The Newborn Stage: Hemorrhage Scare & Sleep Deprivation

September 9, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Matt and Abby are three weeks into life with their third son, Fisher, and they open this episode with a surprising confession: this postpartum period has been their best yet. The reason, Abby says, is simple — they're "seasoned." They've done this before, and that experience has changed everything about how they navigate the newborn fog, from their expectations to their systems to their emotional bandwidth.

The Hemorrhage Scare and the Placenta Question

Around 10 or 11 days postpartum, Abby experienced a frightening episode of heavy bleeding. She was soaking through regular pads so quickly that Matt consulted AI, which told them to go to the hospital immediately. The situation was ambiguous enough that Abby hesitated — she wasn't sure if it was truly an emergency or just her body doing something unfamiliar. What ultimately turned things around, she says, was a combination of two things: she finally committed to resting horizontally on the couch for two days, and she started taking her encapsulated placenta pills. Her bleeding "drastically reduced" almost immediately. Abby is careful to call this anecdotal — "it could be a total coincidence" — but she's clear about what she experienced: "I felt a million times better and my physical symptoms also changed."

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What you'll learn

1 (00:22) **Postpartum Hemorrhage Scare & Placenta Encapsulation** - Abby recounts a concerning bleeding episode at 10 days postpartum and her dramatic recovery after taking placenta pills.
2 (10:19) **Community Support & The Power of a Meal Train** - The couple expresses deep gratitude for the outpouring of meals and gifts from their community during the newborn stage.
3 (10:28) **The "Normal" Newborn Sleep Regression** - Matt and Abby discuss their three-week-old's shift from a sleepy first week to a more demanding, wakeful sleep pattern.
4 (13:21) **Abandoning the Original Sleep Plan for a New System** - The couple explains why they scrapped their initial postpartum sleep strategy and the logic behind their new, shared nighttime routine.
5 (17:52) **Why the Bottle System Works Better for Everyone** - The couple analyzes the mechanics of their new nighttime routine, highlighting the efficiency of bottle feeding over nursing at night.
6 (18:51) **The "Nothing Counts" Rule & Postpartum Communication** - The couple shares a crucial communication strategy for navigating the sleep-deprived, emotionally charged nights of the newborn stage.
7 (49:07) **Postpartum Rules & The Binky Dilemma** - The couple lists their established rules for surviving the newborn stage and debates whether to train their baby to use a pacifier.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Three weeks postpartum and we’re officially back in the newborn trenches! We’re talking sleepless nights, breastfeeding, postpartum recovery, mom guilt, adjusting to life with three kids, and the new rules keeping our marriage intact through it all. Plus, we share what’s been different about the newborn stage the third time around. Chilipad: Visit https://www.sleep.me/unplanned to get up to $255 off your Chilipad 2.0 with code UNPLANNED, plus free shipping and a 30-day sleep trial. Branch Basics: Get 15% off Branch Basics with the code UNPLANNED at https://branchbasics.com/UNPLANNED #branchbasicspod Osea: Go to https://oseamalibu.com and get 10% off your first order with code UNPLANNED. Hiya Health: Get 50% off your first order of Hiya products at https://hiyahealth.com/UNPLANNED. Follow The Unplanned Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/unplanned__podcast/ https://www.tiktok.com/@unplanned_podcast Listen to the pod on Spotify/ Apple Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ToDA4ufQuWuEgMq07zN6t https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unplanned-podcast/id1669604504 Follow Matt & Abby: Abby's Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/abbyelizabethoward/ Matt's Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/_matt_howard_/ TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@matt_and_abby Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/mattandabb YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@MattandAbby Mascara is restocking September 15th! Sign up here for updates: https://www.biswell-beauty.com/ Chapters: 01:58 - Postpartum 03:13 - Placenta Pills 03:44 - Hemorrhage 08:00 - Community 09:53 - Newborn sleep 22:04 - Paw Patrol Movie 24:00 - Toddlers regressing 25:26 - Mom guilt 29:44 - Pretzel 32:54 - Legoland 36:53 - Birthdays 38:30 - Pirate party 43:43 - Postpartum rules 46:41 - Nursing 50:15 - Parents in town 56:07 - Night feedings 59:41 - Loading 3 kids in a car 01:02:57 - 1st postpartum date 01:05:18 - working out

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