In the second trimester, things became nerve-wracking around the 20-week anatomy scan. Due to my BMI, I was required to see a Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) doctor for certain appointments, including the anatomy scan. As I got settled into the room, the IPs were on FaceTime, and we were all so excited to see the baby and hear her heartbeat. We already knew the gender from NIPT testing, so this appointment focused on checking measurements and ensuring everything was developing as it should. During the scan, they noticed that one of the baby’s bones seemed to be lagging in growth. Because of that, I had to fully transition to MFM and be considered high-risk. Those appointments were often long, full of questions, and surrounded by a lot of anxiety, especially for the IPs. On my end, it was hard not to worry and wonder if I had done everything right up to that point. I was reassured multiple times that this wasn’t anyone’s fault. There wasn’t anything I did or didn’t do to cause it. It was explained that this likely happened very early in pregnancy and that the bone simply didn’t develop properly from the start. Hearing that helped, but, of course, it didn’t completely erase the worry.
Despite that complication, I truly loved my second trimester. I felt good overall and still didn’t feel very pregnant most of the time. I wasn’t showing much at all, and people usually had no idea I was pregnant unless I said something. I started feeling flutters very early around 8 – 10 weeks and by about 14 weeks, I swear I could feel actual kicking or rolling around but couldn’t see from the outside yet. They say that happens because your body already knows what’s going on, and that was true for me. Toward the end of the second trimester, she was moving and kicking a lot, and it was so fun to feel her. Of course, every time I tried to record a video for the IPs, she would stop moving completely. Typical. The second trimester came with its share of anxiety, longer appointments, and unanswered questions but it also brought moments of reassurance, connection, and joy. Feeling her move made everything feel more real and reminded me why this journey was so special. Having IPs that trust you is crucial, especially if something like this arises.
