The fourth trimester - Nurturing and Supporting yourself through the first few months of Motherhood.

Now, we have all heard of the first, second and third trimesters during pregnancy, each trimester represents a different stage or phase of pregnancy. Throughout these (approximately) nine months, your body and mind go through a huge change as your baby grows and develops. The fourth trimester is an extension of the three trimesters and is a term used for the first few months of a baby’s life, and perhaps more importantly, the first few months of your motherhood journey with your baby. just as your baby is growing, developing, learning, changing and adapting to his/ her new life outside the womb, you too are growing, developing, learning, changing and adapting to new life as a mum. Your body and mind are once again going through a huge change and during this critical time it’s important to listen to your body and give yourself the rest it needs and truly deserves.

As mothers, we naturally want to ‘do’. We have a continuous list as long as our arms, we have daily chores, and we have a house to run and a family to look after. But during this fourth trimester, it is vital for our own mental health and wellbeing (and the health and well-being of our family) that we take care of ourselves and just ‘be’. Here are my six top tips to supporting yourself during the fourth trimester:

Rest

Whether you’ve had a natural birth or c section, a traumatic birth or an elated birth, your body is most likely exhausted, sore and uncomfortable. Letting your body rest and recharge is helping you to heal those scars and wounds, physically and mentally.

Pelvic floor

During pregnancy, your internal body endures a lot of weight. The muscles of your pelvic floor need exercising to ensure good health following childbirth. Booking an appointment with a women’s health physio is advised, but during the early days, at home exercises are a great way to looking after your needs.

Nutrition

Healthy nutrition helps to fuel us with energy and releases those feel good hormones. Nutrition is a simple way to support you during those sleepless nights and demanding days. Of course, it’s also important not to deprive yourself of your body’s cravings, so treating yourself every now and then with your favourite snack will also give you a little ‘pick me up’.

Water

Staying hydrated is important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Water is good for our skin, our gut and our overall health. If you are a breastfeeding mother, you will find your body craves water. Having a glass of water close by to you during those feeds will help to keep you hydrated and looked after.

Ask for support

Please don’t be too shy or embarrassed to ask for support. Support could be from a family member, a friend or even a neighbour. And it could be as simple as asking someone to hold your baby whilst you take a shower, by asking for external support, you are supporting yourself.

Baby massage

The baby massage classes I offer can be started within the fourth trimester time frame from as early as 4 weeks old. Massage helps you and your baby to connect and bond in a nurturing and supportive environment with like-minded mums and it gives you the tools to support you and your baby through the early stages of his or her development. You can learn with me online or in person.

It is so important to support yourself during those early days of motherhood. Don’t forget to physically look after yourself, stay hydrated and well nourished, ask for help when you need it and start baby massage when you can with your baby. By supporting yourself, you are supporting your baby and your whole family.