Meet The Fourth Trimester Doc

• Masters in Public Health University of Minnesota

• Medical school at Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL

• Family Medicine Residency at United Family Medicine in St. Paul

• Two year fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine in Tucson, AZ
• Advanced Training Program in Mind Body Medicine through the Center for Mind Body Medicine
• Food as Medicine
• Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
•  Level 2 Reiki
• Registered Yoga Teacher – 200hr
• Prenatal Yoga Teacher
• Centering Pregnancy advanced facilitator
• Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder training through Postpartum Support International
• The Art of Holding Perinatal Women in Distress through the Postpartum Stress Center
• The National Curriculum in Reproductive Psychiatry
• International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
• One of the first physicians in the country and Minnesota to be boarded in Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine

Dr. Haggerty has spent her life using her personal and career experiences to support mothers/birthing people going through their matrescence.  She graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nutrition where her capstone project was on breastfeeding and HIV/AIDs in Uganda.  She went on to obtain a Masters in Public Health from the University of Minnesota with an emphasis on Nutrition and Global Health.  She spent her internship in Peru working in a pediatric and obstetric clinic doing health campaigns in the surrounding villages. 

It was during her public health training where she realized she wanted to pursue becoming a physician.  She got her degree in Osteopathic Medicine from Midwestern University in Chicago, IL followed by a family medicine residency in St. Paul, MN at United Family Medicine/Allina Health.  Her medical training included working in a pediatric HIV clinic in Zambia and a family medicine clinic in Belize.  Following residency she started working at a Federally Qualified Health Center, NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center, in North Minneapolis, MN. 

She is Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director for the Center for 4th Trimester Care (C4TC), a national nonprofit whose mission is to revolutionize 4th trimester care so that all people have access to high quality 4th trimester care through education, business development, advocacy and community building.  She is a founding board member for the North American Board of Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine, served on the Medical and Health Sciences Advisory Committee for the Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies, and is a member of the Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition, and Pregnancy and Postpartum Support Minnesota.  She has been recognized as one of the Rising Top Star Doctors by Msp/St. Paul Magazine (2021, 2022, 2023, & 2024), and Top Doctors (2021, 2022 & 2023) and Top Doctors for Women (2023 and 2024) by Minnesota Monthly Magazine.  She was also awarded one of the 2023 Women in Business by Twin Cities Business Journal.

In addition to changing the paradigm around postpartum, newborn, lactation and perinatal mental health care, she is passionate about her family, travel, dark chocolate, red wine, warm spicy chai, outdoor adventures, deep conversations with good friends, and laying in a hammock with a good book overlooking a lake.

Her own matrescense has been a full on rollercoaster.  She is a mom to two angel babies (from miscarriages) and three sons (unless they tell her otherwise) earthside.  Her own 4th trimester/postpartum experiences were wonderful and challenging and messy and beautiful and cozy and painful and emotional and blissful and lonely and supportive (there are not enough words to truly describe this time/transition).  She is so excited to be able to offer these services and would be honored to be a part of your journey into motherhood/parenthood. 

• Medical school at Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Family Medicine Residency: University of Minnesota North Memorial
• Sutherland Cranial Teaching Foundation 40 hour cranial course
• Fascial Distortion Model Academy Course (Module 1)
• The Power of Presence with Rachel Brooks MD
• Natural Mental Health: Joy, Calm, and Focus practitioner training (in progress)

Dr. Swanson has always cared deeply about women and children, but it was navigating her own matrescence and breastfeeding journey that sparked a passion to work professionally in this space. Despite hundreds of hours of education in these areas as a nurse and medical student, she returned home after the birth of her first daughter confused, bewildered, and unsupported. She soon realized her experience was not unique, and became committed to supporting families in their parenthood transitions.

She grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin and graduated from St. Olaf College with a BA in nursing. She spent several years as an RN in various hospitals and in the emergency department before deciding to pursue medicine. She was interested in osteopathic medical school for its holistic focus on mind, body, and spirit, and when she started at Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine, she was immediately drawn to osteopathic manipulation, a gentle, hands-on method of diagnosis and treatment that complements her training in allopathic medicine. During medical school she had the great fortune of working with a group of midwives who did home visits, which opened her eyes to the possibility of practicing family care differently. Before joining Dr. Haggerty, she completed family medicine residency at University of Minnesota North Memorial Family Medicine Residency, and spent two years working in an outpatient-based family medicine practice where she attended births and cared for families. She has completed extra training in breastfeeding medicine, integrative medicine, urgent care, osteopathic medicine, and lifestyle medicine since completing residency.

When she isn’t working, Dr. Swanson can be found hiking, skiing, hanging out with her partner and 3 daughters, foraging, or going down an artistic rabbit hole learning a new skill (she’s currently learning botanical dyeing).

Dr. Swanson believes good medicine happens with time, listening, and connection. She also believes everyone is a work in progress (including herself) and that mental and physical health are a marathon, not a sprint. Her own experiences of pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and parenting have been beautiful, difficult, stressful, joy-filled, scary, hilarious, and everything in-between, and she hopes to support you and your family as you enter this special season together.