Baby Belly Time: Your Companion for Pregnancy

Countless questions arise during pregnancy. Especially when you experience it for the first time. But things can be different with the second, third or fourth child. After all, every pregnancy is unique. Midwife Sabine Pfützner has written the comprehensive guide "Baby Belly Time" with family expert Nora Imlau. A book that offers orientation and helps you to classify feelings, experiences and medical information. A wonderful companion on the way to becoming a mother.

We asked Sabine for an interview and talked to her about fears of childbirth, postpartum visits and the basics of baby equipment.

Enjoy reading, let's get started 😉

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Naturkind: Dear Sabine, if you could give a pregnant woman just one piece of advice, what would it be?

Sabine Pfützner: “Follow your intuition, because you are the expert for your pregnancy!”

The first trimester of pregnancy is often described as a critical phase. How can pregnant women take good care of themselves during this time?

My idea would be: “Accept yourself as you are right now. With your emotional chaos, your worries and needs. It’s OK, just as it feels!”
The next step is to get in touch with people with whom you can talk about what is bothering you and what you need advice and help with - this could even be your midwife!

In the book you write that every pregnant woman should put together a pregnancy crew. Who could that be?

As breathtaking and wonderful as pregnancy is, it can also be challenging and scary.
Therefore, it is important not to be alone on this path and to put together a personal support crew.
This can include a wide variety of people: your partner, parents and grandparents, in-laws or siblings. But also friends and acquaintances locally or online, colleagues or professional helpers such as a therapist.
In addition, there are the professional pregnancy companions that the pregnant woman has chosen.
Each woman decides for herself what exactly the pregnancy crew should look like.

Sabine Pfützner knows that every woman is the expert of her own pregnancy.

In your introduction to the book, you describe the shocking conditions of obstetrics in the 1980s: tiled rooms, staff wearing butcher's aprons and women strapped down. Fortunately, things are very different today. Is there still room for improvement?

This question is not easy to answer.
There are still political and social failures which, among other things, mean that not all women have a free choice regarding care during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period.
However, I think that a slow change is taking place towards more choice and – also in hospitals – 1:1 care during birth.
It is important that no pregnant woman lets external obstacles ruin her pregnancy! Because this pregnancy is too unique, too special and too precious not to enjoy it!

What advice do you give to expectant mothers who are very afraid of giving birth?

It's OK to be nervous about giving birth! After all, it's a big test of courage! Since fear can be paralyzing and drains your energy, it would definitely be helpful to find out how to turn fear into healthy respect. Strategies for this can be developed with the midwife. And a thought that is always very helpful for me:
No pregnant woman is ever alone – she can do it together with her child!

In your experience, what three things are essential for a restful postpartum period after giving birth? What should every pregnant woman definitely think about in advance and organize well?

I always say: “You are the postpartum queen!”
Because this wonderful woman gave birth to a child, no matter how, and she can be proud of that.
For those around you, this means: Now it’s your turn!
Cooking, washing, cleaning and shopping should not be part of the postpartum tasks. (It is an important question whether all these tasks have to be taken on by the partner!) For example, friends can bring cooked food, the new grandparents can go shopping and perhaps you can get help with cleaning during this time.
Then there is time for what is important: getting to know the new family member, resting, crying and laughing.

The classic: The mother-in-law, aunt, sister-in-law or whoever really wants to see the baby. What advice do you have on the sensitive subject of “family visits during the postpartum period”?

There is no general answer to this question. I will therefore answer with a counter question: What does the new mother want?!
If she's a total family person, she might love the visit. And if she prefers to be on her own, any visit will be too much.
The woman's wishes are what counts. However, I would like to address some aspects.

Every visitor should be aware that giving birth is hard work, which means that after the birth the woman is happy to introduce her child and does not even notice how she may be overdoing it.

Newborns process visitors at night: usually through restlessness, crying or constant breastfeeding. These phenomena are more pronounced the more "strangers" (including grandparents) have held the child in their arms.

If the night was very stressful, the eagerly awaited visit can become a burden. The possibility of cancelling at short notice should be discussed in advance.

Basically, the woman’s wishes and feelings apply here too!

What do you recommend to women who already have one or more children at home and whose partner may soon have to return to work?

These families have a lot of organization to do, but wonderfully they are already able to do it since this is not their first child!
However, it is important to prevent the woman from overexerting herself physically and mentally! And how can this be achieved?
It depends a little on the age of the “big ones”:
Does it need to be clarified who will accompany your child to daycare, kindergarten or school?
In any case, it would be wonderful if the postpartum care from family and friends could continue.
If this is not possible: Are there professional helpers?
A well-connected midwife will know the answer to this question.

Quite simply: love, closeness, warmth, food and so on...

But you can see from this:
It doesn't have to be the entire inventory of the baby store.
Young parents are very open and susceptible to marketing promises and often buy far too many and far too expensive products.

In fact, this is enough to start with:
– 4 to 6 wrap bodysuits and sweaters in size 56
– Three rompers in size 56
– A cozy swaddling cloth
– Two wool-silk hats
– Three pairs of wool socks
– A pair of baby wrist warmers
– Depending on the season: a woolen suit for going out in size 56/62
– diapers
– Ten muslin diapers, as a burp cloth or for playing peek-a-boo
– 10 to 15 washcloths, preferably made of fabric
– A small bowl for washing or holding
– A heat lamp with automatic switch-off enables relaxed diaper changing
– If necessary, pre-milk in organic quality and 4-6 BPA-free bottles with teats

A nursing pillow can be very useful during pregnancy, a baby sling/carrying system is a great gift, as is a stroller.

And finally, a question about baby sleep: It is now widely known that small babies have different sleep needs than their parents. What can parents do to make the sleeping situation as comfortable as possible for everyone?

The simplest idea is the most effective:
Sleep as close to each other as possible so that no one has to get up in the night! If you just turn over to breastfeed at night and let the baby latch on, and it continues to drink while you go back to sleep, you can call it simply brilliant. Because every minute of sleep counts!

Dear Sabine, thank you very much for the conversation and your valuable input.

I would also like to thank you and wish all readers a wonderful “baby bump time”. All the best!