The Fourth Trimester
Planning Your Postnatal recovery
There is so much time and effort that goes into planning for pregnancy and birth, but there are hardly any resources that help you intentionally plan for the postnatal chapter of motherhood. A women's body goes through immense changes to accommodate her growing baby and giving birth is both physically and mentally demanding leaving her nutritionally depleted and in need of replenishment. No matter how you birthed your baby, it’s important to give your body the space it needs to physically rest, recover, and heal. A cesarean section is major abdominal surgery and not an easy alternative to giving birth naturally.
Your fourth Trimester Care plan
Preparing for the birth of a baby you hear a lot about getting your hospital bag ready, but nobody really mentions preparing your postnatal care kit. You wont want to be dashing out to the shop for these supplies with a new baby, so put these items together yourself towards the end of your pregnancy.
While every woman will experience different post birth symptoms, having certain products on hand is a wise move.
fourth trimester Symptoms
Your body experiences a lot during pregnancy and birth and you will still experience several symptoms for many weeks after you give birth. It is important to rest and take good care of yourself in this period so you can recover both physically and mentally.
You will be feeling very tired and achy and if you gave birth vaginally, you will be swollen and sore there and it may feel rather uncomfortable to pee and poop.
Sleep and fatigue
In the first few weeks after birth, your new baby will be pretty closely attached to you as they get used to being on-the-outside. They will also be feeding every 2-4 hours and may not sleep much, not in very long periods at a time anyway. Your nerves will be on high alert as you tune in to your baby's needs, combined with hormonal fluctuations, lack of sleep and recovering from birth itself, this can leave a new mother feeling incredibly fatigued.
Your Post birth Pelvic floor
Practising your pelvic floor exercises as soon after birth as it feels comfortable, can help strengthen and reduce the risk of leakage. Daily exercises (Kegels) strengthen your pelvic floor and help you to regain control of your bladder and bowel. Exercises can also improve blood flow, which will help to reduce any swelling and bruising from birth and help to aid recovery.
For some women however, it may take a little longer to recover...