The 4th Trimester Diaries: Month Two

When it comes to The 4th Trimester, it is incredible what a difference just 4 weeks can make!

During this next month, I really felt like I was finally starting to find my feet, and had this buzzing excitement for everything to come, knowing this time was so important and it was crucial to take really good care of myself, I was starting to feel stronger and a little more rested each day, but still needed lots of rest and self care.

I dedicated this part of the 4th trimester to preparation for getting back into an exercise routine, putting my mental health first, and really starting to enjoy the hectic mum of 2 life.

Witching hour was still rife, but with Lexi beginning to go down pretty well from 9pm my husband and I managed to go out for dinner on our first date night in a long time, and I managed to fit in a glorious evening out for dinner with my girl friends. Something I would strongly suggest doing, as it just gives you that little taste of what life WILL be like again, it’s incredible how refreshing it can be to just have a little bit of time away and to be able to enjoy a meal out without constantly feeling a tiny bit on edge due to either a toddler or a newborn.

My major acts of Self Care during month two of the 4th trimester though, were two appointments I think everyone should have postpartum, and that was my Mummy MOT and a Postnatal Osteopath appointment.

Mummy MOT

For anyone who isn’t familiar with this, a Mummy MOT is a specialist postnatal examination for women following both vaginal and caesarean deliveries, up to 50% of women experience weakness in both the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor muscles following pregnancy, and this one hour examination includes an assessment of these areas, along with a treatment/exercise plan to follow after, if needed.

For my Mummy MOT I went to the Re-Centre in Balham and saw Hannah Shanks, who was amazing, I left feeling so much more confident in my journey back to wellness, and felt I had a full plan to follow to help my body recover.

Postnatal Osteopath Appointment

This is something I hadn’t actually considered before but left feeling like a whole new person, and really believe all new mums should book themselves into the Laura Tilson Osteopathy.

With all of the huge changes that take place in our bodies during pregnancy, as well as the postnatal period, osteopathic treatment can be incredibly beneficial to resolve joint injuries and in resolving postural changes, which occurred during pregnancy.

Not only did I leave feeling so much more comfortable in my body, I also felt a huge emotional weight lifted, probably from the incredible deep fascia work, I saw the lovely Tefeshet Yohannes at their Battersea branch, and messaged Laura after to say I felt like I could breathe properly for the first time in ages, it was pure magic.

Having had these appointments, and knowing how I could safely start to return to exercise I also managed to make it to my first couple of classes with Lexi by my side,, joining Pilates at GoodGood Yoga, and absolutely loved being able to workout again, this has now become my weekly staple and I feel stronger each week that goes by.

The final big act of self care I did in this month was delete social media. I found myself getting really anxious about work, and doom scrolling way too often, that I deleted Instagram from my phone and honestly, it was the best decision ever!