Simplicity over Sensory (In the 4th Trimester)

As modern parents, we are often bombarded with messages about the latest baby gear, must have toys, baby containers, and sensory classes for newborns. While these may seem like great ways to provide our babies with the best possible start in life, we may be overlooking the simplicity that babies actually need in their first few months of life, particularly during the 4th trimester. In this blog post, I am exploring the downfalls in our western society for putting out there the false notion of ‘sensory’ and exploring the benefits of prioritising simplicity over sensory experiences in the 4th trimester and why it’s important to pay attention to postnatal care, the womb to world transition, and paying attention to what YOU really need as a parent. Keep reading to learn more about how we can help ourselves, as parents, and for babies to thrive in those early months by focusing on what really matters……postnatal recovery, mental health and the womb to world transition.

What do I mean by ‘womb to world’ transition?

The first few months of a baby’s life are a time of great transition, as they adjust to their new environment outside of the womb. During the 4th trimester, babies are still very much in a state of “wombness,” and require a lot of gentle care and attention as they adapt to their new surroundings. The 4th trimester is babies newborn to 12 weeks (we are the only species born too early and need another 12 weeks to slowly develop and transition into the world). The transition from the womb to the world can be overwhelming for babies, as they go from being in a dark, warm, and quiet environment to a world full of bright lights, loud noises, and new sensations. It’s important for you, as parents and caregivers, to be mindful of this transition and to provide babies with a sense of safety and security during this time. Simplifying their environment and avoiding over stimulation can help babies feel more comfortable and relaxed as they adjust to their new world.

As a parent what can I do to have a calm and mindful 4th trimester for my baby?

To have a gentle and mindful 4th trimester, parents can focus on providing their newborns with a calm and nurturing environment that mimics the womb as much as possible. This can include things like;

Keeping the lights dim

Playing soothing music or white noise

Swaddling your baby to provide a sense of security

Baby Massage and creating a little quiet corner to do this

Baby Wearing – Keep that womb feeling and closeness

Here at Rose Wellbeing Therapies I have an online newborn nurture online session, which is such a beautiful session to do at home with your newborn (and throughout the 4th Trimester), it is nurturing, calming and can really set you up for a way to bond with baby while introducing gentle holds, massage strokes and relaxation for you. This session can be used over and over. You can find it HERE

It’s also important to avoid overstimulating your newborn with too much noise, movement, or activity. Instead, you can try to create a sense of routine and predictability, which can help baby feel more secure and relaxed. Additionally, please prioritise your own postnatal recovery and care and seek support from family, friends, or professionals as needed. By taking a gentle and mindful approach to the 4th trimester, you can help your newborns adjust to the world in a way that feels safe, comfortable, and nurturing. Not only that, the same goes for you, becoming a parent means you also need nurturing, care and to feel safe and comfortable.

In this western world, and I can vouch for the UK, we are seeing more and more ‘newborn sensory classes’ with the emphasis on sensory. What do we think of when we hear sensory? Fancy lights, lots of resources/toys, loud music, singing, dancing, an extravagance that makes these classes look enticing, exciting and as a parent you do not want to miss out on the latest ‘trends’ in classes and you think these MUST be what I should take my newborn baby to and get out there as soon as possible so they don’t miss out. (Just a heads up…the parent and baby industry is not regulated!)

BUT…What is sensory?

The term “sensory” refers to anything that relates to the senses – touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound – and how we process information through them. The concept of sensory experiences comes from the field of sensory integration therapy, which was first developed in the 1970s by occupational therapist A. Jean Ayres. Sensory integration therapy focuses on helping children with sensory processing disorders to better understand and manage the sensory input they receive. Today, the term sensory is often used more broadly to refer to any activity that stimulates a baby’s senses, such as music classes, baby gyms, and sensory bins. While these activities can be enjoyable for babies and may provide some benefits, there is little scientific evidence to support the idea that they are necessary for healthy development. In fact, some experts argue that excessive sensory stimulation can actually be overwhelming for babies and may hinder their ability to learn and develop. OT Carly Budd recently shared in latest her blog post about UV Glow in the dark parties/classes (Which we are seeing advertised for newborns!!!) Carly shared this important issue with these ‘sensory’ classes about babies eyes;

“A baby’s eyes do not filter out light the same way as an adults

The eyes of infants are highly sensitive to glare and although exposure to light plays a crucial role in the development of visual functions such as acuity, colour and contrast vision, it is very important to protect infant’s eyes from the exposure to bright sunlight, as well as other types of light.

Baby’s eyes are more permeable to UV (ultra violet) light and blue light than adults due to the fact that the pigmentation is not yet fully matured. This means they cannot filter out light the same way an adult does. These are the types of light you may see in night clubs (UV) or the blue light that are emitted by screens (TV’s/tablets/computers) and LEDs. These types of light (as with all colours of light that make white light) are present in sunlight. We would put sunglasses on a baby/sun shade to protect their eyes when outside on a very bright day in order to protect them.” and we would NEVER pop our babies in a UV sunbed would we? REALLY take the time to consider SAFETY

As a parent, stop and really consider what it is that YOU need from a class, yes you want the focus to be on baby but there can be safe spaces where you can focus on you & baby. I will always bring it back to Baby Massage, as a first class to attend, because of its simplicity! Baby massage has been practised for centuries in cultures around the world, particularly in Asia and Africa. It has its roots in Ayurvedic medicine, an ancient system of medicine that originated in India over 5,000 years ago. In Ayurveda, massage is considered an important part of daily life and is believed to help promote health and wellness. Baby massage was traditionally practised by mothers and grandmothers, who would use a variety of techniques to soothe and calm their babies. In recent years, baby massage has become increasingly popular in the Western world, as more and more parents seek out ways to bond with their newborns and promote their development. Here at Rose Wellbeing Therapies it is kept simple, dimly lit, nutritious baby massage oil, gentle music and just connection between you and baby with the emphasis on traditional baby massage and it’s culture.(I will save cultural appropriation for another blog post!) As part of a team of worldwide practitioners we are seeing students training to run parent and baby classes asking how they could make baby massage ‘more sensory’! (What?!….The power of positive touch is an experience of the senses in itself) and I created this very popular post, which was directed at those training to become Baby Massage instructors;

Baby Massage is more than ENOUGH

Visualise:

You are getting a wonderful massage, with relaxing music, the oxytocin is flowing and then your massage therapist turns on disco lights and shakes a rattle in your ear. How does this make you feel?

