Fourth Trimester Recap
I meant to get this posted a few months ago (story of my life, I know). But now that the holidays are over, I’m finally getting around to it so here we are. To follow up my first trimester, second trimester, and third trimester round ups, I figured I’d share how things went after Callie made her arrival.
Timing: August to November
How I felt physically: Tired. Once I got pregnant, I knew my sleep would never be the same, but it really wasn’t until the first night in the hospital that I realized I’d be waking up multiple times a night, every night for the foreseeable future. If you love sleep as much as I do, I know it sounds bad, but I surprisingly feel like I adjusted and got used to my new sleeping pattern rather quickly.
I feel pretty fortunate to have had such a smooth recovery after giving birth. My nurses were great and sent me home with tons of things to help with healing down there (showing me exactly what to do as well). I do have to say, the FridaMom kit I’m sharing below matched what they provided me and helped get me through those first few weeks post-birth.
How I felt emotionally: So in love. Proud. Full of joy. There really aren’t enough words to describe just how amazing it is to become a mother. Though it can be an exhausting job, it’s the most rewarding one in the world. I often find myself having these ‘pinch me’ moments and just stop to be grateful that I have such a happy, healthy, beautiful baby girl.
How I prepared: While I definitely spent most of my pregnancy thinking about and mentally preparing for labor, I did get a few things to help myself in the aftermath of giving birth.
The items I found most helpful were the FridaMom Postpartum Recovery Essentials Kit, extra heavy maxi pads, and disposable postpartum underwear. I also found reusable breast pads, cooling gel breast pads, and nursing bras (obviously) to be extremely helpful. (Linking all of my favorites below!)
An item I purchased but did not use at all: sitz bath. A friend recommended that I get one and I read lots of positive things about it, but I found that I never ended up needing or using it.
In addition to these things for myself, I prepared our room for baby with a bedside bassinet and diaper changing station. Having these made all of the middle-of-the-night wake up calls that much easier.
Cravings: After having Callie, I couldn’t get my hands on sushi fast enough! I was also very happy to get back to enjoying a glass of wine (or two) with Chris again.
Fourth trimester must-haves:
