Support during and after pregnancy in Anna Paulowna
Are you pregnant or have you recently given birth, and are you finding that this period asks more of you physically or emotionally than you expected?
Do you experience nausea, fatigue, pelvic symptoms, pain, tension in your body, restlessness, emotional changes, anxiety, low mood or uncertainty?
Perhaps you expected certain symptoms to ease on their own after the first trimester or after giving birth, but you still do not feel well. Perhaps people say it is “just part of it” or that it will pass on its own, while you feel that you need more support.
You do not only want to care well for your baby, but also for yourself and your body during this special and vulnerable phase of your life.
Symptoms during and after pregnancy are not only about your changing body. They are often also about carrying a great deal, feeling a great deal and trying to do everything well during a period in which so much is asked of you. Your body changes, your emotions move with it and your life takes on a different shape. This can be beautiful and special, but also vulnerable, intense and overwhelming.
Pregnancy, giving birth and becoming a mother can stir up a great deal. You may want to continue working, care well for yourself and your baby, and carry on as you always have. But your body may be asking you to slow down: to pause with what you feel, what you need and what could support you in this phase. This period does not ask you to become your “old self” again as quickly as possible. Perhaps you may instead find a new way to connect with yourself, your body and your role as a mother.
What does support during and after pregnancy in Anna Paulowna look like?
Your nervous system forms the foundation of your health and vitality. It influences your hormones, digestion, immune system, emotions and the way you respond to stress. Women’s health concerns never exist in isolation. Your body and emotions continually affect one another. During a period in which so much is changing, both physically and emotionally, it is understandable to feel out of balance or somewhat disconnected from yourself.
Perhaps you recognise the pattern of always carrying on, caring for others and adapting yourself. Constantly keeping all the plates spinning is not only stressful and exhausting; it also takes you further and further away from yourself. I help you break that cycle.
In the sessions, there is space to slow down and feel what you truly need. Together, we look at what this period does to you and what it asks of you. By combining ACT coaching with body-oriented exercises, we explore not only the symptoms themselves, but also what may be going on beneath them. Step by step, this can bring greater calm to your mind and body. From there, space for recovery can emerge.
“From the very first moment, it felt safe and familiar, and I am incredibly grateful to Lotte for her warm way of coaching. Thanks to her, I feel happier, lighter and full of energy again.” — Isa
What symptoms can arise during or after pregnancy?
During and after pregnancy, your body can respond in many different ways. You may experience nausea, fatigue, pelvic symptoms, back pain, pain in your body, tension in your abdomen or pelvis, poor sleep, or a body that no longer feels as it used to. This period can also affect you deeply on an emotional level. You may feel overstimulated, anxious, low, uncertain or out of balance more quickly. Some symptoms begin during pregnancy; others remain for longer after birth than you expected.
Why do I feel so out of balance during or after pregnancy?
A great deal changes during pregnancy, birth and the period afterwards. Your body changes, your hormones shift and your life takes on a different shape. This can be beautiful and special, but also vulnerable, intense and overwhelming. You may have looked forward to this period, only to find that the reality feels different from what you hoped. Sometimes you may not quite recognise yourself. You feel more emotional, tire more quickly, or feel more sensitive or tense than usual. This does not mean that you are doing anything wrong. Above all, it shows that this phase asks a great deal of you. And that is entirely normal.
What do stress, tension or long-term overload have to do with symptoms during or after pregnancy?
Stress and tension can affect how your body experiences symptoms. If you are under a great deal of pressure, your nervous system can remain in a state of alert more readily. Your body then finds it harder to settle and recover. This may be particularly noticeable during or after pregnancy. Your body is already working hard: carrying, recovering, feeding, caring and adapting. If stress, worry or overload are added, symptoms such as fatigue, pain, tension, pelvic symptoms or overstimulation may become stronger or last longer. The symptoms themselves can also create stress. You may worry, want to do everything well or feel disappointed that you do not feel as you hoped. In this way, stress and physical symptoms can reinforce one another.
