Sissi with baby bump: 36th to 37th 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 waist circumference is currently 97 cm.

2. How are you feeling right now?

My mood is very good. Above all, I am now super excited to find out soon who will be expanding our family. :) I'm also really eager to know whether it's a girl or a boy. Many women have a certain intuition about this, but I haven't really gone with such a feeling so far. Now I can hardly wait to find out the gender! Maybe also because we are still a bit unsure about what might be. We’ve been thinking about it back and forth all the time, but we basically want to let it come naturally and get to know our child personally first. ;)

3. What does your body tell you?

I realize that the last four weeks of pregnancy have now begun. This is simply the most exhausting phase physically because the belly is so large and the extra weight already restricts me. Exercise still feels good to me, especially for my back and overall stability, but it now causes quite a pull in my belly and I keep experiencing . My body is telling me that it is basically ready for birth. Since a is only possible from the , I have tried to rest as much as possible so that my body doesn't throw a wrench in the works.

4. What was your most beautiful moment?

My most beautiful moment of the last two weeks was definitely the wonderful Blessingway ceremony that my friend and midwife Melanie organized for me.

A Blessingway – what exactly is behind this ritual and how did you experience your personal Blessingway ceremony?

Originally, the Blessingway is an indigenous custom. It is about honoring and empowering the pregnant woman and mother-to-be. Women who are close to her gather and pass on positive female energy for the upcoming birth.

My closest friends came to my house that day and made the ritual very special for me. Unlike a baby shower, where the party aspect may be more prominent, a Blessingway takes place in a very small circle. In a larger group, the intimacy of this small women's circle might not be possible to achieve.

Since I am planning a home birth, we conducted the Blessingway in the room where I want to have the baby. We saged the room with white sage and cleared it of any negative energy. Of course, such a ceremony can also be performed if you are giving birth to your baby in a hospital.

A Blessingway can include various rituals: For example, we meditated together and burned our fears. Additionally, I received a blessing for the baby, my hands and feet were massaged, and my friends painted my belly with henna. Finally, I received a birth necklace. Each person brought several beads, which they somehow connected to me. When threading each bead, a wish is made. I will wear this necklace during my birth to keep my friends' positive energy close to me. Another wonderful ritual was making a salt bath, for which everyone brought an ingredient. It is said that the wishes placed inside will come true.

Overall, it was truly a very special day and definitely my highlight of this pregnancy, which leaves me feeling totally empowered as I approach the birth!