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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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The Fourth Trimester summary
Kimberly Ann Johnson
A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, and Restoring Your Vitality
15 mins
Brief summary
"The Fourth Trimester" by Kimberly Ann Johnson is a guidebook for new mothers during their postpartum period. It offers insights, tools and practices for healing, recovery and adjusting to the new life.
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The Fourth Trimester
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Key idea 1 of 5
Create a plan for your fourth trimester
While you were pregnant, you were probably inundated with advice about how to take care of yourself, so that your child had the best start to life. But you may have noticed a serious lack of similar advice about nurturing yourself once your baby was born. Let’s try to fill that gap a little now.
The best way to prepare for the fourth trimester is by creating a postpartum sanctuary plan.
A postpartum sanctuary plan allows you to anticipate the support you may need physically, mentally, and emotionally, following the birth of your child. It’s common for women to wait until their children are toddlers – or even several years of age – before they start post-birth recovery in earnest. However, it’s important to occupy a nurturing environment immediately following birth, so that you can recover and your baby can thrive. That’s where a postpartum sanctuary plan can help.
So, what does a postpartum sanctuary plan involve?
It includes four universal postpartum needs: rest, nourishing food, loving touch, and contact with nature.
First and foremost, rest is essential to postpartum recovery. New mothers need to rest for around a month after giving birth. Birth can be a very unpredictable and stressful experience. It takes a serious toll on a woman’s body, mind, and spirit. In the month that follows, a mother with a newborn needs to be mothered herself. All of her energy will be used to care for her baby, so she must be cared for in turn.
Many Eastern cultures – like those in China and India – understand how crucial this postpartum care is. In these cultures, women return to their childhood homes for the first month after giving birth, so that their mothers can take care of them. A woman attempting to recover in her own home will be barraged with household responsibilities. But back in the comfort of her mother’s home, she doesn’t have to worry about anything other than nursing and nurturing her newborn. Shifting to her mother’s house also means she can benefit from the wisdom and experience of an older woman, who can provide her with comfort and knowledge.
While you may not be able to move back in with your mother, you can create a postpartum sanctuary plan with your partner, to support you during your recovery. Discuss with them what help you may need from them and others. For instance, who might be able to cook meals for you? You could start a meal train so your friends and family can rotate dropping meals off for you. Would you like a massage every week? How often would you like the laundry to be done? How many visitors are you comfortable having the first week of the first month? Do you want herbal baths? Time to read a good book? Think about how you’d like to be taken care of and creating a plan will help ensure the support you need is available when you need it.
Many cultures place the highest priority on the first forty-to-sixty days following birth because it’s crucial in supporting a mother’s long-term health, including preventing diseases. In addition to rest, nourishing food plays an important role in this aspect of recovery.
Food is a natural medicine, and consuming foods that are collagen-dense and mineral-rich help cleanse the uterus and produce breast milk. Foods that are warm and easy to digest, like soups, are a great option during the postpartum period.
Loving touch is another important component of your postpartum sanctuary plan. As your organs, blood, and hormones recalibrate to pre-pregnancy levels, bodywork can aid your recovery. Bodywork includes massage and herbal steaming. This helps organs move back to their optimal positions and encourages your body to release pent-up emotions and toxins.
Another way to proceed with a healthy recovery is by getting in touch with nature. Being cooped up at home can contribute to postpartum depression. If you have trouble getting outside, try sitting by an open window so you can bathe in natural light and take in the fresh air. Make a little time to do this every day, to help stop you from feeling stale.
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What is The Fourth Trimester about?
The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, and Restoring Your Vitality (2017) is the ultimate resource for postpartum women who are navigating life with a newborn and want to discover how to reclaim their health, their bodies, and their spirits.
The Fourth Trimester Review
The Fourth Trimester (2017) is a valuable resource for new mothers, providing insight and guidance on navigating the first three months after childbirth. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It offers practical tips and strategies for adjusting to life with a newborn, empowering women to care for themselves and their babies.
- The book explores the emotional and physical changes that occur during this transformative period, providing support and reassurance to new mothers.
- Backed by scientific research and personal anecdotes, the book presents a relatable and informative account of the challenges and joys of the fourth trimester.
Who should read The Fourth Trimester?
- New and expectant mothers
- Women seeking to reclaim their bodies following a traumatic birth
- Women suffering from postpartum depression
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The Fourth Trimester FAQs
What is the main message of The Fourth Trimester?
The main message of The Fourth Trimester is to support new mothers through postpartum recovery and embrace the physical and emotional changes after birth.
How long does it take to read The Fourth Trimester?
The reading time for The Fourth Trimester depends on the reader, but it typically takes several hours. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is The Fourth Trimester a good book? Is it worth reading?
The Fourth Trimester is a must-read for new mothers. It offers valuable insights into postpartum self-care, healing, and embracing the transformative journey of motherhood.
Who is the author of The Fourth Trimester?
The author of The Fourth Trimester is Kimberly Ann Johnson.
What to read after The Fourth Trimester?
If you're wondering what to read next after The Fourth Trimester, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Moms on Call by Laura Hunter & Jennifer Walker
- The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League International
- The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
- Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman
- The Parenting Map by Dr. Shefali
- The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
- Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche
- The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did) by Philippa Perry
- The Yes Brain by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson