Sissi with baby bump: 24th to 25th week of pregnancy

In Winter 2018, our LILLYDOO midwife Sissi Rasche is expecting her third child! Despite her pregnancy expertise, these nine months with a baby in the belly remain simply magical for Sissi. And the best part: she takes you along on her exciting journey! Every two weeks, she provides an update on her pregnancy in our LILLYDOO magazine and shares her very personal experiences with you. In addition to five consistent questions about the current status, Sissi answers us in each column with a special additional question.

We wish you lots of fun accompanying Sissi with her (growing) baby bump in the coming months!

1. What is your current waist circumference?

My belly currently measures 89 cm. I'm getting fat... ;)

2. How are you feeling right now?

Since I am currently on vacation, I feel very good and, above all, completely relaxed! Apart from a short break in Schleswig-Holstein, we are staying in our hometown Berlin, but with this summer weather, you don't really need to travel far anyway.

3. What does your body tell you?

I am also doing great physically. However, my body still occasionally shows me its limits. This was not as much the case during my first two pregnancies. Perhaps that’s why I sometimes find it a bit difficult to accept — especially since, as I mentioned before, I am usually very active and on the go. Additionally, I have now bought a maternity belt. Even though I don’t have a big belly (yet), wearing it is very comfortable for my back — especially when I walk longer distances.

With the current temperatures, I also pay particular attention to drinking enough. Alternating showers in the morning and evening help me with heat-related circulatory issues, and for heavy legs, I use a or a cooling spray. But the heat is probably affecting everyone a bit right now; it has nothing to do with my pregnancy. ;)

4. What cravings are you currently experiencing?

To cool myself down, I still enjoy an ice cream. As I mentioned in the last column, my favorite is homemade from pureed frozen fruits. The advantage is that I know the ingredients and am sure that there is no junk in it. This way, my children can also enjoy it without worries. Additionally, I am currently really into sparkling water with a subtle flavor (for example, with a splash of lemon) and fruit juice spritzers for refreshment.

5. What was your most beautiful moment?

I am really enjoying our family vacation in Berlin with my husband and our two children right now. The two also want to feel my belly very often at the moment – very sweet! :) It is so wonderful that the two can now feel their little sibling from the outside and notice how it kicks.

Do you already know whether it will be a girl or a boy, or are you going to be surprised? If so, why?

Just like my last two pregnancies, we will also be surprised about the gender this time. :) I think it's really nice to check after the birth whether it’s a girl or a boy. We are excited regardless! Since I like to dress babies in gender-neutral clothing, I don’t necessarily need to know that before purchasing the . I also find it nice that I get to choose two names right away! And in the end, you have seven days after the birth to make a final decision and that fits the baby.