Taking care of a newborn baby is a difficult task, especially for new parents. With the rise of Millennial parents, there has been an increased focus on postnatal needs during the fourth trimester. This period is an important time for moms and babies to bond and adjust to their new life together. To help ease this transition, it is essential to get the support needed.
What is the fourth trimester?
The fourth trimester is an important period of transition for both mother and baby after childbirth. It is the 12-week period immediately after you have had your baby, when great physical and emotional changes are taking place. During this time, mothers and their newborns are adjusting to their new realities and preparing for the future. Some cultures support a 40-day postpartum period when friends and family members provide organized support and care.
The changes the body goes through after giving birth
Hormones
It makes sense that you don't feel like the old you considering how significantly both your life and, at least temporarily, your hormones have altered. Some of your hormones move from the strongest they ever will be to the lowest, right before delivery to soon after. Your estrogen and progesterone levels plummet immediately after giving birth, which may lead to postpartum depression or the "baby blues" (mood swings, anxiety, sorrow, or irritability that subside after a week or so of birth).
Exhaustion
In the first few weeks following birth, experiencing trembling and exhaustion is very typical (hello, frequent nighttime awakenings), but these symptoms can also be related to low iron levels. Due to blood loss during delivery, new mothers are more likely to experience iron deficiency after giving birth. Consuming foods high in iron including leafy greens, beans, lentils, fortified whole grains, and legumes is essential at that stage.
Engorged breasts
You’ve probably noticed one of the first major changes after giving birth is your changing breasts… Those bras you purchased while expecting? For a while, they'll probably be too tiny. Immediately following childbirth, prolactin, the hormone that aids in breastmilk production, begins to increase as estrogen and progesterone levels fall. Because of increased blood flow and milk production, this change typically causes your breasts to enlarge more than they did during pregnancy. This is the engorgement your friends warned you about. Your breasts will be rather firm and uncomfortable when it peaks two to three days after giving birth. If you're nursing, the engorgement will go away as soon as your child starts to breastfeed. Using cold packs after breastfeeding and warm packs before, may help ease the discomfort.
Constipation
Because of dehydration, the side effects of pain medications, having a C-section (abdominal surgery puts the intestines on quiet mode), and a fear of forcing anything else out of that delicate area of your body, postpartum constipation is rather normal in the first week or so. Drink a lot of water, try some fruit or prune juice, and move about whenever you can.
Sore perineum
The region between your vagina and anus is known as your perineum. Even though it isn't a distinct component of your vagina, it might rip when giving birth vaginally. It is understandable that the perineum is impacted during childbirth, it has to stretch out quite a bit to push the baby out. Perineal tearing, however, is not a given.
No matter how you give birth, witch hazel pads are excellent for postpartum healing and rehabilitation. They are versatile and will quickly become a favorite in your repertoire for postpartum recovery. You can prepare these easily in advance. Simply lay out some large maxi pads on a baking sheet, add a teaspoon of witch hazel along the middle, then add a mixture of 10 drops of Lavender essential oil in 15 mL of base oil. The pads should be folded back into their original shape and placed in a gallon-sized plastic bag before being frozen. As needed, remove them one at a time from the freezer and give them two to three minutes to thaw before using. They are fantastic for promoting healing after childbirth.
New life
When we become parents, we tend to worry over a number of things, from fear of anything happening to our baby, to not generating enough breastmilk. Overexertion and interrupted sleep might make these emotions worse. Even if they don't do things exactly the same as you do, accepting help from your partner, family, and friends is the best thing you can do. After that, you may relax and recharge while someone else is taking care of your baby.
Respecting the new you requires acknowledging the physical changes as a result of a wonderful period in your life. While having a baby is a significant change, it can also give us a greater understanding of our body's capabilities. Nonetheless, if you are having trouble, do seek out experts for more support.
Sources
https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-020-03504-8