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The fourth trimester: The 12-week extraordinary rollercoaster from birth into parenthood. We talk a lot about pregnancy and the changes that a mother will experience emotionally and physically before birth, but what about the journey after birth? This is very often a challenge that mothers simply can’t have imagined.
For many it’s a white knuckle ride where we hold on, question everything and try to do our very best, while tackling unpredictable hormones, sleep deprivation and a fierce drive to protect the little person we have brought into the world.
Graco, the baby gear expert, is on a mission to improve our understanding of the physical and emotional rollercoaster of the fourth trimester and carried out research with Mother&Baby's very own network of mums. This is what you told them:
Almost 9 in 10 mums feel like the first 12 weeks after having a baby are an emotional rollercoaster. With almost half (47%) of mums suffering from the day three baby blues and more than half (55%) feeling like they lost their identity when they had a baby. It’s clear that being a new parent takes a significant toll on our emotions and none of us are alone with this mix of new feelings.
This research from Graco has highlighted that it takes time to adjust to life with a little one and there’s no rule book for how long this will take, we’re all different. For 42% of mums, they started to feel more like themselves again eight weeks after birth, for 31% this was after 12 weeks and for over a quarter of mums this took six months.
Today, fuelled by this insight, Graco wants to raise awareness of the pressure parents face during the three months after childbirth and help by creating realistic expectations of the challenges of life with a newborn. So, Graco launches ‘The Graco Village’ bringing together leading experts in postnatal emotional and physical care, parenting media, communities and influencers to provide a destination where parents can get advice, feel seen and not alone.
For parents to be who are preparing for the fourth trimester, and any new parents who are looking for solutions to make their transition to parenthood easier, Graco has a selection of products designed to support a mum’s physical repair post-birth and their wellbeing.
Here’s three of Graco's fourth trimester champions:
The portable cot– don’t underestimate the benefit of a sleep solution for little one that can easily be moved around your home in those early newborn days when you’re recovering. The Graco Side-By-Side™ is the perfect solution, as it’s lightweight, portable and easily adjusted. Its mesh sides mean you can keep an eye on baby from all angles for added peace of mind.
A calming soother and rocker – being able to put baby down somewhere they’re safe and happy to give you a little hands-free time is hugely important in those early days of parenthood when you need to rest. The All Ways™ Soother from Graco is the solution. It’s a multi-use baby swing with a clever 2-in-1 design so baby can be soothed with the powered swing motion or the removable, portable rocker seat can easily be moved around the home.
The perfect pushchair – making sure the height of a pushchair is just right can make getting out and about with your newborn post-birth that bit easier. The Graco Near2Me™ pushchair has three Slide2Me height adjustments, so you can bring baby closer to you to avoid too much bending. The versatile seat switches from front to rear facing and it also works with a carrycot and car seat, so it’s compatible with your child as they grow.