Have you heard of the fourth trimester?
▪️In the United States the focus has been on pregnancy and birth, on the baby, and rarely include the other person that has also been born, the mother.
▪️In many other countries there are customs that support the mother, encourage healing, and help her focus on breastfeeding and getting to know her baby.
• In China, mothers have a “zuo yue zhi” or “sitting month” where they stay in their room and are cared for.
• In Vietnam, a woman traditionally goes home to live with her mother for 3 months after her baby is born.
• Somali mothers have a “afantanbah” and mothers in many Latin countries have “La Cuarentena” or 40 days of resting and being taken care of.
• In Bali, new mothers do not enter the kitchen until their baby’s umbilical cord stump has fallen off.
▪️We haven’t always had poor postpartum support in the United States, in Colonial American, woman who had just given birth would have a “lying in” period and would stay in bed for a month. During this time the new mother would rest, regain her strength, and bond with the baby as the women close to her took care of the household.⠀ Even now, in New Zealand, Holland, and England women are visited by a midwife, or a home health nurse, regularly to ensure mom is resting and healing and that breastfeeding is going well.
▪️Were you prepared for the fourth trimester?
▪️How did the changes that took place take you by surprise?
▪️What can you do to honor this time?
➖Staying in your bed, on your bed and then very near your bed for the first few weeks postpartum can make a huge difference in how you heal physically and emotionally.
➖I know this can be very difficult for some women when you have other children and no family nearby.
🔑Preparation is key.
➖Meal planning and prep can start in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy.
➖If you mom or mother-in-law aren’t available or supportive, is there a friend or other family member that is nurturing and helpful?
❤️Postpartum doulas can be affordable and amazing. What a great shower gift! They care for the mother so the mother can bond with her baby.
Reposted from @az.breastfedbabies
