A long-awaited and cherished dream for someone, a coincidence for another, and suddenly the whole life turns upside down - two lines on the pregnancy test and the heart starts beating faster: "I will be a mother!" Where to start, where to read everything you need, who to ask for answers to a million and one questions? Each of us is different, special and unrepeatable, no two pregnancy stories are the same, however, three well-known new mothers share their experiences and memories, giving useful tips on how to prepare for what is actually impossible to prepare for.

THE MOST IMPORTANT IS TO FIND A PERSON YOU CAN TRUST

Host of the program "Māmiņu klubs", influencer Kristīne Beitika

Kristīne remembers the news that the long-awaited baby has arrived as a surprise and also a huge fear, because until the first doctor's visit to confirm the pregnancy, she had to wait three weeks, which seemed like an eternity. He didn't want to tell anyone, even though Kristīne actively shares the details of his life on social networks every day. "I had to psychologically prepare myself for the fact that this is happening to us and believe in general. When I finally got to the doctor and entered the gynecologist's office, for the first time in my life I wanted to skip all the introductory conversations and immediately jump on the chair. When the doctor said the words you are expecting a baby and everything is fine , I could finally breathe, she remembers.

SHE HIGHLIGHTS MEETING HER DOULA AS ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS WHILE EXPECTING

Agnesi Lambergu, who helped answer all interesting questions during pregnancy, prepare for childbirth and help her understand the new role of a mother even after the birth of her daughter Elizabeth. "Before that, I read a lot on the Internet, including instructional books in the evenings, I really liked Vita Kalniņa's book The first relationship in life , I listened to online seminars, participated in various courses, but at one point I realized that there was too much information and I burned in that decision. The scenarios can be so different that my advice to mothers is to find someone you trust a person to work with and whose recommendations I will consider listening to!" the presenter of the program Māmiņu klubb recommends. Also, signing a contract with a midwife will help avoid stress, because Kristīne says that a record number of babies were born with Elizabeth that day in the Ogre hospital - six! "We could have been unlucky in the lottery, which midwife will come, so if it is financially possible, I recommend that you sign a contract in time so that you don't have to rely on a game of luck!"

Kristīne has been spending two hours a day on long walks for years, she also exercises and visited a psychotherapist until the eighth month to prepare for the role of mother with a specialist. The secret of her peace and joy was the right people around her, chosen in time, who helped both with practical advice on how to breastfeed a baby, what to be ready for during childbirth, and the most difficult - how to emotionally allow yourself to feel and understand all the changes taking place in your head and heart.

YOU NEED TO PREPARE NOT ONLY PHYSICALLY, BUT ALSO EMOTIONALLY FOR THE ROLE OF A MOTHER

Singer Katrīne Dīke from the duo Dvīnes

"Actually, throughout my pregnancy, I was very actively preparing for the birth, but after that I realized that I had to devote much more attention to preparing for the care of the baby! If I had prepared for the birth excellently , then the moment when my husband and daughter and I became threesome for the first time, the famous and what next?" remembers the singer Katríne. She wholeheartedly advises new mothers to read Aina Meja Geskin's book Midwife Aina Meja's guide to childbirth , as well as Linda Rosenbach's Expectations and creatures with joy , following @starkaligzda and @gotova_k_rodam on Instagram - what she read in these books and on the internet helped her feel safe during childbirth. "I find a lot of valuable information about child care in the profiles @eko_mammas and @veseliemberniem.lv, I also watch the lectures of the Mother's Club for new parents, but I listen to everything that child psychologist Ludmila Petranovska has to say about child psychology and upbringing," the singer says and frankly admits that, unfortunately, she was the least prepared for the emotional changes. "On the one hand, it's understandable, because the changes in the body are physically felt, and childbirth is a physical process that you can prepare for and apply different relaxation techniques that you've learned, but the emotional changes are harder to grasp with your mind before you've experienced them. If I could turn back time, I'd definitely talk about this more with other moms, ask about what's going on experienced internally, which is difficult, which is easy, directly emotionally, because mostly all my questions were about the birth process

ALL THE TIME OF PREGNANCY, CHILDBIRTH SEEMS LIKE A GOAL TO WHICH I WAS GOING, BUT I REALIZED THAT CHILDBIRTH IS NOT THE FINISH OF THE RUN, BUT ON THE OTHER WAY THE START OF THE RUN, ONLY HOLDING THE NEWLY BORN DAUGHTER IN MY HANDS,

Katríne says with a smile. She reveals that she is still searching for a balance between her nature as a woman and her role as a mother, because once yoga, meditation, a nourishing face mask and delicious lemon water were integral components of leisurely mornings, now every minute is a luxury for herself, but it is also just normal, you don't need to blame yourself, the main thing is to understand that everything changes. "My daughter will grow up, then I will be able to focus on my future plans and ambitions, but right now I am trying to enjoy every day when my daughter snuggles sweetly in my lap.

GOOD PREPARATION IS THE BASIS OF SUCCESSFUL IMPROVISATION

TV programs and events manager Lelde Ceriņa

Lelde and Aivis Ceriņi have lived together for a third of their lives, a harmonious couple both on stage, leading events, and on television screens, however, in recent years, both have settled into and reacquainted themselves with the most important roles of Adele's and Fritz's parents.

"Each of us absorbs information selectively. This means that we notice the things that our subconscious is focused on. Of course, when I was expecting a baby, all possible pregnant women and new mothers attracted my attention. I was inspired by new mothers on the Instagram platform, I followed accounts that specialize in the emotional and physical upbringing of children, such as @vitakalnina, @izveligs.lv, @veseliemberniem.lv, @eko_mammas. At the same time, I listened to several lectures on handling, the first year of a baby's life, especially recommended for pregnant women by doula Zīle Dāvidsones. I listened and read a lot, but kept only what I thought was appropriate for our family," says Lelde. Although the role of mom is full of surprises, she has always believed that the basis of successful improvisation is good preparation. "The more knowledge we have accumulated, the more calmly we can react in stressful situations. This does not mean that we will always have the right answers at hand, but if you have been interested and read something before, it is easier to make connections and understand that most families find themselves in similar situations," she says. A future father can also be a big help to every mother, Aivis studied just as hard and was not the only one in various courses. "I was very happy to see that mostly couples came to all the classes.

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE WOMAN HERSELF INVITES AND INVOLVES THE FUTURE FATHER IN THIS ADVENTURE. WE ARE THE GENERATION WHICH CAN CHANGE THE PERCEPTIONS ABOUT THE ROLE OF MOTHER AND FATHER IN THE FAMILY, AND THIS IS VERY ESSENTIAL,"

Lelde calls and reminds that a child proves to a woman how patient and grounded, capable we all are. Lelde advises mothers who are pregnant again shortly after their first child to take care of their well-being, for example, by going to maternity massages or feeding their soul by attending a cultural event, as well as to give up perfectionism and close their eyes if there is a bigger mess than they would like - it doesn't matter, because only the beautiful moments will remain in the memories. "Those evenings when my daughter patted her stomach and said pale , you still shed tears of emotion," Lelde remembers.

Text: Krista Draveniece

Photo: Gatis Saukans, Evita Mukāne, Anda Upmale, Līga binkovska, Elvita Rosne, Paula Kinne