Coined by American paediatrician Dr Harvey Karp, the term “Fourth Trimester” is used to describe the first three months of a baby’s life. During this period, babies can expect to be clingy, fussy and very sleepy as they transition into life outside the womb.
Just as your baby is getting used to the outside world, you are also getting used to your new child. The first three months of parenthood are a steep learning curve as you get to grips with everything from swaddling skills to breastfeeding.
While immediate skin-to-skin time has been endorsed by the World Health Organization and is widely recommended for newborns, it’s now believed that skin-to-skin contact can be beneficial for many months into a baby’s life.
Now a must-have for new parents going into the hospital and in the months to come, the Joeyband™ was recently featured in People Magazine as one of TV star Whitney Port’s hospital bag essentials.
Here are some of the ways the Joeyband™ helps to forge a deeper bond between you and your baby, and how it promotes development while streamlining your journey through early parenthood.
Joeyband™’s Patented Design Supports Skin-to-Skin Positioning in the Fourth Trimester
While skin-to-skin contact is a vital bonding step for parent and baby immediately after birth, it isn’t limited to the hospital stay.
Healthcare professionals recommend maximizing on skin-to-skin contact as often as possible in the first weeks and months of life. This is to promote the baby’s physiological development, increase their ability to latch onto the breast and so much more.
Skin-to-skin contact has also been proven to calm parent and baby. It releases hormones that relieve stress and stabilize your baby's temperature, breathing rate, heart rate and blood sugar, while lowering mom’s stress levels and promoting healing. Babies are 12 times less likely to cry when experiencing skin-to-skin, and the elasticated material and simple design of the Joeyband™ means that no straps, buckles or clips will dig into you or your baby while you enjoy this closeness.
While skin-to-skin contact isn’t reserved just for the “Fourth Trimester”, we at Joeyband™ encourage new parents to discover all the ways physical touch can benefit their child in positive, healthy ways.
You Can Breastfeed Safely and With Added Support
Free of uncomfortable or fidgety straps, buckles and clips, the Joeyband™ simply wraps around mom’s torso, baby against her, with large Velcro panels to secure it at the front, back or side. Breastfeeding, in the “Fourth Trimester” often looks like baby in the “froggy” position, resembling what baby looked like in the womb.
Patented, with the comfort of a yoga pant, the Joeyband™ is comfortable to wear and provides a reassuring extra support for new moms and babies navigating the brave new world of breastfeeding. As well as helping the colostrum (the first, nutrient-rich milk to protect baby) to flow more easily, skin-to-skin contact has also been shown to help moms breastfeed longer by building milk supply and strengthening the bond with baby.
The skin-to-skin benefits of a happy “Fourth Trimester” are many, but one of our favourites at Joeyband™ is the beautiful idea that baby gets to listen to the rhythm of their mother’s heartbeat, the same sound that guided them to where they are now.
Hands-Free Baby Handling Support During the “Fourth Trimester”
Having a new baby can make independence challenging for new parents. The Joeyband™ provides safety and support for your baby, meaning mom, dad or grandparents are free to use their hands. Older siblings can also be trusted to hold baby, as long as the Joeyband™ fits their body frame.
Whether you’re reading a book or sitting down to dinner, the Joeyband™ makes hands-free activities possible, while ensuring parent and baby are still enhancing their bond through skin-to-skin contact and creating a lifelong connection. Imagine being able to use chopsticks, pet your dog, or crunch in some work e-mails, all while still knowing that baby is in a comfortable and secure position on your body.
The Joeyband™ can even be used to wrap around a chair to replace a high chair, as support in a grocery cart, or on flights to keep baby in the correct position for take-off and during travel.
The Joeyband™’s Velcro fastening means there is no strain on the wearer’s neck, back, or shoulders - and the simple design allows for seamless transfer from chest to crib. Parents will appreciate the absence of jingling bucklers, confusing straps, or unexpected discomfort in changing from a standing, sitting, or lying position. There’s no reason why all the new tools and babycare items should be especially difficult for parents during the “Fourth Trimester”.