Why do they say the first three months are trimester 4? What should I be expecting?

The fourth trimester is simply the three months after postpartum where the mother is healing and baby is adjusting to life outside the womb. For the mother, you may experience some swelling immediately after birth. Drink more fluids and elevate your legs whenever possible to help ease the water retention. There will also be vaginal soreness (could last up to six weeks from delivery). You can try sitting on donut pillows to help provide more cushioning yet minimizing direct contact to the vaginal region. My colleague sat on a swimming float for a couple of weeks. Though not as comfortable but worked for her. Vaginal bleeding will take place and will likely last up to six weeks or so. There will be breast engorgement as your body figures out how much milk to produce. Wearing a well fitted supportive bra, nursing on demand and applying cold cabbage leaves will help ease the discomfort. Some mothers also experience bladder issues such as incontinence. Doing kegel exercise may help strengthen the kegel muscles and push the bladder back up. Make use of the confinement period to get enough rest and allow time for your body to recover. It is also good to keep the baby close during this period of time to help the baby adjust. Sing, talk and read to your baby. Having more skin-on-skin contact will also help comfort the baby. For some useful information on the fourth trimester, you can take a look at this article: http://thrivinghomeblog.com/2013/07/understanding-the-fourth-trimester/

The 4th trimester is the theory that the first three months of baby's life are very much an extension of his/her life in mommy's womb. Baby has spent about 9 months having every need attended to in mommy's womb and the 4th trimester allows baby to go through similar motions in order to acclimatise better to the "real world". To create a 4th trimester, the following are essential: 1) Baby stays close to mommy as much as possible; alot of contact, snuggles and love, just like in the womb. Invest in a good carrier to keep baby close whenever you can. 2) Feed baby on demand; instead of measuring ounces or watching the clock all the time, learn to recognise baby's hunger cues. 3) Recreate the mood of the womb; as babies are born without the concept of night and day because they spent their time in the womb according to your daily routine, you can help them sort their sleep habits by keeping things dark and quiet at night and bright and “noisy” during the day. http://www.becomingmamas.com/life-in-the-fourth-trimester/

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