Motherhood

When you have a baby, pretty much everything changes—including your body. From cracked nipples to extra skin to swollen ankles, the changes in your body may feel foreign and confusing.
“All of this is totally normal! We see celebrities who are back in a bikini a couple weeks after giving birth, but this is a pretty distorted view of postpartum bodies,” said Dr. Pamela Jordi. “There is a reason they call it the ‘fourth trimester.’ You spent the past 40 weeks or so growing another human being in your body and you deserve all the patience in the world as you adjust to parenthood.”

The fourth trimester refers to the first three months after a birth—the time of transition for a recently pregnant person and baby.

If you are expecting your second child and haven’t told your firstborn yet, sooner is generally better than later. Some kids handle this transition with ease and grace—welcoming baby with open arms—while some struggle and regress. Both reactions are normal.

When a recent “Ask Sofia” submission asked “what type of postpartum help is safe to accept during the pandemic,” we knew just who to ask! Dr. Erin Stevens, who happens to be the author of “Unexpected: A Postpartum Survival Guide,” just gave birth to her daughter Lorelei in late November.

Dr. Amy Hammers welcomed her second child, Elijah, in May. Parenting a newborn always comes with its ups and downs, but being a mom of a newborn during a pandemic entails even more challenges. September is Baby Safety Month, the perfect time to focus on caring for babies during unusual times.

While most women intend to breastfeed, a full 92 percent report struggling just with nursing just three days after giving birth, according to UC Davis Medical Center research. Issues include sore nipples, latching and sucking problems, milk supply, slow baby weight gain and more. That’s where a lactation consultant can come in.