Your baby
Now and then your baby can be very active indeed. And usually that is at exactly the moments when you are lying quietly. So when you are stretched out on the sofa in front of the television in the evening, when you have just got into bed, or when you wake in the morning, you have the best chance of enjoying your child's kicking.
That is not so surprising. When you are busy, your movements rock your child to sleep. And besides, you simply notice the kicking less when you are occupied.
Your child sleeps for by far the greater part of the day — and already in a favourite sleeping position. That position differs from baby to baby: chin on chest and knees drawn up, one leg stretched out, or a hand on the head. After the birth you will be able to see for yourself which position your baby liked best, because in those first weeks he or she will still prefer to lie that way.
You
From now on you will really start to get bigger, putting on about half a kilo a week. Your bump is already firm, though not yet very large. Getting bigger is of course part of being pregnant, yet all those kilos piling on can still come as a shock. This is definitely not the moment to start dieting. On the contrary: dieting is downright bad for your baby. It releases harmful substances stored in the fat into your bloodstream, and through your blood they reach your baby.
So do not fret about your weight for now. If the kilos really are piling on fast, take a look at your eating habits. Perhaps, when you feel peckish, you could have fruit or raw vegetables a little more often instead of a snack. And drink plenty of water: it takes the edge off hunger without adding a gram.
Planning your maternity leave
If you work, you are entitled to 16 weeks' leave in all: 4 to 6 weeks before the birth and 10 to 12 weeks afterwards. Only if your baby is born later than the due date can the total rise to a maximum of 18 weeks. You can start your pregnancy leave at most 6 weeks before the due date.
In any case you must take leave at least 4 weeks before the expected date of birth. After the birth you are always entitled to at least ten weeks' maternity leave, even if the baby arrives after the due date. Do you run your own business? Then you are entitled to a pregnancy and maternity benefit as well.
Enjoy being together
If this is your first child, a great deal is about to change. So do enjoy the fact that there are still just the two of you. A meal out, another holiday together, plenty of going out? It is all still easy to do.
Second trimester
