It should come as no surprise that birthing a child is exhausting work. Whether a child is born vaginally or via cesarean, the toll on the mother’s body is immense. Typically, new moms need a little extra help while healing and adjusting to the new addition. Relying on family and friends is pretty standard, but there’s now an option to heal in luxury—and the founder has thought of everything.
Fourth Trimester Postnatal Retreat provides luxury care for postpartum families. Taylor Michelle Ivey, a certified labor, birth, and postpartum care doula, owns and founded the program. She initially provided postpartum care in people’s homes before deciding to expand to a full retreat-style model to assist more parents at a time. Ivey partnered with the luxurious St. Regis Hotel in downtown Chicago to provide new moms with a lush postpartum experience.
Healing in luxury
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In an Instagram video with ecommerce company Black Nile Co, Ivey shares, “So, a luxury postnatal retreat—what is it? Families come immediately after birth or up to 12 weeks after birth. They come, book as many nights as they would like, and I have a team of amazing doulas, amazing lactation consultants, and services that moms need…They rest, they recover, they go to the spa, they eat amazing meals. Meals for the mom are included during their stay. So, a mom gets three meals per day, plus snacks during their stay.”
The CEO also shares that the price includes IV hydration, a pelvic floor therapy session, a perinatal mental health therapy session, and a nutrition session with the postpartum nutritionist and dietician. Fourth Trimester Postnatal Retreat also does first aid and CPR training with the families.
On-site therapy sessions
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Ivey says, “Postpartum is hard. It’s hard to find trusted childcare. It’s hard to find people where you can sleep and rest, and trust that they are doing their due diligence to take care of your baby. It’s hard, and I get it.” She elaborates that she has been doing this in new parents’ homes for 10 years, “so the retreat model came from me wanting something that I do privately on a bigger scale.”
The doulas care for the babies so the parents can rest. They have clear infant bassinets just like at the hospital, but somehow they look designer. Parents can view their baby in the nursery through a private Nest camera. Doulas bathe, snuggle, feed, and rock the babies. In short, these infant care specialists do everything a parent would do for their newborn. Fourth Trimester also partners with major brands that keep their cabinets stocked with diapers, wipes, breastfeeding supplies, bottles, and more.
24-Hour care for families
It sounds like a blissful experience, but does insurance cover it? And if not, how much does it all cost?
According to the website, “Once a guest determines insurance coverage, Fourth Trimester will provide you with paperwork for maximum reimbursement. It’s best to talk to your insurance company in advance to understand which services may be covered. Services that are often covered include lactation services and educational courses.”
In short, yes. Some people’s insurance will cover some portions of the concierge postpartum experience. But Fourth Trimester is not a medical facility that can bill insurance privately. The prices for a 3-4 day retreat stay range from $1,137 per night to $1,812 per night. For a 6-7 day stay, expect to pay anywhere from $980 to $1,630 per night. They offer gift certificates as well, so this may be something new grandparents can consider gifting to their child.
Stay as long as you want
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Women love the idea. One person shares, “This is absolutely amazing! Such a brilliant model. I wish I came across this right out of the gate, but I’m 7 weeks PP currently.”
Another writes, “This is amazing!! That fourth trimester is real!! I had severe postpartum with auditory Hallucinations, loss of appetite and suicidal ideation… this is life saving and so needed.”
Someone else says, “Thank you so much for starting this. Postpartum is such a big transition that people overlook and I hope this grows, heals and transforms women across the world.”
“This brought tears to my eyes. What an amazing way to care for families! Thank you for your work and thoughtfulness!” another woman exclaims.
Someone else says, “This is important. This is necessary. This is luxury. This is excellence!”
