Your baby
Your child's ears are taking on a clearer shape, and your baby is starting to hear more and more. Mostly that is the rumbling of your bowels and the beating of your heart, but your voice and sounds from outside are getting through as well.
If you sing a particular song now, your baby may recognise it after the birth — and it may settle him or her. It is worth a try, at any rate. And if a door is slammed hard, or there is a loud bang or loud music, your child can become restless.
It is unlikely, mind, that your child is reacting to the sound itself; more probably to your own start of fright. Your child of course carries on growing steadily. Where he or she was rather thin until now, a layer of fat is starting to develop. Your child needs it in order to keep warm.
You
Do you have a pressing pain above your stomach? Then you very likely have heartburn. As your abdomen grows, the pressure on the stomach steadily increases. The muscle between the gullet and the stomach no longer closes properly, so acid can rise from the stomach into the gullet, which gives that unpleasant burning feeling.
To avoid heartburn it is better not to eat large or fatty meals. It is also sensible to avoid fizzy drinks, coffee and orange juice.
Buying baby clothes
Perhaps you bought a sweet little bodysuit or an adorable outfit as soon as you knew you were pregnant. When buying clothes, bear in mind the season your baby will be born in. If your baby arrives in winter, long-sleeved bodysuits are handy.
Most shops sell baby clothes from size 50 upwards — smaller sizes exist too — but assume your baby will be around 50 centimetres at birth. Do not buy everything in the smallest size, because your baby will grow like a weed. And you will often be given plenty of clothes in the smallest size anyway. Use a checklist to make sure you have what you need for the first days with your baby.
Breastfeeding once you are back at work
Would you like to carry on breastfeeding when you go back to work? Then discuss it with your employer in good time. For the first nine months of your baby's life you are allowed to express and/or feed in your employer's time, up to a quarter of your working hours in total. If you work close to your baby, you can of course simply feed your baby yourself.
Going to express? Ask whether there is a suitable room for it. Your employer is obliged to find you one.
Second trimester
