Let’s start with this truth: the fourth trimester is real, and it’s no joke. It’s the stretch of time after birth when your body, mind, and spirit are trying to catch up with the life-changing event you just experienced. And if you’re a Black mother, navigating this season often comes with extra layers.

No one hands you a manual for those first hazy weeks with a newborn — just a bundle of love, a whole lot of hormones, and advice that often misses the mark. As a mom of five and a doula, I’ve lived it and walked it with countless families. This post isn’t about perfection — it’s about the real, unfiltered truths I wish someone had whispered to me in the quiet, chaotic newborn days. Let this be the permission slip you didn’t know you needed.