Supporting growing families through pregnancy and beyond the fourth Trimester
Calm has teamed up with Gerber, a leader in early childhood nutrition, to release two new series for growing families that support the journey from pregnancy to postpartum.
Even before the birth of a bouncing baby, expectant parents discover quickly that their sleep and regular comforts will be disrupted early and often. That’s why we’ve released two new series for growing families, sponsored by Gerber – a go-to source of support for those late-night hours when parents are up feeding baby.
The Nurturing Pregnancy and Postpartum Healing programs, narrated and written by notable mindfulness teacher Kate Johnson, offer a range of comforting practices to encourage rest and refresh. Gerber also understands that late-night hours are often when parents need the most support.
Whether preparing for childbirth or dealing with unpleasant physical symptoms or looking for emotional support and anxiety relief, Kate’s sessions on Calm offer reassuring wisdom and comforting uplift. As a mother herself, Kate knows firsthand that parents need a sense of peace, tools to ride through discomfort, and space to bond with their little ones.
Kate shares guided practices that helped her during every trimester of her own pregnancy by fostering acceptance, stirring gratitude, and reframing difficulties.
Reframing Anxious Thoughts with “RAIN” Practice
If you’re facing anxious thoughts or overwhelming emotions, Kate walks you through a trusted mindfulness practice you can turn to again and again. Dubbed with the acronym RAIN, it helps you in recognizing, allowing, and investigating your feelings, then nurturing yourself with self-compassion.
Recognize: If you recognize anxiety, and choose to work with it consciously, then in that moment – anxiety is not running the show. (Celebrate for a minute!)
Allow: We allow by first noticing if there’s any tension or tightening around the anxiety, or shame about our experience…And see if, just for this moment, we can let it be.
Investigate: Here’s where we engage our curiosity, asking questions like: Where do I feel this anxiety in my body?
Nurture: In the N step of RAIN, the step of nurture, we practice tending to our anxiety with tenderness by offering whatever it needs. In essence, we’re telling ourselves “it’s okay, this too shall pass”.
Often, the result of practicing RAIN is that your shoulders drop a few inches and you feel energized to be with yourself and your family. Relying on this tool will help you with parenting well into the teenage years!
“Labor With Hope”
When preparing for labor, Kate turns to the science of positive thinking. With studies showing that a positive mindset can decrease sensitivity to pain, Kate inspires self-assurance for childbirth with fortifying phrases including:
“I love and approve of myself unconditionally, and trust this process”
“I accept with peace whatever path my baby’s birth takes”
“I am already the perfect parent for my child”
One expectant mother who reviewed the practices said she loved how they address “real concerns.” Another pregnant person said she felt validated by a guided meditation entitled “Creating Space for Rest.” She said, “This concept is so important! I feel pressure to ‘do’ more when my body is already doing more than it ever has. Love permission to rest.”
The Fourth Trimester
When parents arrive on the other side of the pregnancy journey, Calm’s Postpartum Healing program is a balm for the tender “fourth trimester” and beyond. Guided practices are there for you during long feedings, “baby blues,” and the very literal healing from childbirth.
Both programs were created in consultation with an OB/GYN and a certified doula, along with a league of parents and parents-to-be. They are part of Calm’s Resilient Parenting & Pregnancy programming – designed to be listened to any time or any place you need a little rest and respite: in between midnight feedings or after you’ve put your baby down for a nap.
For more support, visit The Dream Feed by Gerber, which provides parents with free access to articles, sleep and baby expert advice, real stories and tips from parents at gerber.com/thedreamfeed.
Learn how you can redeem a complimentary year of Calm Premium* at gerber.com/thedreamfeed.
For medical advice, please consult your doctor.
*Cannot be redeemed with an active Calm subscription
