The fourth trimester: helping you transition through the postpartum period
Having a baby is a wonderful and exciting time, but it is also one of the biggest physical, emotional, and spiritual transitions that a woman will go through in her life. The first forty days is a period unlike any other. It is a short season of life that follows the delivery of your child - after many weeks of pregnancy and a potentially very long and exhausting labour. After birthing her child, every woman must pass through this initial adjustment phase - a strange and beautiful limbo zone that is both exhausting and exciting, mysterious and monotonous.
Many traditional cultures recognize the time period right after a birth as being an opportunity for new parents to rest and recuperate. The Chinese tradition of Zuo Yue Zi (or “sitting the month”), is known as the ‘Fourth Trimester.” New mothers are expected to stay at home and rest for a full 30-40 days after their new arrival, while grandmothers and other female relatives take over all daily household tasks. During this period, a new mother stays secluded from the busy stream of life, tucked indoors with her infant at her side. She receives special meals to rebuild energy, replenish lost nutrients, and help her body produce breast milk. She also follows traditional practices of keeping rested and warm to prevent exhaustion and depletion, as well as protecting her weakened immune system from potential exterior pathogens.
In contrast, the modern western culture does not acknowledge or allow time to absorb the importance and impact of major life events, such as birth and death. Often stressed and without support, the new mother is expected to care for a newborn, prepare meals, do housework, regain her pre-pregnancy body, and sometimes return to work after a only a few weeks. Fathers are often offered minimal paternity leave and so are often unable to provide the support needed during this adjustment period. Medical care is focused primarily on the baby, with no one checking on the mother until her 6-8 week postpartum visit. It’s a missed opportunity to support breastfeeding or catch early signs of depression.
No matter how long our maternity leave or the level of support available, there are many things we can do to prepare ourselves for these early days. The following are some easy steps to try to incorporate into your postpartum experience, and many can be prepared in advance to support mum as she moves through these first tender weeks with her baby.
Prioritise self-care
It can be very difficult to find time for yourself in those bleary-eyed early days, when sleep is broken and almost every waking hour of the day is spent nursing, holding and feeding your baby. However, mum’s wellbeing is just as vital during this time, affecting not only mood and preventing postnatal depression, but also increasing milk production. Try to find pockets of time to devote to yourself. This could include even the simplest of activities such as making sure to have a shower and get dressed each morning, sitting for 5 minutes with a cup of tea, and sleeping when your baby sleeps. Focus on getting as much rest as you can and expend minimal energy on things that don’t matter. Try to avoid the urge to spend any spare minute doing the household chores. If you are able to, try to arrange for a family member or friend to pop in to help with these chores - most people will be more than happy to help where they can.
Rebuild with diet
Pregnancy, labour and early days of parenting can be incredibly taxing on the system. Eat plenty of food, especially those that are warming and hydrating. These include plenty of stews and bone broths. Breastfeeding is dehydrating so ensure you always have some water beside you, or even better a brew of herbal tea (cooled so as to avoid any scolding accidents) containing herbs to support the new mum and nourish blood and Yin such as nettle, fennel, shatavari, oats, turmeric and lemongrass. Ensure you are getting plenty of grains in your diet, (including white rice, which is more building than brown rice). Root vegetables are also very grounding and building, and can be prepared into a batch of soup to last for a few days for minimal effort. Encoporate plenty of fat in your diet, in order to support hormones and nourish Yin - this could include some dairy, nuts and nut oils. It is best if your partner is able to prepare meals for you, so all you have to focus on is caring for your baby and resting. If you have no help, cook big pots of stew and soup to freeze in advance of labour.
Cover up
It’s an enormous feet for the female body to go through, building, birthing and sustaining a human life. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, many of our nutrients are redirected to the growing fetus and baby. This, as well as the process of labour (no matter how straightforward) and disruption to sleep, is depleting for the mother. Her weakened body will be especially vulnerable to invasion by exterior pathogens,which can enter the body and cause disease. Therefore it is important to ensure we are well covered up during this time. If leaving the house, ensure the neck, lower back, abdomen and feet are well covered. Whilst in the house, wear a good pair of slippers that cover the ankles as well as the feet.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Being a new parent can feel overwhelming. Just remember, many women have done this before you, and there is lots of support and advice available for new parents. There are plenty of free support groups for labour and breastfeeding, and groups to connect you with other new mums. If you feel overwhelmed with household chores, ask a friend or family member to pop in to help with laundry, watch over the the baby while you rest, or to bring a pot of food to your door. It’s ok not to invite them in if you don’t feel up to it, this is your time to rest and recuperate, and loved ones will understand - there is plenty of time for them to get to know the little one!
Baby blues are common in the early days and weeks, due to the fluctuation in hormones, lack of sleep and potentially long and traumatic labour. Symptoms of postnatal depression and anxiety are most likely to kick in at 4-6 months. If you are experiencing feelings of low mood, crying, anxiety, poor sleep and fatigue most days, then it is worth reaching out to someone. This can be either a friend or relative, or a professional. It is very common (affecting 20-30% of new mums), and there is plenty of support available.
Enjoy it!
Looking after a newborn can be exhausting and anxiety inducing. For first time parents in particular, each moment is a learning curve, and can often be accompanied by a lot of self-doubt. It can be easy therefore to forget the incredible achievement of bringing a new life into this world, and to really appreciate and be present in this transformative moment in our lives. Try to take a few moments each day to be present in this moment, to focus on all of your senses as you hold her in your arms - her newborn smell, the touch of her baby soft skin, the rise and fall of the breath in her belly… this mindful attention can help to bring you into the moment and dissipate those insistent nagging to do lists and worries that can often preoccupy our waking moments and distract us from the simple beauty of a newborn.
Acupuncture can be an invaluable tool in supporting women throughout pregnancy, labour and postpartum period. Take a look at my other blog posts, or get in touch to find out more.