WHAT!? A 4th Trimester

Are you kidding – a 4th trimester?

No, I am being dead serious! After 4 children and 6 grandchildren I can tell you that it officially exists! All those famous celebrities you see portrayed in the media wafting out of hospital (including our own Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge who emerged on the steps of the St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington looking absolutely radiant and drop dead gorgeous), then the celebs who are back in a UK size 6 jeans a month later. It’s so misleading and a very hard act to follow unless you’ve got the money to afford a full time nanny, housekeeper, cook and personal trainer…

Let’s get real

Most of us who have been here (and if you are reading this as a new Mom you are probably still in your PJ’s), haven’t been near a shower let alone brushed our hair, just stuck it up in a scrunchy and it’s heading towards the afternoon with you wondering where the hell the day went to!

You need to be kinder to yourself and give yourself a break. The reality is that you carried a baby for the last 9 months where your body adapted and changed in more ways than you could have imagined – both physically and emotionally and it isn’t a case of “hey presto” you are back to normal a month later. Note to self here, does life ever go back to what you thought was normal once you have children? I call my own life timelines BC = Before Children and AC= After Children and the AC one is still ongoing 32 years later!

Well here it comes… THE TRUTH:

It takes time to heal whether you had a natural or c-section delivery, you must allow time to get to know your new baby who has come into your life and has the capacity to scream at decibels loud enough to pierce your brain, yet tug at your heart strings at the same time. The newest love of your life will be taking up most of your time if not ALL of time, especially in the first month and you need to concentrate on yourself too, to let the natural process of healing begin in an organic way as you bond together.

So what is this 4th trimester all about?

Your hormones will be all over the place but the one to think about is the one called RELAXIN which does what it says on the box, it is released during your 2nd trimester to soften your connective tissue, muscles and ligaments to accommodate your growing baby and growing abdomen as well as prepare the body for birth. I still marvel at how wonderful our bodies are and how clever is our creator and nature? This hormone is still present in your system for another 16 weeks (and even longer if you are breastfeeding) which means your CORE is unstable so any introduction of exercise needs to be tailored accordingly, so as you gradually slowed down towards the end of your pregnancy that is how you need to get started again.

TIP OF THE BLOG:

Do not get straight up from lying to a sitting position rather roll to your side then push yourself upright as this takes the strain away from your weakened midline.

If you aren’t sure what you can and can’t do, make sure you seek advice from someone who knows about the postpartum Mom and specialises in this area. Get in touch with me if you want to know more about my after birth recovery programmes and lastly please share this valueable information with any of your friends who you feel may benefit from it.

Yours in health, Denise