Please take a minute to let us know when baby/babies have arrived!
Getting baby’s name & birthday helps us prepare for circle.
You can expect an email about one week prior to circle kick off with our meeting address, parking info, and ALL the detail— below is a snapshot of what to expect. Don’t forget about our resource guide!
SCHEDULE. Our weekly discussions will center around the following:
Week 1: Journey to Meeting Baby
Week 2: Infant Feeding & Sleep
Week 3: Physical Recovery & Your Postpartum Body
Week 4: Mental Health & Wellness
Week 5: Transitioning out of the 4th Trimester-- back to work, or into a new life in at-home parenthood; and whatever else we don't get to!
We try to keep it fun but also don’t stray from talking about the real. This is a very intense (and beautiful) season of life! If you know now that you’ll miss a week, emai us at hello@cincinnatipostpartum.com, and we can identify a substitute option in an alternative circle if that would feel helpful.
EXPECTATIONS: Prioritize your needs, always. Come in late or leave early if that's what your baby or needs demand. We can work you in to join virtually one week if that's what the day calls for. You can feed baby, change baby, or pump in the space-- whatever you need. In other words, come as you are-- sweats or jeans, make-up or no make-up, fussy baby or happy baby, fussy mom or happy mom, leaky boobs or spit up covered shirt-- we're all there together.
INFORMATION PACKET: You'll each receive a printed copy of this resource guide we previously shared. The digital version is useful for links.
GROUPME: To help participants connect outside of circle sessions, we utilize an app called GroupMe. If you're not familiar, this is essentially a slightly fancier group text-- very seamless to use and newbies to the tool from our past circles have found it simple to adopt. You can download the free app (recommended) or sync to your texts. You can turn notifications off or on, add a profile picture/update your name, and/or mute the app as needed which is really helpful. It has a poll and calendar feature integrated which is useful for meet-ups-- both the formal sessions and any social meetups group members plan. This is a space to connect with each other outside of our circle sessions to build deeper connections. Many circles have continued on with their GroupMe after our circle wraps up.
Please post an introduction in the GroupMe intro thread when you have a moment, ideally with a picture of you and baby or your family! It's always nice to walk into a room already knowing someone's name.
WHAT TO BRING FOR CIRCLE SESSIONS; Some moms like to wear baby in a wrap or carrier. Sometimes baby wants you to stand/walk around a bit which is why a wrap/carrier can be handy! Most of the time baby snoozes/lounges comfortably in moms arms while you sit— they love to hear your voice as you share in circle! You might be surprised how content they are out and about even if they are not that way at home-- this happens. You should also bring diapers/wipes, anything you need to feed yourself or baby, and your willingness to participate and engage. That's it (but phew we know it's a lot getting out the door). This is a great place to practice being out with baby, often for the first time for many participants. Please leave older siblings with another caregiver-- if this is a barrier let's connect.
HEALTH & SAFETY: Please refresh yourself on the Health & Safety guidelines in our FAQs. If you or baby are ill, join virtually or reach out about attending another week , to protect fellow participants.
Frequently Asked Questions:
4th Trimester Circles
(0-3 month moms + babies)
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Both your physical and emotional health and safety are our top priority in circle.
If you and/or baby are ill, please do not attend. Your facilitator can work to have you join that week virtually, and/or would love to connect after a missed session to ensure you and your baby can return in a way that feels inclusive.
If your facilitator is ill, that weekly session will move to a virtual session, a substitute facilitator will be arranged, or an alternative solution will be offered.
Your facilitators are up to date on all vaccinations including flu, COVID-19 and TDAP.
As of late July 2023, 4th Trimester circles will *NOT* require that participants mask.
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You know your body and needs best. There are varying approaches to the 4th trimester (for example, in some cultures, postpartum mothers do not leave their house for the first 40 days after birth). If that's your approach, honor it! We would love to welcome you into a later circle— this is one reason we have many start dates!
However, many moms experience isolation in the immediate postpartum season. After two weeks, much of the initial adrenaline has waned, and perhaps immediate helpers have returned to their normal routines. We know community can make all the difference in this critical period. For many moms, a reason to "practice" leaving the house with baby is welcomed, so we welcome infants and moms starting at 2 weeks.
Most participants book prenatally for a circle start date that begins 3-8 weeks after baby’s latest possible arrival date. We are happy to move your registration to a different circle after baby arrives, as space allows. Just reach out!
If you decide attending the first week of your registered circle is simply too early to leave the house, but want to keep your circle dates as booked, you can join virtually for a week or two. This applies throughout your series. We know life with a newborn requires flexibility!
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Cincy Postpartum Circles are for all infant parents, birthing parents and non-birthing parents alike. Our 4th Trimester circles are specifically for moms. Some of our weekly discussion will center physical postpartum changes (particularly week three, our physical recovery week). That said, there will absolutely be space for all to share their journeys to and through motherhood, if you are a non-birthing mother. Please email us at hello@cincinnatipostpartum.com if you’d like to chat further before booking.
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Yes! About 20-30% of those in circles are moms of 2(+). At one time, we offered a designated option for our 4th Trimester circles, but found that it added registration complications without adding much additional value to the participant experience.
We’ve decided to keep all circles open to a mix of first and second-time moms (+) moms at this time.
If you’d like to know the current make-up of a circle before registering (ie if you’re the only second time mom), you’re welcome to check in with us at hello@cincinnatipostpartum.com.
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Your circle participation offers a wonderful opportunity to focus on your connection with your freshest newborn, carving out time in your busy life to process your journey adding this new person to your family. Please plan to arrange for care for your older child/children.
We hope in the future to have a circle that includes childwatch for older children, but not there yet.
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Consider this come-as-you are. We know babies can be unpredictable! Heck, you yourself may be a bit unpredictable in this season too, but we know the tough days are the days you need the most support. Wear what you feel comfortable in, and know that nursing, bottle feeding, or pumping are welcome in this space (this will be a safe place to practice these new skills "out and about"). You should bring diapers & wipes, and consider bringing a baby blanket, a snack/drink for yourself, a feeding pillow if you are using one, and any other supplies you may need. Most babies are changed and fed at some point during circle.
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In 2025, we’ve launched dads’ circles! You can learn more at cincinnatipostpartum.com/dads.
At this time, we’re prioritizing our resources towards 4th Trimester circles, Dads’ Circles, and then alumni programming for moms who have completed a 4th Trimester circle.We have big goals and dreams to continue expanding Cincy Postpartum Circles, and believe in the value of deep, hyper-local connection to others in this tender season of life.
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We know sometimes schedules don't align perfectly. Email hello@cincinnatipostpartum.com- perhaps we can find a solution.
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We know that you are conscious about how you spend your hard-earned dollars. Transparency is incredibly important to us.
We want you to know that about 20-30% of your registration fee goes to operating expenses (rental of spaces, website hosting, registration administration, advertising, printing/binding of circle resources), 20% goes to our meeting space, and about 50% goes directly to your circle facilitator, to support their family.
If cost is the number one barrier for you to receive this support, please reach out to amanda@cincinnatipostpartum.com. We are happy to discuss service trades, payment plans, or a slight discount.
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For most circles, we offer a priority registration window + discounted rate to those on our notification list, and then an early bird discount 7-10 days before the circle closes.
We do this to support filling circles to our enrollment minimum (typically 6) early, and to shift participants in low-enrolled circles with as much notice as possible.
Price transparency is important to us— so that’s the method behind the madness!
If cost is the number one barrier for you to receive this support, please reach out to amanda@cincinnatipostpartum.com. We are happy to discuss service trades, payment plans, or a slight discount.