Everyone knows that pregnancies last three trimesters – so what exactly is the Fourth Trimester?

The fourth trimester is the 12-week period after you have had your baby. Not everyone has heard of it, but every mother and their newborn baby will go through it. It is a time of great physical and emotional change as your baby adjusts to being outside the womb, and you adjust to your new life as a mum.

How Might Your Baby Feel?

Having been in your warm womb for nine months, your baby has now got to get used to a sensory overload of sights, sounds and smells, as well as a frequently colder environment where they’re not constantly supported by your protective amniotic fluid.

Understandably, babies are more likely to cry in this twelve week period than any other time in their life as they adjust to their new normal. But however logical it might be, it doesn’t make this period any easier for new parents. 

The closer your baby feels to you, the happier they will be, as this is the closest feeling they will get to what life was like inside the womb. Slings and swaddles can be used so they feel the warmth of your body, hear your heartbeat, and are gently rocked as you go about your day (or night).

How Might You Feel?

Especially in the early weeks after your baby arrives, your body is recovering from birth. Your hormones are in flux, your organs are shifting back to their former positions and your breast milk is coming in.

Remember ladies, it took you nine months to grow your baby. You can expect it to take at least that long for your body to go back to “normal.” And if you’re breastfeeding, you might not feel completely back to your old self (or at least, something like it) until you’ve weaned.

Things also might not look exactly how you pictured they would while you were pregnant, and you might be missing aspects of your pre-mum life. It can be a lot to take in all at once! Just remember that you’re not alone in whatever you may be feeling.

Coping In The Fourth Trimester

Ask for help.

You don’t have to do everything for yourself. Let your partner or a close friend or relative help take care of the baby. Having a great support system can help on those most challenging days.

Know that it’s normal to not feel normal.

Intense mood swings and periods of sadness are normal after having a baby that they even have their own name: the baby blues. Pair that with the sleep deprivation, and you’ve got the potential for a serious storm of emotions.

Don’t beat yourself up for feeling this way, or for worrying that you aren’t doing enough. If you’ve managed to get some rest, eat something and care for your baby, you’ve ticked off all the important to-do’s.

Take care of yourself.

Try to eat healthy foods like fruit and veg, lean proteins and whole grains, and limit sugary snacks. Drink plenty of water. Get out of the house when you can, even if it’s just taking the baby for a short walk.

When your little one sleeps, resist the urge to get things done around the house and try to get some sleep yourself.

Find a group for new mums. 

Even with a supportive partner, family members and friends, you still might feel like you’re going through it all alone sometimes. Talking with other mums gives you a chance to share your feelings with women who understand exactly how you feel because they’re in the thick of it too.

Adjusting to life with a new baby, whether it’s your first, second, third or something else, is a gradual transition that will likely continue throughout that first year and beyond.

https://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/postpartum/what-doctors-wish-moms-knew-fourth-trimester/