Something I miss about pregnancy (among other things) is the feeling of my son moving around in my belly. I remember the first time it happened. I was talking and suddenly I stopped mid-sentence while my friends looked on, wondering if something was wrong. “Oh my gosh, I feel the baby moving!” I exclaimed. I thought I had felt something in the car just minutes earlier, but I wasn’t sure if I was feeling the baby or the vibration of driving through bumpy road construction. After a pause, I felt it again. A small helicopter was buzzing around in there, occasionally bumping into the sides. It felt a little heftier than a butterfly. I imagined the baby swimming around haphazardly, kicking and punching whatever got in the way. After about ten minutes, he stopped swimming around, and over the next few weeks, I only had the pleasure of feeling him move a few times.
Before long, the helicopter started feeling more like someone was flicking me in the stomach with their finger. On more than one occasion I found myself looking up as though I’d see someone poking me. I found it odd that getting poked on the inside didn’t feel much different than getting poked on the outside.
One evening, while watching TV with my husband, he leaned over and rested his head on my belly. A few moments later he got a swift kick in the jaw! We correctly predicted his personality that night. Everything makes sense now that we know our son and his antics.
It was really special when my dad got to feel his grandson kick for the first time. I was hanging out at my parents house and laying down on the couch on my side. We could all see the side of my tummy popping up periodically as though my son were jumping up and down in there. He kicked Grandpa as hard as he could. It always seemed as though he was very territorial. Whenever someone would touch my belly, no matter where – left or right side, he would move to that side and give them a swift kick. It was as though he was telling everyone, “get off! This is my mama!”
Near the end of my pregnancy, you could see my entire belly move from across the room. Elbows and knees would roll across, creating a wave across my belly. Sometimes a series of kicks would have my belly literally bouncing on my lap. It was pretty funny to watch!
What was it like for you the first time you felt your baby move? Did you sense your baby’s personality from the way they moved around in your belly?