Second Trimester: 21-22 Weeks Pregnant– A Quiet Few Weeks and a Very Special Walk

 The past couple of weeks have been beautifully quiet. No appointments, no hospital trips — just a stretch of calm, normality, and time to simply be pregnant. And honestly, it’s been really nice. When you’ve experienced pregnancy layered with worry, scans, and constant check-ins, a quiet few weeks can feel like a small gift.

At the end of 20 weeks, on Friday 18th July, I took on a walk that means a great deal to me — the Round Evesham Walk. It’s about 10km and loops around the town, through fields and quiet paths. I did this walk most days while I was pregnant with Louis — sometimes twice in a day. I even walked it while in labour. It had been a long time since I’d last done it, but I wanted to walk it again this year, around the time of Louis’s 5th birthday — now carrying his little brother.

There was something deeply emotional about doing it again, pregnant once more. As though the two of them were being introduced — brothers, five years apart, treading the same path. It kicked my bum, I’ll be honest. My dodgy knee flared up before I’d even hit halfway, and by the end I was completely wiped out. But it reminded me just how much strength I found while carrying Louis. I felt proud. I must have done that walk hundreds of times with him. It’s definitely encouraged me to get back into a walking routine again.

That weekend, as I turned 22 weeks, Graham and I escaped to our favourite place — Sennen Cove in Cornwall. We camped just outside the cove and slept on an air bed in our new tent. I wasn’t sure how well I’d cope with camping at five months pregnant, but surprisingly, I loved it. There’s something about the sea air, the simplicity of it all.

Around 21 weeks, I had one of those “quiet movement” days that catches you off guard. I kept checking in, wondering if he was just tucked into a corner. Thankfully, as the week went on, his movements picked up again. By 22 weeks, he’d found his rhythm. While camping in Cornwall, G felt a proper kick for the first time — a solid, undeniable thump from our boy.

Then on Tuesday 29th July, at 22+3, his big sister — my step daughter — got to feel him too. He’d been wild that day — the strongest kicks I’ve felt so far, and they were everywhere! Above my belly button, across my left side, and way down low too, putting real pressure on my lower abdomen. The day before, I’d had a strange pulling sensation on my left side — it reminded me of ovulation pain. I think it was just the way he was lying. Possibly transverse for a moment, though who knows with these little acrobats.

In between all the walking and kicking, I’ve been busy nesting — the thrifty way. I’ve found some absolute bargains on Vinted and Facebook Marketplace. So many of baby boy’s clothes are already sorted, and I’ve ticked off a big chunk of my essentials list — all for a fraction of the cost of buying brand new. I still need to get a baby wrap and carrier, the pushchair, and maybe a few 3.5 tog swaddle bags for winter, but honestly, I feel so prepared already. It’s such a different feeling this time around — not rushing, just steadily gathering and getting ready.

There’s still a long way to go, but these moments — sharing his kicks with the people who love him most, walking in Louis’s footsteps, falling asleep in a tent by the sea — they make everything feel a little more grounded, a little more real.

Here’s to the next few weeks — and a few more kicks to keep reminding me that he’s growing stronger every day.

16 Weeks Pregnant: A Baby Boy and a Heart Full of Hope

After three blissful weeks away—starting with our wedding in Santorini and followed by an all-American road trip honeymoon across six incredible states—returning to London marked a whole new chapter of this pregnancy. I was 16 weeks pregnant, and there was no denying it anymore… I was showing! My bump had grown noticeably during those weeks abroad, and as I unpacked our cases, it dawned on me: my wedding dress absolutely wouldn't fit me now!

It’s funny, because while we were cruising along in our RV from Cruise America around the 14-week mark, I started to feel the faintest flutters. Baby flutters. At least, I thought that’s what they were. I’d never experienced quickening in either of my previous pregnancies with Leo or Louis before 20 weeks, so 14 weeks felt really early. There was no real pattern to them—some days there was movement, others there was nothing—but they were there. Soft little flicks that made me stop and smile.

At night, I was also feeling stretching pains—sharp, shooting sensations mainly when I was lying down. Everything felt like it was expanding and growing, which I suppose it was! At 15 weeks, I felt more of those tell-tale flutters. And one particular day in Nashville, I was certain our baby was dancing in response to cold drinks. It was such a reassuring little moment in amongst the constant swirl of excitement and anxiety.

Back in London, I knew I was at the point where I could book a gender scan. But before anything, I needed to speak to my midwife. I was expecting a referral back to Fetal Medicine and my consultant team around this time too. My 16-week check-up was booked for Monday 16th June 2025—the first proper appointment since we’d returned.

We heard baby’s heartbeat officially for the first time at that check-up. We’d been listening at home with our Doppler since 14 weeks, but hearing that whoosh-whoosh sound in the clinic was incredibly comforting. I shared my concerns about fluid levels around baby. It was around this gestation in my pregnancy with Louis that we first noticed things weren't right, and I was terrified history might repeat itself. Thankfully, my midwife contacted Worcester Hospital, and they offered me a scan for the following week—24th June.

But waiting felt impossible. I needed reassurance now. So I booked a private scan at Peek A Baby—the same clinic we’d visited for Louis’s gender scan and again earlier this pregnancy. We went on Thursday 19th June, filled with nervous anticipation. As soon as baby popped up on the screen, I could see how much he'd grown since our 12-week scan. And then came the moment I’d been so sure of all along… we were told we were having a boy! I’d felt it from the start. The symptoms mirrored my pregnancies with Leo and Louis so closely that I just knew. And I was right.

The fluid levels looked normal, too—another wave of relief. Graham was thrilled. This is his first boy, and I could see how much that meant to him.

A few days later, on the 24th, we attended our scan at Worcester Hospital. The moment my consultant from my pregnancy with Louis appeared and called my name, I felt instantly reassured. She gave me a hug the second we rounded the corner, and we walked into a room filled with the same familiar team. It was emotional, grounding, and oddly healing.

This scan felt like the ultimate test. If she was happy, I could finally exhale. Baby boy looked perfect on the screen, fluid levels normal, measurements on track. We even got a sneak peek at the heart, which looked healthy—a deeper heart scan was already scheduled for 8th July, but even the initial look gave us hope. She smiled and said, “It doesn’t look like you need us.”

I walked out of that appointment feeling lighter than I had in months. Two reassuring scans in five days—both saying baby was okay. That was all I needed.

That night, I opened the storage boxes with Leo’s baby clothes. I began sorting through them, washing and folding those tiny outfits with fresh joy. For the first time in this pregnancy, it all felt real. Hopeful. We are having a baby boy—and I’m allowing myself to believe we might just bring him home.

💙 16 weeks and falling in love with our son, one flutter at a time.

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