BabyBaby HealthParenting

A Mother’s Journey Through The Fourth Trimester

What is the Fourth Trimester?

A mother’s journey through the Fourth Trimester is considered the time that no one knows about, but it’s something every parent and newborn will go through. As your baby adjusts outside the womb and as you adjust to life as a new parent, there are many physical and emotional changes.

You should recreate the environment that your baby experienced in the uterus for the next 3 months.

What to expect in the Fourth Trimester?

Newborns are at a critical time during the fourth trimester. They usually have their first checkup within the first week of birth. It is vital to have a doctor’s check-up on your baby’s health and development. Your baby’s doctor will continue to monitor his or her health throughout the next few weeks.

During the first few months following birth, your baby is still learning to use his senses and to understand what he sees. You are completely responsible for their care and understanding of their needs. During this period, your child will learn to do some things on their own.

  • Communication through noise
  • Holding your head up without assistance
  • Keep their attention on the object and follow it
  • They use their muscles
  • Smile
Your baby will need to adjust a lot outside the womb. They are absorbing new sensory information such as tastes, sounds, and smells. It’s crucial to listen to your baby when they are sleeping, crying or eating.Even though the sleep schedule of babies is unpredictable, they need between 14 and 17 hours per day. Your baby may begin to fall asleep at night after the fourth trimester. Their body will grow so fast that they need to be fed about every two to three hours.

Swaddling and rocking your child can help create a familiar environment. Sometimes, your baby may cry because it is hungry, needs a diaper changed, or just wants to be held.

A Mother's Journey Through The Fourth Trimester
A Mother’s Journey Through The Fourth Trimester

Tips for Mothers

You’ll also notice, as moms, that the fourth trimester brings about a lot of changes for you. The health of the mother is closely monitored before delivery. After delivery, the focus is usually shifted from your health to that of your child. New mothers need to receive good postpartum health care.

You are healing your body from the pregnancy. You may experience the following side effects after childbirth:

  • Changes in hormones
  • Swelling
  • Postpartum bleeding
  • Feelings of general discomfort

You may experience mood swings, anxiety or stress due to these effects and lack of sleep. Talk to your doctor and don’t be afraid to seek help if you need it.

How can I help my baby adjust?

You can comfort your baby and help it adjust to the outside environment in many ways, including:

  • Swaddling and swaying

Swaddling your baby and swaying them is a good way to recreate the feeling of security and safety they felt before birth. When you wrap your baby in, they may feel more secure. They might sleep longer and wake up less.

Some babies like to feel close and snug when they are ‘worn’ across your chest in a sling. You should make sure that you are using the Sling correctly as a poorly fitted sling can lead to injury.

Moving your baby can also help them feel calm and settled. Some babies can be calmed by gently rocking them from side to side or walking with them.

  • Skin-to-skin contact

Skin-to-skin contact is encouraged immediately after birth and should continue for a long time after leaving the birthing area. It is very comforting for your baby to cuddle you on their bare skin. This will also help build a strong bond between the two of you. Your heartbeat and your smell are warm and familiar. Your partner can also do this.

  • Feeding

No matter if you breastfeed or feed your baby with a bottle, newborns require 6-12 feedings per day. Combining feeding with skin-to-skin contact will reinforce comfort and closeness.

  • Baby Bath Time 

warm bath is a soothing and relaxing experience for babies. It’s like floating in the water. You can also use this time to talk to and sing to your child. Bathtime is fun for both you and your child, but don’t forget to Keep them Safe.

A Newborn Baby With Her Mother
A Newborn Baby With Her Mother

The fourth trimester period is marked by a great deal of adjustment on both mum’s and child’s part.

The fourth trimester extends the baby’s experience in the womb. Your baby is not emotionally ready to leave the womb. This is why your newborn is usually uneasy at this stage as he adjusts. This is normal.

Karina Lane, a postnatal and early parenting expert, says that we live in a world where everyone wants to get back to “normal life” – regaining your pre-baby physique and proving that you are on top of things. “What follows is the pressure on you to get your child to ‘toe line’, and to slip into a routine so that you can continue with life as usual”

Take it slowly

Most babies don’t even know there is a line.

Karina says that your baby is not biologically wired to [fall into a schedule]. This is why many new mothers end up with babies that are uneasy or can’t sleep the way they would like them to. This causes them a lot of undue anxiety.

Karina advises new mothers to slow down in the fourth trimester. She says that it’s important to be in tune with the baby’s needs and to adapt to his or her life.

Womb-like experience

Lane suggests that you try to replicate as much of your baby’s experience in the womb as possible. You can tune in to your baby’s needs by keeping things calm and soothing. She says that “a lot of their behaviour is to get as close as possible to the womb experience.”

Your baby’s experience in the womb is:

  • Constantly fed
  • Having a small area to live in
  • Being rocked
  • Hearing your voice
  • Being warm
  • Bath-like environment

Think about ways you can create this environment to help your baby adjust. Give your baby lots of love and attention during this special time. Swaddling your baby in a stretchy wrap can help.

If your baby seems fractious or overstimulated, you can use a white noise maker to calm them down. My Baby Soundspa Lullaby Projector offers a variety of soothing lullabies and natural sounds to soothe your baby to sleep.

Mother Kissing Her Newborn Baby In The Head

Get rid of the “rule book”

Karina: “I do not want new parents listening to rules that tell you how your baby should act,” she says. “You should respond to those signs because your baby is trying to tell you that they need help. They’re struggling to adjust to this new, crazy world which is so different from their dark, damp, muted surroundings.”

It can be hard for new mothers to manage the expectations of others when they are so excited about their newborn. It can be difficult to set rules for visitors, even if they mean well. But it is necessary to protect the sacredness of the fourth trisomy.

Confidence in the Fourth Trimester

Karina encourages mothers to be confident in their decision to manage the first few months of their baby. Set limits for the number of visitors and duration of visits your baby will receive. Your visitors should be aware of your rules for handling your baby or stimulating it in any other way.

There are many ways to do it. She says that parents are now putting it out there in their late pregnancy. “A big announcement on social media about what parents want for their baby’s arrival.”

Discuss with your partner how you want the fourth trimester of pregnancy to go. You may be willing to receive visitors during the first few weeks, but you might want to limit it to close family members and friends. Your partner can be the gatekeeper, telling people that you are still finding your feet together, and to come visit next week.

New mums deserve just as much attention

You can be stung later if you are not clear about your expectations. It’s easy for your child to become overwhelmed by the number of visitors. It can be difficult to calm a newborn who is overstimulated. This is why it’s important to honour the fourth trimester.

Karina says that it will help you to be more in tune and create a beautiful bond with your baby. You’ll be able to better understand what your baby requires to be happy, relaxed, and healthy.

It is exhausting to care for a baby, especially after nine months of pregnancy. New mothers can find balance by taking things slowly, prioritising quiet, peaceful surroundings and keeping visitors at a minimum. You should take this time to rest and recover after giving birth to get to know your baby and to fall in love.

Karina says, “Mother Nature wants you to enjoy your fourth trimester.”

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