I was really excited to get to about 16 weeks or so, knowing that at any point between then and 20 weeks is when I would start feeling the baby move. I tried to find out a lot of information - when, how it feels, how do I know, etc. It's most often described as "fluttering", or like bubbles, a lot of women mistake it for gas or hunger. I had also read that you could feel it easiest when you were still and paying attention, if you're busy during the day you're more likely to miss it because the movement is so slight.
So for about the last week I've been taking more time to try and feel things. At one point I was slouched over in my chair at work and thought I had felt something. Then I straightened up and realized that it was more like my diaphragm than my uterus that was actually moving. I ended up going thru the weekend thinking maybe I had felt something here or there, but not ever really being sure, seeing as I've never actually felt anything quite like a baby moving inside my own body.
On Tuesday afternoon, I happened to be sitting at my desk and felt sort of what I had felt here and there over the weekend. And then it happened again. And again. And then some more. I was pretty sure at that point that it's really what I thought it was, that baby was a-movin'! It was pretty much like gas moving around in your tummy, or I could see how people describe it as fluttering. It feels a little like being really nervous, when your stomach is just all aflutter and you just can't calm it down. More than anything tho, it literally feels like someone poking very softly from the inside. Like any normal person, that of course called to mind the scene from Alien where the baby alien pops out of the guy's chest, which made me chuckle a little bit. For the rest of the afternoon it was a little distracting, little bubble feelings every few minutes, I wasn't honestly sure if I liked it or not.
Then I got home and tried to feel it some more, and realized I really couldn't. I think I feel it more when I'm sitting up, or scrunched up, giving the baby a little less room to move around. This would explain why I can feel it more at work. There must be tons of space still (I would hope so, there's still lots to grow!) because yesterday I didn't really feel Baby much at all, at work or otherwise. I was a little bit concerned, but today's been fairly active, so I think Baby must have just moved a little closer to the surface again or something. I've actually been feeling the baby on the right side, stronger than before, all in the same area, like s/he's practicing kicking a target or something. It actually feels like an intentional jab, instead of just a soft tapping. I think I'm over wondering if I like it or not. I pretty definitely like it. I feel like I'm sharing something with this little thing that I really hadn't before, almost like a little bit of communication, Baby just letting me know that s/he's there.
On a side note, I'm really going to have to figure out a pronoun for this kid. We're not going to find out if it's a boy or girl, and I'm getting to not like referring to the baby as "it", and the whole "s/he" thing seems silly and like too much work. Suggestions anyone?
5 comments:
Ann, I love your commentary.
We have called them squirt, bubbles, peanut, munchkin. Be creative, it could stick as a nickname! :) Congrats I am excited you felt the little one!
Ann, I feel your dilemna. I too hate "it" and "he-she"...so we pre-named our babies with gender-neutral names we knew would never use after they were born. Eve's code name was "Sammy" and Makenna was "Baby Jammin" (a combination of Jim and Jan, the names Steph and I would have had if our genders were reversed).
Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I love reading your blog its so informative and makes me laugh at the same time. I love the part about the Alien movie... one of my favs you know. Anyways for a name I have no idea... we always called my cousin "little man" but then again we knew my aunt was having a boy.
My vote would be Baby Rosen!
And you're probably not interested in my guessing, but I put dibs on the fact that you're having a boy! :) From my experience, the karate moves already start in the womb for a boy. I felt like the kid was going to come out my throat for my first one, which was a boy! :)
Then again, my second kid didn't kick at all. Even right up to the minute before he entered the world, the nurse said, "It's got a heartbeat of a girl...." (I wasn't too thrilled, I wanted another boy!) .... and sure enough, it was a boy!
All this to say, take people's opinions with a grain of salt. Including mine about the gender! :) It's just fun to guess!
I'd go with Roz as baby's nickname; like the fiesty security guard from Night court.
It would be a nice rival subject to Peter's JLP :)
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