The term 'fourth trimester' might sound strange as your baby is already born. The fourth trimester is the three months after birth where your baby goes through great changes and development, adjusting to life outside the womb. The fourth trimester is also an adjustment period for moms. It is a state of transition for you and your baby. Here are some of my favorite items that helped us get through the fourth trimester with my first and second child.
*All opinions about any products are my own and I only recommend products I either own or are passionate about and would purchase. I do not receive commission if you choose to purchase the products listed.
1. Frozen Padsicles- OMG what a netherly region saver. Basically find the largest overnight pads you can, take a spray bottle with witch hazel and lavender essential oil drops diluted with water, spritz the pads till slightly damp, and then freeze them. Here is a photo where the person also uses Aloe Vera ( I am allergic so couldn't)
2. Chickweed and Clover's Recovery Spray- this magical spray is formulated for postpartum tears and incisions. It soothes and heals.I used it every time I went to the bathroom after birth, until healed. Bonus, I would use it for baby bum changes as well to keep everything clean. It has many other uses as well, like as after bite, facial toner, or a natural deodorant.
3. Freezer Meals- my sister and I planned an evening before baby to make crock-pot dump meals and casseroles to freeze. I also made breakfast burritos and breakfast sandwiches and froze my husband some homemade pizza subs. Here are some of the websites I got inspiration from,
https://www.eatingonadime.com/crock-pot-freezer-meals-in-under-an-hour/
4. A Lazy Boy Style Chair or Glider- Trust me, you will spend a lot of time in the nursery chair, it’s worth it to invest in a nice one! We went through two glider chairs, they just don’t seem to last. Before we splurged and got a plush reclining chair. There’s been countless nights where babes been sick that I slept with them on my chest, as being upright helped their cough. My daughter went through a phase of only napping in my arms in the chair too. During the fourth trimester it will be your favourite spot for breastfeeding or rocking babe to sleep if you choose to.
5. A Comfy Breastfeeding Pillow- You will spend a lot of time breastfeeding( if you choose) in the first few months. A supportive breastfeeding pillow is a must! I tried the boppy one with my first and it kept slipping out while feeding or repositioning. With my second I got the Brest Friend Pillow and loved it. It has back support and clips around your body if needed. It’s ultra supportive and has a pocket for your phone or a burp cloth. Here’s the Amazon link:
https://www.amazon.ca/My-Brest-Friend-Original-Fireworks/dp/B003TSDMH8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=brest+friend+nursing+pillow&qid=1572378810&sprefix=brest&sr=8-1
6. Your Favourite Coffee- Stock up on your favourite coffee for the type of machine you have! Or tea if that’s your favourite. Having a nice, hot, comforting drink on those hard days really helps. I love the Wapiti Bean Co. coffee and they have a great selection to choose from. They also grind the coffee beans for you in the spot to suit the machine you have.
https://wapitibeanco.com/
1. A Velcro Swaddle- Bamboo swaddle blankets are great, but Velcro swaddles take the time and difficulty out of swaddling. Swaddling mimics the womb and stops babies startle response when being laid down. There are thin ones for summer and fleece ones for winter. They come in newborn to about 6 months and should only be used up until your baby can roll for safety reasons. Here are two of my favourite simple swaddle brands.
For newborn to 2 months
https://www.amazon.ca/Swaddle-Blanket-Adjustable-Fastener-Breathable/dp/B07G2G1B2X/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=swaddle&qid=1572379554&sprefix=swa&sr=8-4
For 2 months till rolling
https://www.amazon.ca/Halo-Innovations-Swaddle-Heather-Newborn/dp/B07CCCZ3L5/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=swaddle&qid=1572379655&sprefix=swa&sr=8-3
2. A Swing- Now not all babies love swings, but it is a useful item to have and try out. Our first baby thought they were ok and it gave me a nice thirty minute break. Every now and then he would nap in it too. Our second baby loved motion, so she napped frequently in her swing and it gave me that much needed time with my first born. There are battery and plug in ones and some do both. I preferred the plug in one as there was a few times I scrambled to change the batteries on a dying swing while baby slept. Here was our favourite out of four( even tried the Momaroo and wasn’t a fan)
https://www.amazon.ca/Fisher-Price-Sweet-Snugapuppy-Dreams-Cradle/dp/B01MQM7W6M/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=graco+swing&qid=1572379990&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExMlVOT0EzTjRQOUZWJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzc5MjgwWUhRS0hUWDRWVzQwJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAxOTYyNzkxODZEQjNZSUwzOFMzJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
3. A Sound Machine- A sound machine can be very soothing and mimic the noise in the womb as well as block out outside noises while baby tries to sleep. For me it was our barking dogs. For my first I thought the sleep sheep was great... but it turns off after 45 min which resulted in babe waking up. I also noticed since baby was in our room, as soon as it turned off I woke up immediately. So we tried a plug in continuous one on white noise, and it was perfect. Been using it for 5 years. However, our children are able to sleep without their sound machines. I found them most useful from birth to three years. Here is our favourite, it can be found at Bed, Bath and Beyond as well:
https://www.amazon.ca/HoMedics-SS2000J3PK-CA-Relaxation-Machine-Nature/dp/B000F3QG0U/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=homedics+sound+machine&qid=1572380576&sprefix=hom&sr=8-3
5. A Stretchy Wrap- Babywearing keeps you hands free while doing daily activities or going out for walks. The cuddling along with movement helps keep baby happy and calm. I didn’t wear my first baby a whole lot, just on walks and to the Dancing for Birth class we attended. I found babywearing with baby number two made life a whole lot easier. Even just around the house, she would nap while I tidied or played with her brother. I had a baby bjorn and a LilleBaby carrier, that I preferred when baby was over 3 months. For those first few months, wrapping baby was best for me. Practice beforehand to get the hang of it before baby comes.
