Fourth Trimester Project
OUR STORY
Fourth Trimester Project began with a simple but powerful shared experience: six women in Orange County, each of whom had navigated the early months of motherhood far from family and without a village around them.
We know what those days feel like. The exhaustion that goes bone-deep. The love that is bigger than anything you have ever felt. The strange loneliness of being home with a baby you adore, wondering why no one told you it could feel this hard. We know what it means to wish someone would just show up.
That feeling is what brought us together, and it is what drives everything we do.
We founded Fourth Trimester Project in 2026 because we believed that no mother in our community should have to go through this alone. We built the organization we wish had existed when we were new moms ourselves; one that pairs mothers with peer supporters who truly get it, that shows up at the door with a warm meal, that rolls up its sleeves and helps with the laundry, and that gathers mothers together so they can find their people.
The name comes from the concept of the fourth trimester — the weeks and months after birth that are just as critical as pregnancy itself, yet often go unsupported. We believe that honoring a mother during this season is one of the most meaningful investments a community can make.
All of our services are completely free, provided by trained volunteers who show up because they remember what it felt like and want to give back. We are a small team with a big belief: that the simple act of one mom showing up for another can change everything.
Mission Statement
Fourth Trimester Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting new and expecting mothers in South Orange County through peer connection, practical help, and community. We provide free Mom Supporter matching, meal delivery, housework assistance, and monthly meetups ; because every mother deserves a village.
Background Statement
Fourth Trimester Project was founded in 2026 by six women in South Orange County who share something important in common: each of us navigated the early months of motherhood without family nearby. We know firsthand what it feels like to be home with a newborn, exhausted and overwhelmed, with no one to call. We know the weight of doing it alone, and we know how much it would have meant to have someone show up, not just to help, but simply to care.
That shared experience is what brought us together and what drives everything we do. We recognized that many mothers in our community face the same challenge —without a village, and unsure where to turn. In response, we built the organization we wish had existed when we were new moms ourselves.
Fourth Trimester Project pairs new and expecting mothers with experienced mom volunteers as peer supporters, coordinates practical in-home help including meal delivery and light housework, and creates community spaces where mothers can connect with others who truly understand their experience. All of our services are provided free of charge by trained volunteers. We are a federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving South Orange County, California.
Impact Statement
The postpartum period is one of the most vulnerable times in a woman's life. Research consistently shows that social support during this season reduces the risk of postpartum depression, improves maternal and infant outcomes, and strengthens families. Yet in South Orange County, many new mothers lack access to that support, particularly those who are far from family, navigating motherhood for the first time, or simply without a community around them.
Fourth Trimester Project fills that gap. Through our Mom Supporter program, we provide consistent, one-on-one peer connection from pregnancy through the first year postpartum. Through our practical services, we give mothers the gift of time; time to rest, heal, and bond with their babies. Through our monthly meetups, we help mothers build lasting friendships with others in the same season of life. Every family we serve receives not just a service, but a reminder that they are not alone.
Needs Statement
Many new and expecting mothers in South Orange County face the early months of motherhood without adequate support. Extended family networks are often far away, neighborhoods are spread out, and the pace of daily life leaves little room for the kind of sustained, practical help that new mothers genuinely need. Existing community resources tend to be clinical or program-based, leaving a gap in simple human connection: someone to talk to, a meal at the door, or a hand with the laundry so a mom can rest.
The need is not complicated. New mothers need to feel less alone, and they need practical help so they can focus on their baby and their own recovery. They need a community that shows up consistently, not just in the first week home from the hospital but through the demanding early months that follow. In South Orange County, that kind of sustained, volunteer-based peer support does not yet exist at the community level; and that is exactly the gap Fourth Trimester Project was created to fill.
Geographic Areas Served
Orange County
Top Three Populations Served
- All Populations
- Households with limited English proficiency
- Immigrants and Refugees
CONTACT
Fourth Trimester Project
24421 Chrisanta Dr
Mission Viejo, CA 92691-4007
Pegah Jalali
Phone: 7203464021