Trimester Talk

Marijn Duits
Project Manager at Tele2
Age: 33 years old
Trimester 2: 23 weeks pregnant with a boy
‘Gift Mamma’ of Zoë (6)
Due: August 9th

This edition tells Marijn about her pregnancy. Every month, another mommy-to-be tells her story. How do you experience your pregnancy, how do you prepare for it or do you have crazy or striking features?

Marijn: “When are you ready for a baby? When is the appropriate time? No idea and I actually did not know for a while. Yes, I once wanted to be a mother, but when? My friend said that I had been ready for a long time, but I had to feel it for myself.”

“Nevertheless, it was quick and when you look back, everything is perfectly in time. We have been together for three years now, living in our new house for half a year. And I am 23 weeks pregnant :). I met my friend when he already had a daughter of 3. I had to get used to that. Yet it was all very natural. Zoë is with us every week all week and in the beginning I was allowed to stay in bed in the mornings. But that did not feel right. Even the evenings, I was really a night person. Always working a lot and going to bed late at night. The first week that Zoë was with us when we were together, my friend wanted to go to bed at half past ten. I really looked at him, already? I could not imagine anything about it. But I think the second or third week that Zoë was with us in a row, I was the one who looked at the clock at 21.00, can we go to bed we already? It’s just very different with a little one.”

And that will soon be two!

“Yes, we will have to find the new rhythm. Zoë is here every other week, the other week we plan all other things, we go out together, easy to go to a restaurant or night away. That will soon be very different. We will also have to get used to the fact that we do not always have them both with us, really think everyone should find a new rhythm for that.”

“I always thought it takes a while before you are pregnant. Not so. Immediately. We made a surprise voucher for our parents and when they pulled it open, a photo of us and a wineglass fell. In my glass was a note with: ‘no refill till August 2018’. We wanted to know the gender as soon as possible. Zoë necessarily wanted a sister, so that was just as exciting. I thought a boy myself, but I did not dare to have a premonition. Because I was afraid that when I would hear something else it might be a disappointment. My mother was constantly guessing and betting, my father did not want to know anything about it. If only it is healthy!”

“At the 20-week ultrasound we heard that it is a boy. We are very happy, now we have a girl and a boy. We would tell both families with a party. We had arranged a big balloon with blue confetti that Zoë would open. Because Zoë was so sure about a girl, we told her earlier, the morning before. So that she could get used to the idea. She really had to, but now she is completely happy with it. She has friends in her class with little brothers and thinks hard with us about the name.”

Name

“Yes, that is a thing. We do not have that yet. That is very difficult! Yes, of course we have a list, but at no one do we both have such a thing; yes that’s it! We now have some kind of ‘Tinder App’ for babies. The Zwitsal Baby Names App. Then you can both ‘swipe’ names and if you both like a name we have a ‘match’. I hope it will come naturally. haha.”

“When we announced the gender to the family, everyone was euphoric. On every video you hear my mother in law calling, it becomes a boooooooy!! My boyfriend only has girls in the family, this is the first boy. And that I believe was very nice for everyone :).”

“I am still a workaholic myself. I also wonder how that will soon be. No idea, they say you change as a mother, I will embrace that. If not, we look for the right balance. Because I like to have control and in this case you really can’t, I let it go completely. Of course I find it very exciting, very nice, but I do not plan too much ahead. I’m also very late to buy something for the baby, I believe only with 19 weeks we have bought a chair. I was careful though. Also with all phases, what do you feel? Everyone always said that is difficult to explain, and that is indeed what I experience now. The first time feeling your baby? A flapping butterfly? How do you know how that feels, haha? Meanwhile I feel it clear, he kicks so hard that even my boyfriend already felt him kicked by 19 weeks. That will be something! We are waiting for his arrival full of excitement and pleasure.”