Every woman experiences pregnancy differently. As a person, you can even have a different experience each pregnancy. The experience of each trimester is also different. Of course, it would be nice if we could now give you a description of exactly what to expect in each trimester, but that is almost impossible. Your experience depends on so many factors. This is what we mainly see in practice:
The first trimester is from the first week to 16 weeks.
The number of weeks of your pregnancy is initially calculated from the first day of your last period and later adjusted with an ultrasound. The first trimester is the hardest for many women. It's the start of a big change in your life so your head is working overtime while your body is making a whole person. Did you know that in the first trimester, the basis of the body and all the most important organs are built. In the other trimesters, your baby's body only needs to grow. Your body needs a lot of energy to perform this performance, which makes you more tired and you can feel nauseous at parts of the day or throughout the day. Eating really healthy is therefore often difficult in this phase of pregnancy, even though you may have the most motivation ever for that right now. Added to this is the mental part of imagining how your life is going to change. We see that many pregnant women do everything they can to keep their pregnancy a secret. While you actually need support from those around you now that you have so little energy. The joy of gratitude for the pregnancy can alternate with uncertainty, because you're not feeling your baby in those first few weeks and it's still hard to imagine what's happening in your body.
The second trimester is from 17 weeks to 28 weeks of pregnancy.
In the second trimester, there will be more brightness; if there were dark clouds, they will slowly begin to dissolve. You notice that you are getting more energy and for most pregnant women, this is when the nausea comes to an end. That clears up!
It also feels incredibly cozy in your stomach because from an average of 16 weeks, you can feel your child moving in your belly. This is the trimester in which your child's organs are checked in the 20-week ultrasound and you have already reached half of your pregnancy. Many pregnant women then dare to look ahead and start preparing for childbirth and the maternity period, and there will be one more. babymoon planned to still enjoy the time together or a renovation or move to make room for the baby.
The third trimester is from 29 weeks to 42 weeks.
In the third trimester, everything is slower. Your body is getting heavier, you are carrying 2 to 15 kg more weight than before your pregnancy. It's like carrying a watermelon everywhere you go every day. You're still springing up before your leave starts because, of course, you want to leave everything tidy for your colleagues. Once you've reached 34 weeks, you'll immediately understand why it's valuable to go on leave instead of 36 weeks. Your body and head are in position baby. Your world is now supposed to become a little smaller so that you can rest and focus on the biggest achievement of your life: the birth of your child.
Is there another trimester? Yes, the fourth trimester is from the first day of your postpartum period to week 12.
We see childbirth as a deadline, but that's when it starts. The fourth trimester is about the transition from pregnancy to motherhood. You are going to get to know your child better, this is the basis of attachment, you need time to process the birth (even if it went very well) and your body needs weeks to months to recover. In some cultures, the first 40 days after giving birth are sacred. In these six weeks, women have a lot of bed rest, are cared for by the women around them and eat warm, nourishing dishes that promote recovery. You can read more about this in the book First forty days.
We have developed four events that support you in every trimester of your pregnancy. Each trimester, you meet with other pregnant women who are in the same trimester. It is a very safe setting, to share, experience and deepen together.
Do you need to rest more? Do you feel an adequate connection with the baby growing in your belly? Are there any obstructing thoughts about your upcoming role as a mother or are you just afraid of giving birth?
By doing specific exercises, we investigate what's going on with you and what needs more attention. And this is especially necessary in our busy city life where you have to keep your balls up. It is an anchor in your pregnancy that makes you slow down and reflect on this wonderful process.
