Navigating the fourth trimester
The early postpartum period is a beautifully chaotic and gloriously messy time for new mothers. You are caring for a newborn while you’re also healing, leaking, bleeding, adjusting, learning, and managing the substantial hormonal shifts that occur. It’s no surprise, then, that it’s a time when many mothers feel exhaustion and isolation.
Mama, seeking support is crucial for your wellbeing.
This support can come in so many different forms, such as family, friends, your wider community and a wide range of healthcare professionals. Reaching out for support in your mothering journey is never a sign of weakness but an absolutely necessary step towards a healthy and positive experience, postpartum and beyond.
Emotional Support
During the fourth trimester, it’s so important to have someone to rely on that you can speak with and feel safe to share your concerns and worries. Postpartum doulas can help with emotional, practical, and nutritional support at home or virtually. Matrescence coaches, counsellors, or psychologists can offer guidance and emotional support to help navigate the complexities of motherhood.
Practical Support
This is also a time when your body goes through significant changes as it recovers and heals from birth, navigates huge hormonal shifts, and has additional nutritional needs to regain energy. This is the time to prioritise healing and bonding with your baby rather than getting swamped with household chores. You matter, Mama and your healing matters. It is important to seek help from family and friends to aid in your recovery. It’s an invaluable investment to order a meal delivery to stock your freezer with food made specifically to nourish and heal the postpartum body. If possible, hire a cleaner to take care of household duties, even just for a few weeks. These services do come with a cost, which means they aren’t an option for everyone. Consider putting these on your wishlist for a baby-shower or new-baby gifts from family (gifting support rather than onesies for the win!). You could also consider setting up a meal or task train to share the load. If you feel uncomfortable doing this yourself then it can be a really helpful task for a bestie, hubby or mother-in-law etc. A nesting party can be a fabulous alternative to a baby shower and means your friends can help fill your freezer, prepare your spaces and get any odd jobs out of the way before bub arrives. Let’s normalise this!
Social Support
Social support is also crucial for our wellbeing as mamas. Mother’s groups and ‘mums and bubs’ groups are great ways to share experiences and reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness. If you look within your local community for mum meet-ups, mums and bubs movement classes, coffee catch ups or even online mothers groups, you can determine what works best for you.
Physical Support
Physical support is so important so you can heal and adjust after giving birth. Proper rest is vital for recovery. We recommend seeking a trained physiotherapist who specialises in postpartum healing and pelvic health recovery. Hands-on therapies like massage, osteopathy, and chiropractic care can also restore the body’s vitality and strength.
Nutritional Support
Consider seeking support from a naturopath, nutritionist, or integrative health practitioner postpartum to identify and address any deficiencies caused by pregnancy, which, left untreated, can lead to postnatal depletion. A naturopath can ensure proper nutrition for
Early Parenting Support
Feeding and settling a baby is not always an innate skill and requires learning. Breastfeeding can be a challenge for so many mothers, but there are incredible support services available for mothers who need them. A lactation consultant can be of great help in achieving your feeding goals and improving your confidence and skills, regardless of the method you choose to feed. A family sleep specialist can help set realistic expectations around infant sleep and how to work with your baby’s temperament to ensure the family manages as much rest as possible.
Mama, you matter!
If you are needing some support that goes beyond what is mentioned here, we have gathered this list of important numbers and places to reach out to (scroll to bottom of the page).
We have created a full eBook that goes into much greater detail with space to make notes that can be downloaded here for free.
If all this sounds great but you don’t know where to start … book a chat with us and we will be right beside you to help guide you to find exactly the right support for you.
Not Another Onesie
We are Louise Barton + Elisha Wildblood. We’re two Sydney based mamas with a total of seven children between us! We know first hand how huge the adjustment to motherhood is, whether it’s your first time or you’re adding one to the crew – it’s a lot.
We created Not Another Onesie to make it easier for you to get all the support you need. We understand that it’s support you need and not more stuff. Let’s schedule a chat to help to build your postpartum village. Grab a cuppa and talk it out with us.
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Dr Claudia Nicholson
Having served the Sydney community for more than 25 years as a General Practitioner, I am passionate about the health and well-being of women, children, parents, and families, and feel strongly a good GP relationship provides a foundation of support, information & education, communication between health practitioners, and care.
I believe it is not only physical and mental health that contributes to our state of wellness, but also the strength of relationships in our lives, and the families and communities to which we are connected.
As a sports woman who runs and swims regularly and a yoga instructor (Sydney Sports Stadium) I am an advocate of preventative and proactive lifestyle choices, and am comfortable combining evidence based medicine with holistic care.
In this regard, I work closely with allied health professionals involved in my clients care including Naturopaths, Chiropractors, Nutritionists etc… and welcome this important aspect of optimising health outcomes. This is particularly important in the areas of child health, fertility, pregnancy and postnatal care, maintaining a modern, fresh, comprehensive and relevant approach.
Learn about the support you didn't know you needed.
We have cherry picked the most useful resources for your fourth trimester so that you don't have to waste precious hours searching.
Article - Louise Barton & Elisha Wildblood (Not Another Onesie)
Why Motherhood Feels So Hard
Dear Mama, We see you. We see the way you pour yourself into motherhood, the way you carry the weight of the world while still showing up with love and strength, even when you feel like a shadow of yourself. As a society, we sit here adding to the pressure, adding to the load and, let's be brutally honest - failing you miserably every step of the way. We owe you an apology.
Article - Elise Clement (Elise Clement Psychotherapy & Coaching)
Tips to avoid maternal burnout
Perfectionism is not a healthy habit. Even less so when it comes to motherhood, unless you’re keen to rub shoulders with overwhelm, resentment, rage and the feeling of never being satisfied, which can eventually lead to maternal burnout.
Interview - Caroline Bilkey (Mummy's Whispers)
Why Hiring Postpartum In-Home Support Can Transform Your Recovery
If I had my way, support would be non-negotiable and, in an ideal world, would have government funding, so everyone can access the help we all deserve. We can shape our families' and therefore babies' complete outcomes (and lives!) by providing education, but above all, support in those early days. It is essential for a mother who has given birth to rest and recover.
Watch - Elisha Wildblood and Louise Barton (Not Another Onesie)
In Conversation With Frances Bilbao from Mums Matter Psychology
The 'perfect mother' myth: What is it and why does it exist?
Article - Louise Barton + Elisha Wildblood (Not Another Onesie)
Not Sure What You Need After Baby Arrives? Start Here
The truth is, most mums aren’t told how to prepare for the fourth trimester, the raw, tender, and transformative time after birth. You might feel sore, sleep-deprived, disconnected, or emotionally all over the place. And that’s completely normal. But it doesn’t mean you have to go through it alone. This blog is your gentle starting point, a guide to the kinds of support you may need (and deserve) after baby arrives.