Episode 112: The Fourth Trimester
What You’ll Learn
Wisdom for ‘New’ Mommas (02:36)
Takeaways (15:40)
Invitation (16:12)
The fourth trimester...it's the one no one talks enough about...
It's starts when then baby is born and goes for 12 weeks after.
Our lives change in a huge way when we have a baby...and not just the first one. But every single new baby brings about a new transition into a new and unknown motherhood.
New is defined by Google as: not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently or now for the first time OR already existing but seen, experienced, or acquired recently or now for the first time.
Unless you've had this exact pregnancy, delivery, and baby before we are new moms each and every time we bring a new baby into the world. Not to mention bringing home baby #2...5...or 8 to a home filled with 1....4....or 7 kids already makes this a brand new transition to a brand new motherhood.
Our bodies have undergone immense change over months and an even more immense change in more than likely a much briefer amount of time and most of us feel the longing to have our body back immediately.
Our mind is flooded with new emotions, feelings, and thoughts and often we're left alone to sift through them while caring for our people...especially if it's not our first baby.
And honestly, sometimes it can be a blessing in disguise to recover with other children in the house so we are left with less time to dwell on our pain, discomfort, or longing.
God has a beautiful way of opening the path for us to become...and that leads us to what we really want to share today...
That moms aren't very well cared for in the 4th trimester. Not by themselves, not by their care takers, and not by the professionals. As a caveat, that's not to say that no one is amazingly self-aware or has a wonderfully helpful husband, or an amazing doctor or whole team of caring, competent staff....but the reality is, most mommas don't have these things after a baby.
The care we often hear or receive sounds a bit like this...
Just listen to your body
Let me know if you need anything
Rest when the baby rests
And while these are always well meaning...they can feel overwhelming, confusing, unhelpful, or stressful.
So we really contemplated how to approach this subject and in the midst of it, we thought a lot about what we would go back and tell ourselves in this stage.
Wisdom for ‘New’ Mommas (02:36)
Don't go back to work so quickly!
Know thy self...and communicate it.
Communication is SO important
We love in our love languages and sometimes that doesn't translate.
Take care of baby / you take care of everything else
Take care of everything / you take care of baby
Take time to understand your needs
Setting/adjusting expectations
Sleep affects everything!
Healing deserves time...
YOU deserve proper care and healing, and time to allow it. You get to meet this overwhelming change where it is and not pretend like it didn't happen, or you're stronger than it.
Just like a new job, a new baby will take 12 months to adjust to!
Just because it's messy...doesn't mean you're a mess.
Seek order in small amounts
Shower every day
Takeaways (15:40)
Don't go back to work so quickly!
Know thy self...and communicate it.
Sleep affects everything!
Healing deserves time...YOU deserve proper care and healing, and time to allow it.
Just like a new job, a new baby will take 12 months to adjust to!
Just because it's messy...doesn't mean you're a mess.
Invitation (16:12)
If you know a post-partum momma, or you ARE a post-partum momma, we have something for you. It's our best selling resource, The Deliberate Day Planner. It's a 12-week printable planner that will ground and structure your day within the chaos of transition. It's going to remind you to choose yourself so you don't get lost in to-dos or other's needs.
In the planner, you'll find space to …
Prioritize yourself in the midst of the needs and demands of others
Set your prayer intentions for the day
Write The Word or other daily inspiration
Plan your morning, afternoon, & evening
Set realistic daily goals or to-do's and focus on your priorities
Meal plan
Celebrate a win (which you will then share with us…of course)
List your gratitudes
You can find a link to the planner right in the show notes, on our website under "shop", or in our link tree on Instagram.
You're doing beautiful work momma!
