We are Charlotte Meentzen | Kerstin Lüking’s wishes for you mums

Let me make your dreams comes true!

What I wish for you, dear mum: please take care of yourself and trust yourself to say what you need. Do not assume people who care for you will automatically know what you want.

Like during your pregnancy. Communicate at your workplace when something is too much for you and you need a break. Please accept it when you can’t perform during sports as you used to. You are no longer exercising just for yourself alone. Accept your physical limitations and be more mindful of the signals your body is sending. But: pregnancy is also not a reason to stop any form of movement. Because one thing is clear: by frequently experiencing physical movement, you not only remain fit during your pregnancy – you also have more energy during the birthing process and your body rejuvenates itself faster afterwards than without sport. But should you suffer from premature contractions or been given bed rest for any other reason, then accept that without getting upset.

Please also take care of yourself after giving birth
Or like the post-natal time. Say what you need and usually you will get it. For instance, you can write your personal needs on small sticky notes and place these all over the house. Or you can give them to your family and friends directly. Communicate your need for people in the first weeks after birth who can cook and tidy up the house for you, go on walks with the baby or take care of your other child(ren). Even better is when you prepare all this during your pregnancy – a topic which our reporter Dorothee Dahinden talked about with bestselling author Nicola Schmidt.

Be thankful for your body – it has created a miracle
I hope that you accept the changes your body is going through. It changes during your pregnancy – maybe it gets stretch marks or maybe your skin shows impurities. Perhaps you take on so much water that you don’t recognise yourself anymore and you feel completely uncomfortable in your body. Perhaps your feet don’t fit in your shoes anymore, as your shoes have become one to two sizes smaller. I know that my words will perhaps not be of any consolation, and that you’re thinking: what does this midwife want from me? Despite that, I call out to you with all my heart: just wait!

Pregnancy and birth – a miracle every time
Your body is now preparing a bed for your growing baby. Accept the fact that your body will need some time after birth to regenerate. The birth of a baby is not only an enormous feat, it is also a deep break in the life of a woman. It’s always exciting for me to see photos of my clients before their pregnancy. I nearly always see how birth changes us women. I very often experience that they have each matured in their own way. And I mean this in a positive way.   

I hope for you that you can give thanks to your body for creating a miracle. And know that you are also one yourself!