Lils Preggo Talk
Good morning Lilian, today you are 189 days pregnant. You are now in the third trimester of your pregnancy. I read the push notification from my Pregnancy+ app (which is an amazing download tip for all parents to be) and suddenly I feel a bit panicky. Hooooly, it’s really going fast all of a sudden. The third trimester? They mean the trimester that counts down to the delivery? In which you need to have your ‘flight bag’ ready? You will decide whether to give birth in the hospital or at home? You need to make a birth plan? The delivery. The delivery. The delivery. And when should we actually start designing the birth announcement? And a maternity package, what exactly is that? Should I ask my health insurer about that? And what’s up with that ZEZ benefit? Oh, and I really want to make an appointment for the whooping cough vaccination, you know. Well, if you don’t find the last trimester of your pregnancy exciting enough yet, that has definitely changed now. Just kidding: of course it’s exciting, but it will all be fine. And do you know why? Because I have already listed the answers below for the most part. And okay, I also have a few shopping tips that I really need to share with you. I mean: a Belly Flopz, or an air mattress with a hole for your baby bump, that really sounds genius, right?
The flight bag
Okay, I’m calm again. I actually have exactly ten weeks to postpone packing this bag, HA. Generally, it is advised to have your flight stuff ready by 37 weeks (yes, just in case you have a home birth planned). But if that gives you more peace of mind, you can of course start packing it a bit earlier at your leisure. And when the time comes, I think it would be the most fun to pack that bag together with you. So you understand: to be continued.
The maternity package
A tip I got from my lovely friend: the maternity package. This package is a box with medical items needed during delivery and for care after delivery. The maternity package should definitely be at home six weeks before the due date and can often be requested through the health insurer at a discount or even for free. Look, that saves a last-minute visit to the pharmacy or drugstore when the time is right, right? Oh, and a tip from me to you: just don’t look into it yet. Cotton balls, gauze, adhesive plasters, a sterile umbilical clamp, and huge maternity pads make those pink clouds in my case disappear like snow in the sun, so I’ll just stick to folding cute onesies and displaying his first sneakers for now, haha.
The ZEZ benefit
Maybe you already knew this as a self-employed person, but just to be sure, I’ll mention it again. For a few years now, it has been possible to apply for a maternity benefit if you are self-employed. You can apply for the scheme here at the UWV, after which they will look at the number of hours you worked in the past year and what your income was. Based on that, your benefit will be calculated. Look, every little bit helps. I thought that was a nice bonus.
The 22-week vaccination
Not mandatory, but advised by my midwife because this vaccination protects you and your baby against whooping cough from birth. And now I hear you thinking: babies in the Netherlands already get a vaccination against whooping cough, right? That’s correct, but that can only happen when they are two months old. This means that they are not protected against whooping cough in the first months after birth. And that’s when they are very vulnerable. You can get the vaccination from the 22nd week of your pregnancy (ahaaaa, hence the name) until delivery. It is advised to do it as soon as possible after that 22nd week, because then your baby is also protected if he or she decides to come a bit earlier than planned. More info? You can read it here.
So, now onto that genius air mattress with a baby bump hole to float on your belly in the pool this summer, my favorite belly oil to hopefully prevent stretch marks, and the cutest play mat for the little one. See you next week?
1. Pregnancy oil, €15.43 Weleda
2.Rattan lampshade, €84.95 Petit Filippe
3. Baby sun hat, €9.99 H&M
4. XXL play mat ‘Botanical’, €99.95 Heppie Joe
5. Baby ‘old school Vans’ shoes, €29.95 Vans
6. Baby sweater, €14.99 H&M
7. Pregnancy air mattress, $44.95 Belly Flopz
