How to Prepare for the Fourth Trimester
When you first look at it, pregnancy is all about preparing for the new baby, like picking names and setting up the nursery. But we sometimes forget to plan for the 12-week transition after birth, commonly known as the fourth trimester. Most parents don’t know what to expect and what it will be like.
But the truth is the fourth trimester is different from the first three, and it may become overwhelming if you’ve not prepared for it. This article takes you through five ways to prepare for the fourth trimester.
Delegate Tasks
When you give birth, everything goes out of the window because your attention entirely shifts to your baby. It’s almost impossible to go about your day as you did before, and it’s easy for things to start piling up. It becomes overwhelming to keep everything in order while caring for a newborn.
With this in mind, you must start delegating your tasks before your bundle of joy arrives. Look for extra hands to help you cook, clean, or drop off the older kids at school. Begin by listing and delegating your daily tasks because it will be challenging when the baby comes.
Create a Visitor Policy
Well, visitors will start trickling in once you have the baby. Sometimes it can be overwhelming, especially with the hustle that comes with adjusting to motherhood. It’s also difficult to say no to visitors since you don’t want to disappoint anyone. This is why you should create a visitor policy by implementing a few rules.
For example, you can set your preferred visiting hours and request your visitors to be on time. It isn’t about being rude or rushing visitors to leave, you’ll get tired quickly in the fourth trimester, and your baby might become overstimulated.
Prepare Meals In Advance
The last thing you think about after giving birth is what to cook. So, start batch cooking and freeze the food weeks before delivery. Grabbing food from the freezer when you’re sore or too tired to prepare a meal is so convenient. Pre-cook as much as possible, considering you’ll also host visitors. It also cuts out unhealthy snacking when you’re hungry.
Have Realistic Expectations
Your main goal during the fourth trimester is to eat healthily, have a night of adequate sleep, and take care of your baby. As much as you may want to get to how things were before, you must give yourself time. Focus on meeting your baby’s needs and taking care of yourself.
By understanding this, you let go of unrealistic expectations, such as getting rid of the baby’s weight or ensuring everything is in order. By doing this, you will have the smoothest transition.
Rally Your Support System
It’s crucial to line up your postpartum support while still pregnant before the fourth trimester gets too hectic. Knowing that people will care for you as you look after your baby is comforting. So, think about who will help you during this period and communicate what you expect from them. Your support system can be your family, friends, or professionals.
Embrace the Fourth Trimester
The fourth trimester is like no other, and these five tips will get things done as you enjoy this transition. Doing one thing from this list will pay off by making your fourth trimester less stressful, and you will have a smooth time caring for your baby.
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