for the interest of non-pregnant people

[deird1]

Something I've been curious about for years, and never been able to get a satisfactory answer to? What it feels like when a baby is kicking you. So, now I'm here to enlighten those of you who've also wondered this for years.


I'm only at 22 weeks, so, for the record, we're not talking the standard movie kicking, where the pregnant lady grimaces, holds her side, and mentions how much they're kicking again. This is... slightly less dramatic, and slightly weirder.

There are currently three kicking stages.

Stage 1: Wizz-Fiz

Aussies will be familiar with Wizz Fizz. For the rest of you: it's a really fine sherbety powder that's insanely fizzy and makes your whole mouth feel like it's full of tingly foam.

Picture that, but in your intestines.


Stage 2: Random heavy heartbeats

You know how, sometimes, your heart will start thumping really dramatically and you can feel it pounding in your chest?

A couple of beats of that, but again - somewhere south of your navel.


Stage 3: Shifting body parts

I am currently sitting on a couch. A few minutes ago, my belly suddenly moved a good inch to the right, without warning me about it. I just... felt things decide to move and settle in a different location.

Imagine your breasts suddenly arranging themselves in a different position to how your bra normally holds them, and you'll sort of get the idea.


The thing with this is, it's not like you spend a week at stage 1, then a week at stage 2, and so on. A few weeks ago, the most dramatic karate kicks this kid could do were only going to register as stage 1 from my perspective. Now, huge kicks are more of a stage 3 thing, nonchalant poking is stage 2, and the tiniest fidgets are stage 1.

...and occasionally they settle down and I go back to being a totally normal human being who happens to have an enormous tummy.

Comments

[velvetwhip]

Whoa!

Gabrielle

[deird1]

It's weird...

[just_ann_now]

*waves from Friends-of-Friends* Hello!

A few minutes ago, my belly suddenly moved a good inch to the right, without warning me about it.

One time the baby kicked my dog off of my belly. My dog looked at me like, "What was that for?"

[deird1]

Hee! I'm sure my cat would be doing the same.

*waves* Hi!

[slaymesoftly]

The first time I felt my first baby move I freaked out. "What the hell.... gah!" It took a little thinking to realize that I didn't have an alien ready to burst through my chest and that it was okay that there was this little thing squirming around inside me. Got over it. :)

[deird1]

It's interesting how quickly you get used to this downright strange concept. :)

[immer_am_lesen]

The 'stage 3' can be fun to suddenly see your whole belly go blo-o-o-o-rp very high up, then settle...then roll from one side to the next...but the swift jabs can be distinctly uncomfortable.
My obstetrician showed me how to tell which bit's the head, and which is the bum. Very entertaining. :-)

[deird1]

Bizarre!

Still haven't experienced swift jabs. The kidlet will need to get a bit stronger, first.

[immer_am_lesen]

Yep- his comment "so if there's a bum-crack where a head should be, that's not good!" had me laughing and going 'oww' (as laughing hurts)

Oh, I dunno, I reckon your kidlet will be giving you the ol' one-two soon enough. This one has been doing it to me for aaages, vicious little critter.
Looking forward to hearing about yours. ;-)

[zeborah]

The thing with this is, it's not like you spend a week at stage 1, then a week at stage 2, and so on. A few weeks ago, the most dramatic karate kicks this kid could do were only going to register as stage 1 from my perspective. Now, huge kicks are more of a stage 3 thing, nonchalant poking is stage 2, and the tiniest fidgets are stage 1.

...and occasionally they settle down and I go back to being a totally normal human being who happens to have an enormous tummy.

My first thought: Oh, so like aftershocks then.

My second thought: ...Well yeah, that'd be why Rūaumoko, the god of earthquakes, is a baby in the womb of Papatūānuku.

[deird1]

Interesting...

[lirazel]

Oooh! Thank you for sharing such specific details! I have a fascination with pregnancy, so I love this stuff. It sounds like Wizz-Fizz might feel similar to the way Pop Rocks feel--like tiny painless fireworks going off in your mouth?

[deird1]

Something along those lines, yes. :)

[immer_am_lesen]

...more like...a mouthful of tiny foamy bubbles, less 'fireworks'. Like...very very fine lemonade bubbles, perhaps? (though if you're not Aussie I probably need to say 'soda' or 'pop'...)

Imagine that in your tummy. I think the closest you could come as a non-pregnant person is to have some sort of mild digestive complaint that's making your tummy bubble. ;-)