https://www.amazon.ca/Moby-Wrap-Moderns-Cotton-Carrier/dp/B00GDKEMRI/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=moby+wrap&qid=1572380698&sprefix=moby+wrap&sr=8-5
Those are all the items I can think of that I frequently used and loved in the first three months. In the months following I found a high quality breast pump, a video monitor, a LilleBaby carrier and a cold mist humidifier for babies room were some of the other items that were extremely useful!
Remember you got this Momma! Rooting for you!
4. A Lazy Boy Style Chair or Glider- Trust me, you will spend a lot of time in the nursery chair, it’s worth it to invest in a nice one! We went through two glider chairs, they just don’t seem to last. Before we splurged and got a plush reclining chair. There’s been countless nights where babes been sick that I slept with them on my chest, as being upright helped their cough. My daughter went through a phase of only napping in my arms in the chair too. During the fourth trimester it will be your favourite spot for breastfeeding or rocking babe to sleep if you choose to.
5. A Comfy Breastfeeding Pillow- You will spend a lot of time breastfeeding( if you choose) in the first few months. A supportive breastfeeding pillow is a must! I tried the boppy one with my first and it kept slipping out while feeding or repositioning. With my second I got the Brest Friend Pillow and loved it. It has back support and clips around your body if needed. It’s ultra supportive and has a pocket for your phone or a burp cloth. Here’s the Amazon link:
https://www.amazon.ca/My-Brest-Friend-Original-Fireworks/dp/B003TSDMH8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=brest+friend+nursing+pillow&qid=1572378810&sprefix=brest&sr=8-1
6. Your Favourite Coffee- Stock up on your favourite coffee for the type of machine you have! Or tea if that’s your favourite. Having a nice, hot, comforting drink on those hard days really helps. I love the Wapiti Bean Co. coffee and they have a great selection to choose from. They also grind the coffee beans for you in the spot to suit the machine you have.
https://wapitibeanco.com/
For newborn to 2 months
https://www.amazon.ca/Swaddle-Blanket-Adjustable-Fastener-Breathable/dp/B07G2G1B2X/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=swaddle&qid=1572379554&sprefix=swa&sr=8-4
For 2 months till rolling
https://www.amazon.ca/Halo-Innovations-Swaddle-Heather-Newborn/dp/B07CCCZ3L5/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=swaddle&qid=1572379655&sprefix=swa&sr=8-3
2. A Swing- Now not all babies love swings, but it is a useful item to have and try out. Our first baby thought they were ok and it gave me a nice thirty minute break. Every now and then he would nap in it too. Our second baby loved motion, so she napped frequently in her swing and it gave me that much needed time with my first born. There are battery and plug in ones and some do both. I preferred the plug in one as there was a few times I scrambled to change the batteries on a dying swing while baby slept. Here was our favourite out of four( even tried the Momaroo and wasn’t a fan)
https://www.amazon.ca/Fisher-Price-Sweet-Snugapuppy-Dreams-Cradle/dp/B01MQM7W6M/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=graco+swing&qid=1572379990&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExMlVOT0EzTjRQOUZWJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzc5MjgwWUhRS0hUWDRWVzQwJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAxOTYyNzkxODZEQjNZSUwzOFMzJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
3. A Sound Machine- A sound machine can be very soothing and mimic the noise in the womb as well as block out outside noises while baby tries to sleep. For me it was our barking dogs. For my first I thought the sleep sheep was great... but it turns off after 45 min which resulted in babe waking up. I also noticed since baby was in our room, as soon as it turned off I woke up immediately. So we tried a plug in continuous one on white noise, and it was perfect. Been using it for 5 years. However, our children are able to sleep without their sound machines. I found them most useful from birth to three years. Here is our favourite, it can be found at Bed, Bath and Beyond as well:
https://www.amazon.ca/HoMedics-SS2000J3PK-CA-Relaxation-Machine-Nature/dp/B000F3QG0U/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=homedics+sound+machine&qid=1572380576&sprefix=hom&sr=8-3
5. A Stretchy Wrap- Babywearing keeps you hands free while doing daily activities or going out for walks. The cuddling along with movement helps keep baby happy and calm. I didn’t wear my first baby a whole lot, just on walks and to the Dancing for Birth class we attended. I found babywearing with baby number two made life a whole lot easier. Even just around the house, she would nap while I tidied or played with her brother. I had a baby bjorn and a LilleBaby carrier, that I preferred when baby was over 3 months. For those first few months, wrapping baby was best for me. Practice beforehand to get the hang of it before baby comes.
https://www.amazon.ca/Moby-Wrap-Moderns-Cotton-Carrier/dp/B00GDKEMRI/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=moby+wrap&qid=1572380698&sprefix=moby+wrap&sr=8-5
Those are all the items I can think of that I frequently used and loved in the first three months. In the months following I found a high quality breast pump, a video monitor, a LilleBaby carrier and a cold mist humidifier for babies room were some of the other items that were extremely useful!
Remember you got this Momma! Rooting for you!
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