When you’re preparing for a new baby, it’s understandable that we focus on pregnancy, labour and birth – but what about the bit afterwards?

What is the 4th trimester?

The 4th trimester is that bit once you’re home with a new baby.

You’re tired and learning to cope with the responsibility of a brand new little baby.

You may have had surgery or labour complications that you need to recover from.

You’ve probably lost a lot of blood.

You’re full of hormones and trying to do all of these new things in order to keep a human being alive even though you don’t have a manual.

Yes, parenting is rewarding and babies are amazing but once the visitors go home and the sleep deprivation persists, it’s very common to feel quite overwhelmed.

We’ve created a handy guide to the 4th trimester. Call it an honest approach (that hopefully doesn’t scare you).

And if you have friends with new babies, don’t forget to check in on them. See how they’re really doing.