It’s that time when you are sick and tired of your growing belly, bearing all the symptoms of pregnancy, morning sickness, food aversions, food cravings, nausea, swollen hands and feet, dizziness, frequent urination, painful breasts, gymnastics inside the body, and birthing the baby. You think it has officially ended and now you are free to enjoy your life with the baby that you created. Let’s burst the bubble, Welcome to the fourth trimester.
What is the Fourth Trimester?
Fourth Trimester, the first three months after delivery, is officially the toughest period of motherhood. The newborn baby and mother both have to adjust to this new phase of the relationship. Basically, the fourth trimester is biologically designed in a way that helps both mother and the baby to build their relationship (Read more: https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/blog/what-is-the-fourth-trimester).
The babies excessively breastfeed during this time period, a phenomenon known as cluster feeding (Read more: https://mommystery.com/?p=533). This helps in building the milk supply of the mother. Most of the time, the fourth trimester is overwhelming. It’s tough and difficult to manage, and sometimes it feels like all you have to do is nurse the baby, change his diaper, give him an oil massage, and repeat the cycle, every hour or so.
Good thing is, it doesn’t last for long.
You have to sacrifice your sleep, your routine, your exercise, your entertainment, basically everything to cater to the needs of the newborn, but this phase doesn’t last for long.
What to Do During the Fourth Trimester?
Skin to Skin
Experts highly recommend providing skin-to-skin to the baby. Skin-to-skin with the mother helps in the regulation of the heartbeat as well as the body temperature of the baby.
It also is very beneficial for regulating the production of breast milk. During this time, the mother’s body is not producing milk based on the baby’s demand. The first three months of exclusive breastfeeding are trivial for demand-based breast milk production for the whole of the nursing journey.
Smell the Baby
All of us know that babies have a particular smell, the smell which is so peculiar that no other thing smells like this. Interestingly, smelling the baby helps in
- healing of the mother’s womb or uterus;
- Regulating the hormones in the mother’s body
- Fighting postpartum depression.
Nurse
Nurse nurse and nurse your baby. Give all of your time to the newborn, who needs you the most. Household chores and other things can wait, but your baby should be your first priority. Nurse the newborn as long as he wants. This helps you in healing and the baby in adjusting to the new environment.
Ask for Help
Most mothers suffer because they do not ask for help. There are many tasks, in which you need help, and it’s not a bad thing to ask for it.
You are unable to rest? ask your spouse or any family member to look after the baby while you catch up on some sleep.
You are tired? Ask someone to give you a massage while you and your newborn relax.
Scientific research proves that the fourth trimester is real and the bond that a mother and baby develop during this time, remains for a lifetime. So leave everything aside and give time to yourself and the baby. Everything else can wait.
Mommy, it’s your time to hold the baby, keep it close, and don’t let anyone tell you anything different
