The Fourth Trimester:
What It Is and How to Navigate It
T WRITTEN BY
SARAH BUNZEY, RNC-OB AND JANICE PRICHETT, LCSW-R OF SARATOGA HOSPITAL Sarah Bunzey is the nursing director of women’s health services at Saratoga Hospital. Janice Prichett is the executive director of behavioral health services at the hospital. Learn more at SaratogaHospital.org
he birth of a child is an exciting, happy time—but it can also be overwhelming. Approximately 10% of mothers experience persisting feelings of anxiety, despair, and sadness in the postpartum period.
Although you’ve likely heard references to the “baby blues,” these more severe, lingering feelings may indicate perinatal mood disorder, which includes postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety. Perinatal mood disorders are not a sign of weakness. A woman experiences significant changes from pregnancy through childbirth, and in the weeks and months after. Those changes—physical, mental, emotional, financial, environmental—can take a toll, and it is something we as a society do not talk enough about. TRANSITION TO MOTHERHOOD A vast majority of expectant couples enroll in childbirth preparation or infant care courses, but there are few—if any—options to educate pregnant women and their partners/families on the realities of life with a newborn. The time between birth and the baby’s first birthday, called the fourth trimester, is often characterized by lots of attention on the newest member of the family. But what about Mom? The transition to motherhood, or to mothering multiple children, is far from seamless. Physically, in the postpartum period, the focus shifts to the health of your baby, which is a marked change from the regular appointments and check-ups you had while pregnant. Emotionally, you’ll be tasked with handling a variety of sometimes-conflicting feelings that might not make sense to you. You will have to manage your expectations, maybe ask for more help or set stricter boundaries for your family and friends, and that can be very hard to do.
32 | SARATOGA FAMILY | SPRING/SUMMER 2022
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