Wednesday, August 02, 2006

a future soccer player?

At the ultrasound last week, I mentioned to the ultrasound technician that I'd been feeling the baby move in the last few days. He quickly assured me that what I was feeling was NOT the baby, since the baby was far too small to be felt. He was quick to follow up with a "you'll feel it move in a few weeks, don't worry."

This struck me as odd, because:
(a) I was 18 and a half weeks at the time, not outrageously early from what I've heard,
(b) the feeling is rather unmistakable, and not like anything I've ever felt before, and finally,
(c) if a pregnant woman tells you she feels her baby, you DO NOT tell her that she doesn't!

People seem to describe the feeling as fluttering, but I never felt that. A couple of weeks ago I called my doctor because I was feeling a strange pressure in my lower abdomen. It would come and go, and wasn't necessarily painful, just uncomfortable. I called her because I was worried that perhaps I had a bladder infection, or was having mild contractions. She thought maybe it was my round ligaments stretching or something to do with my uterus growing, but nothing to worry about.

That weekend, the pressure continued, but was followed up with tapping coming from inside, and it was then that I realized that I'd been feeling the baby moving around. What I described as pressure must have been movements that weren't yet strong enough to feel clearly. Since last weekend, the tapping has been getting stronger and stronger.

There is no doubt in my mind that I am feeling this baby moving and shaking. All of last week, I noticed an increase in how much movement I could feel, and particularly, an increase after I ate. On the way to work one morning, I played the music loud and sang along, and felt baby kicking up a storm for the 20 minute drive.

Yesterday, though, were the strongest movements yet. I generally notice the movement most at nighttime when I collapse on the couch, but yesterday I felt baby while both sitting and walking around in my office. A couple of times, I felt hard jabs that I can only imagine are kicks, and even felt my hand move while resting it on my belly.

Armed with this knowledge, I made Josh sit next to me when he got home from the Red Sox game and rest his hand on my belly. I poked my stomach a few times, and settled in to see what happened. I did the play by play at the same time, moving his hand around, telling him when I felt the taps, and all the while he insisted that it wasn't the baby. And then, baby followed through with a beautiful hard kick aimed right at the center of his palm, and his head whipped around in shock. "I felt that!"

So last night marks the first time that baby made his presence known to daddy. I'm sure it won't be the last.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's so exciting when you realize that you've been feeling the baby move! Enjoy!

jo(e) said...

See, you are already learning one of the most important things you need to know as a parent: you know your child better than the "experts" around you.

How exciting to feel the baby moving!

I always love that part -- you really get to know the baby. My kids all had very distinct personalities in the womb.

I am so excited for you. And an active baby is a healthy baby. You feeling and noticing the baby's movements is the best way of knowing that the baby is doing well.

KLee said...

Glad to hear that baby is doing those complex formations for Josh, too. It always made me feel better when other people could feel it because then that was tangible proof that I was actually feeling what I was feeling.

Congrats!

Anonymous said...

It's the best part of pregnancy, feeling the kicks. It's a constant reminder of what -- who -- is waiting for you.

I remember the first time Dave felt Julia and Oliver kick. He used to lie for a long time with his hand or the side of his face on my belly. It's such an amazing thing to see. :)

Phantom Scribbler said...

Stupid tech. Both my kids used to kick me whenever any kind of pressure was exerted on my stomach. Used to crack us up, the way they kicked the stethoscope at OB visits.

Poke your little soccer player and tell him teh internets say hi, OK?

Unknown said...

What fun!
Silly tech person. Obviously you are particularly in touch. Sweet.

ccw said...

Ignore the tech- that's your baby!

How exciting that Josh can feel it moving too.

I felt Kid L move around 19 weeks, Baby H around 15, and Nonami around 13.

Liz Miller said...

Congrats on feeling the baby. That's just so cool!!!

My favorite feeling was when Muffin Man would get hiccups. That was later on in the pregnancy, though. The kicks and punches were always fabulous too. Less fun was when he'd kick hard into the bladder.

BTW, for all you folks who were impressed by my having extra pants with me when my water broke, I had 'em because kicks to the bladder would often cause leakage.

TMI?

Anonymous said...

How exciting! I am glad that you have gotten to experience feeling your baby move.

Piece of Work said...

Aw, that is soo sweet. The kicks were possibly the ONLY part of pregnancy that I actually appreciated.
(I'm such a whiny bitch, aren't I?)

nancy said...

Isn't that just the best?? I also felt around 18 weeks, I so fondly remember that very first 'real' kick...will never forget it. Thanx for the memory reminder, and enjoy every kick (and even the ones that will keep you awake all night).

Crunchy Domestic Goddess said...

how ridiculous that the tech told you you weren't feeling the baby. that's just awful!

and on the flipside, how wonderful that josh felt the lil one for the first time. :)

enjoy all those big and little kicks and rolls. :)

Sarcomical said...

what a jerky doctor! seriously. you are right, he should have just nodded and smiled and said "mm-hmm, wow that's nice" or something.

did the excitement just get kicked up a notch? get it? kicked? oh man. i need to go out.