The body
What science and medicine say
The three trimesters
- Weeks 1 to 13: the first trimester. The placenta forms and your baby's heart, brain and body begin.
- Weeks 14 to 27: the second trimester. Your belly grows, and you may feel your baby move from around weeks 16 to 24.
- Weeks 28 to 40: the third trimester. Your baby grows and turns, and your body prepares for birth.
Caring for yourself
Folic acid until week 12 and vitamin D (10 µg a day) are recommended in many countries. Gentle movement such as walking, swimming and pregnancy yoga is usually encouraged. Ask your midwife what suits you.
Some practices are not for pregnancy: yoni steaming, breath of fire and kundalini activation, intense abdominal or spinal work, hot baths and saunas, and many herbs and essential oils. Sacred She hides them for you.
The soul
The spiritual and traditional view
The sacred vessel
Pregnancy is an initiation. You are the doorway between worlds, the place where a soul becomes a body.
Speak to your baby. Sing. Place your hands on your belly. Science tells us babies hear their mother's voice from mid-pregnancy; the soul tells us they have been listening all along.
The Mother Blessing
Instead of, or as well as, a baby shower, many women are honoured in a Blessingway: a circle of women offering blessings, beads and a red thread that connects them until the birth.
Contact your midwife or doctor straight away if
- You notice any bleeding or fluid loss from the vagina.
- Your baby's usual pattern of movements changes.
- Anything in your body or your mind feels sudden, severe or unlike yourself.
- Your midwife would always rather hear from you. You never need a reason to call.
Nourish this season
Open your supplement & herbal guideSacred She offers spiritual and wellness practices, not medical advice or treatment.