The fourth trimester still requires a lot from your body. Not only is your newborn still attached to you, just on the outside now, your hormones and emotions are also trying to regulate themselves to a place of balance. For at least the first month after giving birth you should be doing minimal walking or really any extended activity on your feet. And let’s face it, you’re going to be busy in a whole new way between bonding, feeding, diaper changes, sleeping and resting. Which means you should be spending as much time as you can in your nest, whether it’s on the couch or in your bed. After the first month, venturing out on small walks and doing light chores around the house will be just about enough for your recovering body.
Why do I put so much emphasis on understanding the need for so much rest during the fourth trimester? Because your physical body requires healing in a way it never has before which has a direct correlation to your emotions, your mental state and your hormones. All of these parts of your body are trying to work in harmony to establish a healthy balance postpartum. So by not resting you may actually have a higher chance of experiencing postpartum depletion, anxiety, stress and depression.
So before your baby arrives, it’s super important to start preparing yourself for this restful state. Let go of any expectations or pressure you may be putting on yourself to ‘get your routine back’ once your baby is born. Be prepared to allow yourself to sink into the newborn stage, forget about the clock and just focus on healing and adapting. If this is not your first baby, see if you can prepare childcare for your others so you can have some of this uninterrupted rest / healing time.
And if the idea of sitting around and resting sounds unbearable to you or you’re worried that you’re going to get restless (I’m totally in this category), I’ve come up with a list of things you can do that will allow you to get the right type of rest.
Remember, this phase does not last long and you will be back in the swing of things soon enough, so really take advantage of resting, allowing your partner and your support network to nurture you as much as possible. The more you rest, mentally and physically, the better your healing process will be.
Are there certain things you enjoyed doing while in your fourth trimester? I’d love to hear them in the comments below!
x Ashley
