Once the first trimester was over and we started telling everyone the happy news, I did start feeling a little better. I wasn't feeling as sick, and then my morning sickness was gone all together, but I was still fearful that something might go wrong.
The good thing about miscarriage support groups is that you can share your story to help heal, the not so good part is when you hear others stories, you learn what else can go wrong. I wouldn't be honest if I didn't say that there was a level of fear that I had throughout the pregnancy that lessened the closer I got to my due date. [And then rapidly increased with the thought of actually having to birth a baby.]
The two most reassuring things in the second trimester were when I started to feel the baby kick, and when we had the 18 week anatomy scan. The first time I felt the baby kick was a little bit earlier than most first time moms. I remember distinctly that I was getting ready for bed on a Friday night and brushing my teeth, when I felt a little flutter. I went to tell Mike that I felt something, but wasn't sure if it was kicking. Two days later I felt another little flutter around the same time. Again I told Mike that I wasn't sure what, but there was something. This happened two more days in a row until I was convinced that I was actually feeling my tiny baby moving around. At this point I was around 15 weeks. This was the best feeling in the entire world. Whenever the baby kicked during the pregnancy [even later on when he discovered my ribs] I felt so relieved and happy.
Up next was the 18 week anatomy scan. This was such an interesting experience of excitement and worry. I just wanted to see a strong heartbeat. And when we got in the ultrasound room, and got started, we saw that beautiful heartbeat, and then we got to hear the heartbeat, I was over the moon. The tech then did some measurements and started scanning around. She stopped at one point, and then moved the wand abruptly. She asked if we knew what we were having, and I said, "I might now." She scanned back over and said, well, what is your guess? I looked at Mike, and told him that I thought that I knew, but I would let the professionals handle this. Mike said, "well that's a boy."
Everything checked out great for our little Jelly Bean. He was movin' and grovin' the whole time, so it made it hard fort he tech to get all of the images that she needed. She even had me get up and go tot the bathroom to see if he would move. And that he did. He had flipped 180 degrees and facing the opposite direction, which didn't make it easier to get the images, but we got to see our baby a littl longer.
Most women say that the second trimester is the best trimester, and for me it was the easiest. I wasn't sick anymore, and wasn't yet waddling. Mike and I also got to take a dream trip to London and across Ireland with his brother and sister-in-law. [More on that later]. Watching my belly grow and feeling our baby kick was so incredibly amazing. I didn't take a single moment of it for granted.
