The idea for Fourth Trimester Doc was born after Dr. Haggerty had given birth to her first child.  She knew when she got pregnant that her baby would need to see a physician a few days after the birth.  When she thought about needing to go into a pediatric office when her baby was only a few days old, she immediately sought alternative options.  She was happy when she was able to find a pediatric practitioner who would be willing to come to her home to evaluate her baby within a week after the birth.  However, during the visit, she quickly realized that the focus was solely on her baby and with no focus on her, the new mom.  This complete disconnect was emphasized when she realized she would not be seeing her own practitioner until 6 weeks postpartum.

The maternal mortality rate in the United States is one of the worst in the developed world.  It truly is no wonder though, when we expect a new mother to have to walk into clinic within days of the birth, bleeding due to a wound the size of a placenta inside the uterus, leaking milk from engorged breasts, with a weak pelvic floor from just pushing a human out of her body and/or possibly with a stitched wound across her abdomen from a cesarean.  Any other form of abdominal surgery, our medical system recommends rest, but new mothers/birthing people are expected to carry a car seat and take care of a newborn baby as if nothing happened to her body.  Though it should be common sense, research shows that in home postpartum care for mothers/birthing people and newborns increases breastfeeding duration, decreases perinatal depression, and decreases infant mortality.  When mothers/birthing people are supported, moms/birthing people and babies do better. 

As a physician who has attended hundreds of births and has cared for mothers/birthing people and their newborns for years in the clinic setting, Dr. Haggerty had felt trapped as if there was no other options and this was just the best we could do within the context of the conventional medical system model.  However, she is not one to “follow the rules” and has decided to break out of the system.  Thus Fourth Trimester Doc was born.  By creating her own model of care, she no longer needs to answer to the bureaucracy of the healthcare systems of conventional medicine.  She believes that mothers/birthing people and their newborns deserve better care, and that despite what the traditional model makes it seem, mothers/birthing people are worthy of being cared for. 

At Fourth Trimester Doc, we feel the transition to a mother/parent is a sacred time that deserves honor and respect.  Although the newborn has come from the mother’s/birthing person’s body, they are still very much connected and should be treated as a pair.  What is happening with one’s health affects the other and visa versa.  In cultures around the world and ancient traditions, mothers are part of a tribe whose members help care for and provide support to the new mom/birthing person during the transition into motherhood/parenthood.  This tradition has been lost for so many, which has led to a significant lack of support.  We, at Fourth Trimester Doc, would be honored to be a part of your tribe.

Fourth Trimester Doc is the FIRST and ONLY physician practice in Minnesota providing this type of care for mothers/birthing people and newborns and one of only a handful across the country.  Dr. Haggerty is seeking to revolutionize 4th trimester care.  She has connected physicians and other healthcare practitioners across the country who are tired of the current medical system and want to do better for their patients by co-founding the Center for 4th Trimester Care (C4TC), a national nonprofit actively working on this revolution.  She wants mothers/birthing people to know that we hear you and we are working to create change.  

We are here to support you in the comfort of your own home with direct access to your physician whenever you need it.  While you are exactly what your baby needs, support is paramount for you to be able to achieve your goals and thrive during the 4th trimester.