5 Crucial Preparations for the Fourth Trimester

As your baby’s due date gets closer, you’re probably wondering what else you need to do in order to get ready for their arrival. You can’t wait to snuggle with your baby in their nursery outfitted with furnishing from Alphadorable! You learned everything you could about what to anticipate in your first, second, and third trimesters - but what about the fourth trimester? Here are a few things to keep in mind for the postpartum period, from setting yourself up for a seamless transition to maternity leave to maintaining a tidy, clean nursery.

Keep Professional Contacts Informed

Whether you’re taking maternity leave from your 9-to-5 job or you’re self-employed, you’ll need to ensure that everyone you work with directly is aware that you’ll be stepping back for a couple of months. For example, you’ll want to reach out to all of your current clients or customers and let them know when you’ll be on leave. If you’re self-employed, you may want to hire a virtual assistant to manage client communications and customer service while you take time off. This can free up time for you and give you peace of mind!

Nursery Organizing System

Designing your baby’s nursery can be a lot of fun - but keeping it clean, sanitary, and organized after they arrive can be tough! By sticking with a cleaning routine, you can ensure that your baby is always comfortable and safe in their nursery. West Domestic recommends sanitizing any toys and baby items on a regular basis, keeping antibacterial hand sanitizer and moist towelettes in the nursery, adding labeled storage containers to prevent clutter from accumulating, and wiping down door handles, crib railings, changing tables and the diaper genie frequently.

Prevent Breastfeeding Discomfort

Lots of women choose to breastfeed exclusively for the health benefits to their baby and the emotional connection that breastfeeding encourages. However, breastfeeding can be surprisingly uncomfortable for new mothers, and many are caught off guard by this. You’ll want to try on and purchase a few comfortable and supportive nursing bras. VeryWellFamily also recommends working with a lactation consultant to get a proper latch, as well as keeping cold compresses and breastfeeding ointments on hand.

Establish a Sleep Routine

After your baby is born, you’ll inevitably be waking up many times each night for feedings. But even though a certain level of sleep deprivation is unavoidable, you can still work with your partner to get into a routine. Depending on your preferences in regard to breastfeeding, pumping, or formula feeding, you may be able to switch off on night feedings.

Practice Realistic Self-Care

While you’re caring for your newborn, you might hear lots of people encouraging you to take time for yourself, too - but during the hectic, blurry newborn phase, the idea can seem laughable! However, even though it can be tough to focus on self-care when you have a new baby, it’s possible to fit opportunities for self-care into your routine as a new mother.

For example, if your mental health is suffering, you may want to try working with a therapist online. You could also bring your baby into the bathroom so that you can shower, ask for more help from family, keep a reusable water bottle on hand to stay hydrated, and step away occasionally when your baby is crying - sometimes, it’s necessary!

Lots of women feel unprepared for the fourth trimester - but getting ready for the postpartum period is essential for the wellbeings of you and your baby. If you’re counting down the days until your due date, it’s a good time to start thinking about planning for the fourth trimester, too. With these tips, you’ll be able to keep your clients in the loop about your planned leave,

Ready to design your baby’s nursery? Turn to Alphadorable! Browse our online store today to start shopping for all of your nursery needs.

Cassidy Gibson-Cooper of parenting-central.com

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