The fourth Trimester

"Dr. Harvey Karp urges parents to adopt the role of “a walking uterus” for the first three months after baby is born"

I came across a term this week, courtesy of my yoga teacher, the divine Jesse Neave - the fourth trimester. I had my baby strapped to me as Jesse and I chatted and explained that my chest was Luka's favourite place to be. She said casually, 'Of course, it's the fourth trimester'. I nodded, knowingly, but in reality I hadn't heard of it before.

It peaked my imagination, however, and I am so thrilled to discover, as many new mothers must, that my natural instincts towards my tiny baby are exactly what the fourth trimester is all about. You can read more about it here but the basic theory is keep your baby close to you. Dr Karp first theorised this concept:

'Dr Karp was among the first specialists to put forward the theory that the more we mimic the womb environment the happier our newborns will be. He affectionately calls it "womb service". In more primitive cultures the needs of a newborn are considered differently and mothers spend more time carrying and nursing their babies.

"It's no coincidence that in culture's like Bali, where colic is virtually non-existent, parents gives babies much more of a fourth trimester experience than we do," he says.

"Unfortunately, many parents in our culture have been convinced that it's wrong to cuddle their babies so much. They have been misled into believing that their main job is to teach and educate their newborn".'

It has been a total joy to surrender to this way of being with my little one. I spend hours with him sleeping upon me, even though the outside world is clamouring. I know all too soon that he will begin the life long journey of separating from me, as it is only right that a child should do. I will try to nurture his sense of freedom and curiosity as much as I nurture his need to be one with my body at this time. 

I know too, that his great soul is learning to be in human form (again) and that by body is his safe harbour as he adjusts to the frequency of this world he newly finds himself in. I try to spend time every day checking in with his energy body, and my own, especially if we have been out in the world, to ensure we are feeling balanced. Breast feeding is a wonderful to do this for both of us. I have always thought of breastfeeding as entraining to the Divine for babies, for tapping into the energy they have only just left full consciousness of. I reminds me to nurture this place in me also.