The Fourth Trimester: How Baby Adjusts to Life Outside the Womb?

We all know newborns aren't cognitively ready to flourish in the outer world until about 40 weeks old and need a lot of hands-on care. Humans are born with the least developed brains of any primate—researchers believe that an extra nine to twelve months in gestation would be necessary to bring humans up to neurological and cognitive speed with our monkey counterparts.

What is the fourth trimester?

The fourth trimester, a three-month phase in which newborns acclimatise to life outside the womb, was proposed in the late 1970s and popularised by paediatrician Harvey Karp in his 2002 book The Happiest Baby on the Block. Karp's approach, which emphasises the importance of thinking of our newborns as foetuses outside the womb, has assisted thousands of sleep-deprived parents in soothing fussy babies. His approach, known as the 5 S's, assists carers in mimicking specific features of the womb, duplicating the noises, movement, and snugness that babies experience as they learn to control their reflexes and improve their senses.

Tips to help baby get through the fourth trimester:

Even if the infant is calm, anticipate some fussiness, particularly in the first few weeks. Checking for hunger (most infants feed around every two hours), soiled nappies, and the need to burp should be part of your daily routine. If the infant is generally healthy but becomes too fussy, you may need to be inventive.

Skin to skin: Holding your baby near and upright, with both of you covered in a blanket if it's chilly, helps to comfort them by bringing them closer to your heartbeat, aroma, and warmth.

Motion: Walking, dancing, swinging the baby, or even taking a vehicle ride may all help them calm.
A heated bath: Warm water may be soothing for some newborns and may help you create a nighttime ritual.

If they do not help, the infant might be overstimulated, gassy, overtired, or a mix of the three. Trying Karp's 5 S's might help your kid sleep better:

Swaddle: Wrapping the baby like a burrito, arms in, recreates the protection of the womb and helps to dampen the startle reaction, which may jolt them awake.

Side/Stomach: Holding the baby on their side or stomach on your lap—or high over your shoulder—may make them feel more happy. Use this solely for calming; always lay your baby to sleep on their back to decrease the risk of SIDS.

Shushing: Begin by making shushing sounds into the baby's ear that are as loud as their scream, which may be similar to noises they heard in the womb—the whooshing of blood pulsing past. As the baby relaxes, gradually reduce your decibel level.

Swinging: Support the baby's head and bounce it fast back and forth in little motions, no more than an inch in each direction.

Sucking: Once your baby is comfortable breastfeeding, give them a dummy to suck between feedings or to calm them while they sleep.

Tips to help mom get through the fourth trimester:

Mothering a baby is exhausting. Karp observes that moms receive an average of 6.5 hours of sleep each day, which sounds okay until you realise it's broken up into 20 little pieces—you never get more than an hour in a row. Studies show that [this state of sleep deprivation] is the equivalent of being drunk according to Dr. Pranjali Lanjewar, Research Associate, Noida International Institue of Medical Sciences.

Sleep deprivation may cause postpartum depression, marital problems, and even SIDS if you are so exhausted that your infant falls asleep with you in bed.

You sit down with your partner in your third trimester and create a detailed plan for how to best care for yourself after the baby arrives. Consider how you will address the most basic needs of new mothers: rest, nutritious food, loving touch, company, and connection with nature.

Here are some tips:

Create a list of guests you wish to see in the first few days, weeks, and months following delivery. Write down the names of persons you trust to hold your infant while you wash, snooze, or converse.

Visualise strategies to assist you relax—how you'll disconnect from technology and handle visits to make room for slumber.

Create a food train so you don't have to worry about cooking while caring for your infant.

Limit your obligations and duties outside of the house.

Keep contact information for the specialists involved in your wellness plan, such as a pelvic floor specialist, lactation consultant, doula, housekeeper, and so on.

Keep a list of the small things you like handy to feed your mind and soul, such as movies, music, books, and hobbies.

Dr. Pranjali, believes that women need the same level of postpartum care as newborns. For women to provide the care that is required of them—eye contact, swaddling, frequent feeding—she must be mothered and given the same support. We should not be demonstrating that we [do not need assistance] in this postpartum phase.

Medically approved by Dr. Pranjali Lanjewar, Research Associate, Noida International Institue of Medical Sciences.

FAQs on The Fourth Trimester: How Baby Adjusts to Life Outside the Womb?

How do newborns adapt to life outside of the womb?
After a few weeks, you'll see your baby sleeping for longer spans of time (though it takes some time for them to learn to sleep longer at night), feeding more often as their tummies develop, and interacting with you more by cooing and gurgling for longer periods of attentiveness.
At what stage can a baby survive outside the womb?
By the time you reach 24 weeks pregnant, the baby has a possibility of survival if born. Most infants born before this period are unable to survive because their lungs and other essential organs have not grown enough. Because of the improved care available in infant (neonatal) facilities, an increasing number of babies delivered prematurely survive.