The first half of the second trimester was relatively uneventful. The morning sickness and fatigue was gone like it had never happened... you really do get a "second wind" and start to feel like yourself again during the second trimester.
Aside from a very small bump, it was really hard to tell that I was even pregnant. As I approached the 16 week mark, I began to try very hard to sense any fetal movement. You're supposed to be able to feel the baby kick anywhere between 16-22 weeks if it's your first baby, even sooner if it is your second (because you know what it feels like).
I found myself questioning every little bit of gas I had - was that the baby kicking? Surely enough, seconds later, I would feel the gas moving on within my intestinal tract, confirming that it was in fact not the baby, just my imagination! This went on for quite some time, starting around week 14, even though I knew it wouldn't be a while before I would feel the baby. I kept thinking that if mothers pregnant with their second child could feel the baby earlier than 16 weeks, then if I was really keen and observant, I might too.
I would pay particular attention to my belly at night when I went to bed, the time when you're most likely to feel the baby kicking because you're laying still. At 16 weeks and 1 day, I felt something ever so slight. Just once, and then nothing more. I've heard many different descriptions of fetal movement from other mothers - some describe it like a goldfish swimming around inside your belly, others say it feels like popcorn popping, while others describe it as a simple flutter. This honestly did not feel like any of the above descriptions, so I wasn't sure if it really was the baby or not. Coincidentally, my coworkers asked me the next day if I was feeling the baby yet - I told them, "I think I did last night, but I'm not sure." One person responded, "You're feeling the baby move! You just don't realize it yet."
Sure enough, that night as I was laying in bed, I felt the same thing again... but this time I felt it a few more times! I then knew that what I was feeling was the baby kicking! The feeling is so hard to describe, but it really did feel like there was a little being inside me giving me a soft kick. Mr. Chocosaur was really mad at the baby because every time he put his hand on my belly to feel the baby kick, the movements would stop!!! Haha... isn't that how it is with all babies?! He just had to be patient, though, because a week after I first started feeling kicks, he was able to feel it too. It was a really big milestone in my pregnancy and is still my favorite aspect of pregnancy. So if you are pregnant and waiting to feel the baby kick, be patient... it's totally worth it! :)
Congrats on feeling the baby kicking! That is so exciting!
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