The ancient art of Baby Massage in African and Indian cultures is a bowl of warm oil, loving hands and a relaxed baby. Keep the ancient art of Baby Massage alive. Baby Massage is simplistic and it doesnt need to be westernised with fancy things.

Remember this may be parents very first class, they are nervous and just need containment and a safe space to feel seen and heard with their new baby.

Offer a listening ear, play gentle music, dim the lights.

Relate Baby Massage to:

Hygge, calm, comforting, quiet, safe & not over stimulating.

Looking for extra:

Ask – How are you feeling?

How has the first few weeks of being a parent been?

Play a meditation and cuddle at the end:

JJ Heller or Beautiful Chorus are wonderful

Read a wonderful poem:

Motherlight or love letters

Offer a hot drink:

It is the holy grail for a new parent

Sit down at your space and listen

Baby Massage Instructors: YOU are enough

Baby Massage on its own is enough

You are all amazing just as you are!

This IS ‘Simplicity over Sensory’

Here at Rose Wellbeing Therapies, all of our ‘postnatal’ classes are aimed at the 4th trimester, in their simplicity, such as Baby Massage & Parent Wellbeing and Postnatal & Baby Yoga and they will always remain that way….recently I have simplified it even more. Don’t worry though, we do love bringing in the senses here BUT our classes for early years don’t start until 12 weeks old…after the 4th trimester! I even encourage that parents attend Baby Massage & Parent Wellbeing then Postnatal & Baby Yoga for 2 or 3 blocks (Yes please do more than one block, it is developmental play in action AND postnatal recovery for you) before moving up to our early years classes when babies are on the move, and ready for some music and play, their vision is fully developed and they can turn away from any over stimulation.

And, what about your Postnatal Care & Recovery?

Postnatal Care & Recovery

Postnatal care and recovery is just as important for mothers as it is for babies. After giving birth, you need time to heal physically and emotionally. It’s important for you, as a new mum, to prioritise rest, and to seek support when needed. This can include help with household chores, meal prep, and childcare. Be mindful of your own recovery from labour and birth. In Sophie Messager’s book Why Postnatal Recovery Matters she states;

“Postnatal care is poor in relation to the birth world. Our culture focuses entirely on the baby rather than the needs of the mother.” ~Sophie

I wholeheartedly agree with this and if you are pregnant or just had a baby I HIGHLY recommend Sophie’s book to give you a great perspective for your postnatal recovery along with seeking out classes and groups which focus on you, your postnatal recovery and mental health. Remember to seek support and help from family, friends and professionals if you need to! (And ME…email rosewtherapies@gmail.com if you EVER need support)

Be mindful of your mental health and seek support if they are experiencing postpartum depression or anxiety. This can include joining a support group, or reaching out to friends and family for help. It’s important for you to remember that postnatal recovery is a process and that it’s okay to ask for help and take things slow, and it is perfectly within your right to LIE DOWN and RECOVER, REST & RECUPERATE. By prioritising your own care and recovery, you pour from the saucer instead of the cup;

~Fill your cup up so full with caring for you, asking others to care for you and tuning into what you need and using your intuition that your cup overflows, and stays overflowing to fill the saucer. Then only pour into others from your saucer so you are always full~

A book which I will always recommend for postnatal recovery and mental health is BEYOND BIRTH A mindful guide to early parenting, (I also highly recommend this as a gift to a new mum!)

“This guide looks at ways parents can gently re-educate themselves about mental health, and bring simple, effective ways to bring daily mental wellbeing practices into their lives to manage the challenges and importantly, bank the good-times too. We know parental mental health affects infants and children at the formative years and so taking care to build emotional resilience and model that to our families can help long-term mental health in families.This is a handbook to help people support themselves when they are feeling most vulnerable, navigating the transformation of becoming a parent and easing the recovery. Using universally known positive psychology, tips, tools and techniques along with relaxation, journaling prompts, affirmations, and audio meditations, the guide walks parents through some of the main issues that commonly arise, helping them to gain confidence to reach out to specialist professional mental health services if the need arises.” ~Sophie Birch

The topics and journal prompts in this book which cover nurture, emotions and more can really tap into what mental health really means to you, what you can do to nurture you, your partner/husband. family and what they can do to support you also. It can be a way to let go of overwhelming thoughts, write them out and find ways to be mindful as a new parents, no, it is not easy, but it can be done. I always have my copy of this book available in classes for parents to browse (And I often use it in our retreat mornings too!)

I really hope that you find this information useful, especially as an overwhelmed new parent, and take away from it that you DO NOT need to be part of the latest trend in classes, gadgets, toys, baby containers, flashy lights, loud music and simplicity really is the way to go when it comes to parenting while focusing on the womb to world transition in a calming way, and moving your awareness internally to tune in, using your intuition, and finding what it is that YOU really need in this moment. ~Rachel

Here are some resources if you need any;

If you are in Dumfries and looking for simplicity over sensory with your newborn, you can find my classes here;

If you are ever looking to find an hour for YOU and your healing or just some time to relax you can find my Reiki sessions and sound baths here;