking, and other tools for navigating recovery.
Key Moments
00:00 Welcome to Season 6 and meet Dr. Kate Hom
02:42 Why six weeks doesn’t mean postpartum recovery is complete
06:19 Hormonal changes, “bounce back” culture, and finding a new normal
09:14 Nutrition, nutrient repletion, and supporting postpartum recovery
10:43 Pelvic floor therapy, urinary leakage, and recovery after pregnancy
14:09 Understanding birth trauma and recognizing possible symptoms
17:31 Doulas, advocacy, and creating a supportive birth team
22:09 Birth plans, epidurals, Pitocin, and flexibility during labor
29:13 Understanding labor progression and preparing for delivery
34:23 Baby blues, postpartum depression, and postpartum anxiety
38:49 Therapy, medication, and professional mental health support
40:33 Mone Wellness and integrative postpartum support
About Dr. Katherine Hom, MD, FACOG:
Dr. Katherine Hom is a board-certified OB/GYN with a medical degree from UC Irvine, residency at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, and certification in Women's Functional and Integrative Medicine. She is the co-founder of Mone Wellness. She strives to be the bridge in women's health, intersecting a holistic approach with modern, evidence-informed medicine. As an integrative OB/GYN, she empowers women to make the best healthcare decisions for themselves by offering integrative interventions such as lifestyle, nutritional, mind-body, and botanical, as well as pharmaceutical and surgical options. She enjoys collaborating with a multidisciplinary team so women can feel the most supported, especially in transitional times like postpartum.
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