Folic acid is important, especially during the first trimester, because it helps the fetus to develop healthily. It is found in various foods, but you need extra folic acid at the start of your pregnancy. The reason is that folic acid lowers the risk of a number of serious birth defects in your unborn child, such as spina bifida. Apart from taking folic acid, it is also recommended to take vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes that can affect both you and your baby. Just make sure that the vitamins you take are suitable and safe for pregnant women.
Labour and delivery
From week 37 of pregnancy, your baby is considered full term, which means that your baby is able to survive outside your body. During the last few weeks of pregnancy, your baby will continue to grow and accumulate fat around the elbows and knees. Labor can start in different ways. It usually starts with contractions, but can also start by your water breaking. Other possibilities are a scheduled Caesarean section or being induced. Labor is different for every woman and it can go quickly or take a long time. Every woman also experiences labor differently and it may be different the second or third time around. In other words, every labor and delivery experience is different! Are you anxious about giving birth? Talk to your doctor or OB-GYN about your concerns.
After delivery
You’ve been pregnant for nine months, have finally given birth and have become a mother. What now? We often refer to the first three months postpartum as the fourth trimester, where the focus is on recovery. Pregnancy and childbirth are incredibly demanding on a woman’s body. So, these months can also be tough. Your body needs to recover, but you also need to get used to your child and your child needs to get used to the world outside the womb. During the fourth trimester, we focus on both your physical and mental recovery. Your pregnancy is over, but hormones are still raging through your body. The journey does not end with delivery and the postpartum period is also a very important time. And our journey does not end with childbirth, but the adventure continues with your baby’s developmental leaps!
We wish you a wonderful pregnancy!
