Copenhagen, Denmark
Photographer: Laura Short
31-year old Line Bak Rothstein, cookbook author and chef, is pregnant with her first child with a due date coming soon.
We met up with Line on a dark but cosy December day, on which she shared her thoughts about the first 40 days with baby, how she and her husband decided on their daughter's name – and her dreams for them as a family of three.
A beautiful, old candleholder sits by the window. Line's book Mad og Mødreomsorg is placed under the candle – a book that focuses on nourishing food and selfcare for all mothers, but particularly right before birth and in the weeks after.
My thoughts on the first 40 days with baby
circle primarily around food and nourishment, for both baby and myself.
I have started to prepare for this special time by cooking meals and freezing them, so they are ready when I need them. So far, I have prepared chicken stock, homemade ravioli, beans, sourdough bread, daal, various soups and my grandmother's meat balls.
Also, once baby is here safe and well, we have decided to pack our things and go to Mols Bjerge. Here, we will spend time in a summer house, surrounded by nature with nothing but ourselves, our newborn daughter, nourishing food, fresh air – and a cosy fire place.
So far, my baby purchases include
lots and lots of wool items, including wool onesies and wool socks. I have also started knitting, and I have knitted quite a few baby cardigans and baby pants in Japanese wool, which I am very proud of.
Our nursery is practically
non-existent. We live in a small apartment, so every room is for us and baby. This place is basically one shared place; now with baby stuff in it too, although we also try to keep it calm and relaxing for us adults.
"I know it will be a while before she will start on solids, but since I work with food, children and nourishment I simply cannot wait for her to sit here with her own little plate and bowl and cutlery. Besides, I just love Elsa Beskow, so this set was simply meant for us to have."
"I am currently adding embroidery on my nursing pillow. My plan is to keep adding new embroidery as we go through the next many months of feeding."
The name of our baby
has been on our minds for a while. We wanted it to fit with our last names, and preferably to keep it short. I once babysat a girl called Beate, who I loved to spend time with, and this name sort of stuck with me. To keep it short, we have decided to name our daughter Bea.
I dream of future family outings
as long walks in the forest or elsewhere in nature – with picnics, of course. I can't wait to get one of those backpacks where she can sit and watch the world. We will bring great homemade lunches and drink tea made on a trangia.
I also dream of traveling
but climate change is a major concern for me. If there were no such thing as emissions to think of, we would definitely go back to South Korea, where my husband and I spent one month some years ago. Already then, I thought it was a wonderful place to travel to with children, and I just love the food. But for now, I dream of a long getaway to Gotland.
The book I am reading now
is "Ærligt Spil" by Tove Jansson. Every december, my husband buys a book for me – a book he finds at Brøg Litteraturbar. I am really enjoying this one. Before this, I was reading "Spring" by Karl Ove Knausgård from his 'Seasons' series.
Little details on the shelf tell signs of a baby arriving soon. Vintage Babar side by side with with bibs in cute Liberty of London fabrics.
A handmade embroidery Line has bought at Tyst Te with little Christmas stars next to a cup from a dinner set by Elsa Beskow.
"These colourful suitcases are so nostalgic to me. They remind me of my own childhood, where I would keep most of my little belongings in one red one like this."
"For the past few years, my husband and I have given each other gifts by categorising them "something you want, something you need and something to read”. It really just works so well, and I can highly recommend.
The waiting game. A moses basket, is ready for Line's daughter's arrival early in the new year.
A lovely reading spot in the apartment. "I read fiction at night, and non-fiction in the morning. My non-fiction book right now is "The Myth of Normal" by Gabor Mate."
A flowery dinner set by Elsa Beskow is ready for Line's daughter once she is old enough to eat solids.
"I dream of future family outings as long walks in nature – with picnics, of course. I can't wait to get one of those backpacks where she can sit and watch the world."
— Line Bak Rothstein