My support pays attention to your body, nervous system, thoughts and feelings. You learn to recognise when your body has been “switched on” for too long and what you need to settle again. This gives your natural capacity for recovery more space and can help greater balance to emerge, physically and mentally and emotionally. This can be supportive alongside symptoms during or after pregnancy and the impact they have on daily life.
Can support during or after pregnancy sit alongside medical care, midwifery or pelvic health physiotherapy?
Yes. Support during or after pregnancy can sit alongside medical care, midwifery or pelvic health physiotherapy. Medical care remains important for physical symptoms, concerns about your pregnancy, recovery after birth or any symptoms that worry you. My support focuses on the layer alongside that care: what this period does to you. During and after pregnancy, themes such as uncertainty, control, fear, boundaries, expectations, overload, identity, unresolved experiences and connection with your body can come strongly to the fore.
What can support offer you if you have symptoms during or after pregnancy?
✔ Your mind becomes calmer and you worry less about your symptoms.
✔ You feel more relaxed in your body and pelvic area.
✔ You learn to listen to and trust your body’s signals.
✔ You gain clarity about your boundaries, needs and desires.
✔ You live according to your own rhythm and cycle, and what truly suits you.
✔ You feel more in control of how you deal with symptoms during pregnancy or after giving birth.
VERBINDING Programme
VERBINDING is for women with pregnancy-related symptoms who feel: things are truly allowed to be different now. Women who do not only want to gain more control over their symptoms, but above all long for a deeper connection with themselves. Over nine weeks, we meet every other week for a total of five sessions (online or in person in Anna Paulowna, the Netherlands). Between appointments, you receive inspiring exercises and support via WhatsApp. You will also receive the workbook De Verbonden Vrouw (The Connected Woman) to support your process. The fee for this programme is €595.
Book your free discovery call today
Practice in Anna Paulowna
I support women experiencing symptoms during pregnancy or after giving birth at my practice in Anna Paulowna, the Netherlands. Sessions take place in our welcoming garden room, surrounded by greenery. The practice is easy to reach for women from the surrounding area, including Julianadorp, Callantsoog, Schagen, Wieringerwerf, Breezand, ’t Zand, Hippolytushoef and Den Helder.
Words from other women
11 years’ experience as a therapist | More than 10,000 hours of therapeutic support
“I really appreciated looking together with Lotte at where I was getting stuck and what I needed. She thought things through with me and helped me find my way, but did not do it for me. It truly was a journey we undertook together. Thanks to Lotte, I have come closer to myself and experience far fewer physical symptoms and negative thoughts. I always found the atmosphere warm and pleasant. Lotte is very attentive and radiates calm, while also being direct and honest. A lovely combination. I would certainly recommend coaching with Lotte if you want to find more calm within yourself.”
Marianne
“During the programme with Lotte, I went through an enormous transformation. Her approach is particularly valuable because it is not a quick fix, but a complete programme. When I encounter challenges now, I consciously pause with those experiences and apply the new insights. This has changed my entire perspective. I felt safe with Lotte from the beginning; she proved to be a warm and skilled coach. It felt like a shared journey in which you are not alone.”
Nikki
“Over the past few months, I followed a coaching programme with Lotte. Through many exercises and conversations, I learnt an incredible amount about myself and my symptoms. It is a very personal programme, but Lotte is highly knowledgeable and had a good sense of what I needed. There was also always space for me to say what felt right for me. From the very first moment, it felt safe and familiar, and I am incredibly grateful to Lotte for her kind and warm way of coaching.”
Lisanne
“Among other things, I was looking for more calm in my mind and a deeper connection with my body and feelings. Lotte has a great deal of knowledge and experience, and works with gentleness, love, calm and creativity. She always seemed to know exactly what I needed. The combination of ACT and yin yoga was the ideal way for me to engage more physically alongside our conversations. It was something I had never experienced before and proved very valuable. I also received personal exercises to work on. I learnt a great deal and am grateful that I was able to do this together with Lotte!”
Merel
Women from Julianadorp, Callantsoog, Schagen, Wieringerwerf, Breezand, ’t Zand, Hippolytushoef and Den Helder, among other places, come to my practice in Anna Paulowna for support during and after pregnancy.