admin The fourth trimester is also considered the postpartum period. During this time, you’re caring for your needs and the needs of your baby. It can be an extremely challenging time. This is why it’s good to plan ahead. Consider these four ways you can prepare for postpartum.
1. Consider Your Wardrobe Needs
During the postpartum process, you’ll probably experience a myriad of good and bad days. One of the ways you can help yourself feel better is through your wardrobe. Granted, there are days when you’ll look in the mirror and feel like you don’t recognize yourself. Those days can seem a little scary. One of the best ways to combat this experience is through collecting loungewear and leisurewear.
Purchase clothing that allows you to feel cute, look cute and remain comfortable. Breathable fabrics, like cotton and jersey knit, are ideal. Also, as your stomach continues to heal and decrease in size, consider postpartum shapewear to help with its shape. If you’d like to go out for a walk with your baby, postpartum shapewear can help you feel supported, secure and put together.
Unless you’re experiencing severe postpartum depression, it’s normal for mothers to desire closeness with their babies. As a result, they wear baby wraps and baby carriers to place their babies inside. As companies shift to prioritize the needs of new mothers, the styles and patterns of baby wraps continue to evolve.
Keep an eye out for chic baby wraps that come in classic yet stylish options like leopard or floral print. You can find denim options, neutral colors and more. Since you have to wear your baby wrap when you’re carrying your baby, this is a great way to feel cute and comfortable at the same time.
On the days when you’d like to look more radiant, a lovely maxi dress combined with everyday shapewear, a simple bun and red lipstick can do wonders for your overall mood as well.
2. Stock Up on Recovery Items
Even if you have a birthing plan, be prepared if things have to change. You might go into the birthing center with the hopes of doing a water birth. However, if something goes left, you’ll need to go to the hospital. As a result, it’s not uncommon for women to endure emergency cesarean sections when they plan for a different style of birthing. This is one of the reasons why it’s so helpful to have an array of recovery items on hand. You never know how your birthing story will unfold.
If you’re having a planned C-section, you already know that you’re having major surgery. The recovery requires items such as medication, ointments and adult diapers. Stock up on different supplies such as heating pads, ice packs and support cushions as well. Keep hydrating liquids on hand to get extra electrolytes. Over-the-counter medicines can help. If you experience nausea or other stomach irritations, it’s great to keep items on hand, such as peppermint oil, instant ginger tea and cinnamon sticks.
3. Get Extra Hands of Support
As the conversation surrounding maternal health continues to evolve, there’s an ongoing effort to make postpartum doulas more accessible to all mothers. As more families grasp a better understanding of the reality of what it takes to care for their body and their baby postpartum, hired help continues to be normalized. A postpartum doula can help to care for you and the baby in the days and weeks to come.
Do your research to see how much your insurance covers. Look for programs that include doulas and their services in a certain package or an affordable plan. If you’re unable to bring a doula in for full-time work, that’s okay. There are plenty of doulas who are available as needed or per diem.
If you’re unable to bring a doula into your home, look for friends and family who are willing and able to assist. Reach out for help in advance. Talk to them about watching the baby while you take a nap, take a shower or tend to your own needs. Create a safe space for a conversation surrounding help with recovery.
Be honest about the scope of what you need in the beginning, as this will help you to create proper boundaries and expectations with your loved ones. If someone offers to help, allow them to help. Simple tasks, such as bringing over a cooked meal, picking up groceries or cleaning the kitchen, can be incredibly helpful when you’re in the trenches of your postpartum period.
4. Set Boundaries With Others
During your postpartum weeks, grant yourself a ton of grace. You’re not only trying to recover from labor and delivery, but you’re also working to keep a baby healthy and well-developed. The outside pressure that you’re normally used to has to decrease in order for you to care for yourself and your baby.
If you’ve been working outside of your home, set boundaries so that your boss, co-workers and clients understand what to expect from you during this time. If they know not to contact you at all, hold that boundary firmly. Don’t feel pressured to perform at work when you are on maternity leave.
Have conversations with your family members and friends who tend to expect a certain level of engagement from you on a regular basis. Even though they might know you’ve just had a baby, they may not fully process how much of a toll it takes on your entire life. As a result, sit down and have a conversation so that expectations are clearly understood. Set boundaries to create a safe space for your mind to heal as you’re dealing with so many moving parts during the fourth trimester.
Plan Ahead and Embrace the Process
Even though this is a life-changing experience, try your best not to stress out. Stress will only negatively impact your immune system and increase your chances of getting sick. Plus, it’s better to just take things one moment at a time. Give yourself grace, plan ahead as much as you can and embrace the journey of motherhood.
