Pregnancy is a very important stage in a woman's life. Many changes occur on different levels—physical, emotional, social, etc.—and, especially, self-care becomes crucial. Some aspects of this attention to personal well-being are within the control of the pregnant woman and her immediate environment, but others, in many cases, are beyond their reach. This is the case with the effects of climate change and pollution, especially relevant in urban contexts, which can affect pregnancy and early childhood, and which are of increasing concern to these groups.

Gynecologist and obstetrician Marimer Pérez has been supporting women for over twenty years during one of the most intense and transformative moments in life: childbirth. With a respectful and humane perspective on motherhood, Pérez—also founder of the women's health center WoMer—has just published You don't let me go (Lunwerg, 2025), a book in which he collects real stories experienced throughout his professional career as an obstetrician.

Dressing during pregnancy, showing off your stomach, not spending too much, and doing so with sustainability and comfort in mind isn't easy, but it's not impossible either. Although a woman's body undergoes significant changes during pregnancy, it's not necessary to change your entire wardrobe to wear clothes that are flattering, skin- and environmentally friendly, and, above all, long-lasting. During the first trimester, nothing extra is needed, and everything can be purchased as your belly grows, taking into account your needs. "The belly starts to become considerable after eighteen or twenty weeks," warns midwife Meritxell Gómez, "that's a short time to spend a lot." Therefore, she recommends avoiding buying "excess" clothing.

"I'm excited and very happy, but I think a lot about the future and sometimes I think he'll be alone or that when I retire he'll be 16," admits Carmen Martín, who is playing with little Mati on the floor of their dining room. She is 48 years old and he is a year and a half old. When she met her current partner, they were both in their forties, and she already knew she wasn't going to be a mother, that the time had passed. But he really wanted to, he convinced her, and they went to a fertility clinic to see what options they had. "If we want to be parents, we have to be now," she recalls, referring to the urgency and excitement of that moment. At the center, they underwent a study that revealed that Carmen would no longer be able to have children with her own eggs; she needed those of a donor to have a better chance of getting pregnant. The surprise came when she succeeded on the first try, which is very difficult, since it usually takes several attempts.

On Wednesdays, pregnant workers at the Hospital del Mar centres have an appointment with Dr Natàlia Arisa, from the Occupational Health service, who specialises in prenatal music therapy and music. They do so within the framework of the third edition of the prenatal music therapy course that the hospital service itself has been offering them for almost a year, a project of Arisa's own, which she has developed during her residency. As Dr Joana Guerrero, head of the section of the Occupational Health service at the hospital, points out, it is "a pioneering project that, despite being so necessary in a sector such as healthcare, which is so feminised, has not yet been implemented in any other hospital". Guerrero emphasises, however, that these sessions promote "moments of presence and connection, and materialise the maxim of caring for those who care, the ultimate objective of the programme".