While this second trimester seems to be ramping up speed, there was definitely a lag in the last few weeks as I anxiously waited for my twenty-week scan to come about. After the miscarriage, the anxiety of a scan, especially one that seems a lot more important than the twelve-week one, is agonising. I’m very much becoming aware that motherhood is full of anxious thoughts and worries. I don’t think I’ll really be able to relax until the baby is in my arms and crying its eyes out.
Me and Sam planned to not know the sex under we did a little, intimate gender reveal on the beach in Aberystwyth for our 1st year wedding anniversary. So as we stepped inside the sonographer’s room, we asked to have the gender written down and put in an envelope, which she did fortunately. I realise that not everyone offers this, so I’m glad we were given the opportunity.
So how did the scan go? Well as you can see we’ve got the photos below to prove how well it went. As the screen fired up, the feelings of nervousness and excitement were overwhelming. I just wanted to get a wriggling baby with a strong heartbeat looking back at us. We got just that!
The experience of a twenty-week scan is a mixture of emotions. You’ll find yourself laughing, crying and filled with that anxiety when the sonographer is going over every little part of the baby. Checking its growth and looking for any abnormalities – it’s quite an intensive scan.
We had Sam’s mum there to see it, as I’d had my mum at the twelve-week scan which was wonderful. It’s nice to know that both mums got the chance to share this special moment with us. It does feel bizarre that this is the last scan we have but we’re hoping to get a 4D scan at around 30 weeks. Not only to see the baby in a more detailed way but I feel like you need another scan in your pregnancy. Waiting almost twenty weeks for your baby’s safe arrival is probably made more bearable when you’ve had another scan halfway through.
The scan itself was amazing to experience. The baby kept wriggling around, facing its back to the camera and at times, putting its hand to its mouth to soothe itself. It’s incredible to think that there’s a human being growing inside of me and that my body is doing all this without a handbook. As the scan was approaching, I was getting little gas bubbles which I could feel from around 16 weeks. I know that’s early but I feel like I’ve been in tune with my body from day one. I spotted both pregnancies and their symptoms from week one, so it’s no surprise I was hypersensitive to anything outside of the norm when it came to movement within the abdominal area.
As I’m writing this, I’m a few days away from 21 weeks and the movement has certainly ramped up. I felt with my hand the first proper bump which I can imagine maybe a hand or foot. It send tingles over my body and made my hairs stand on end.
Both me and Sam have an inkling of what they could be gender-wise, especially as we both thought we saw something telling during the scan. However, we can’t guarantee what it is until we open that envelope and August can’t come around soon enough!
Now that the scan is done, the next steps include further midwife visits to our home. For those who don’t know, we’re looking to do a home birth if it’s possible. Of course, anything can change when having a baby and ultimately, the baby is in control. Therefore, as much as I’d like a home birth, I’m not getting my hopes up too much that this will be the reality of the birth. We’re starting to nest by doing little updates around the home, so I’ll be sure to share those updates with you as we go along the pregnancy journey. I already can’t wait for this baby to arrive – perhaps not so much the labour part of it but I know at the end, there will be an incredible and life-changing reward.
I have a feeling that the remainder of this pregnancy will likely pick up speed now as we tick off various checkpoints and we’re pretty busy this summer with social events in our calendar. Let me know in the comments below what you’d suggest we do during pregnancy and in getting prepared for our little one’s arrival!