Conference moira::parenting

    Could it be the hiccups? 

    
    That was my first reaction...the hiccups.  I'll never forget the first
    time I felt Michael have the hiccups inside me. It made me chuckle when 
    I figured it out.
    
    Chris
    

Hiccups is most probable. Then there is nothing to worry about. 
I am surprised it lasts about 10-15 minutes.
I will conform that with the Doctor also.
Thanks,
Ravi

    When my wife was going for frequent non-stress test with child #3, she
    was always told "press the button every time you feel movement". So she
    did. For 30 minutes worth of hiccups! It was the most regular pattern
    on the tape... kind of amazing, she said! When the nurse finally came
    in to check her (they were a bit busy that day), she gasped and told
    her she hadn't needed to press the button for hiccups! Oh, well....
    
    One other thing I've heard, is that hiccups is a sign of a healthy
    baby. If htey are not healthy, or are having difficulty, then the body
    suppresses the hiccups to channel that energy into becoming healthy.
    Apparently hiccups take a lot of energy for that tiny little baby!
    Don't know how true this is, but it was an OB nurse who told us.
    
    --dave--

    Charlotte was the in-utero hicccup champion. At least once or 
    twice a day it was thump, thump, thump. And now the same thing
    after she was born. She's had hiccups more often in 13 weeks than
    I've had in my entire life! 
    
    Monica
    

    If it's a quick rhytmic motion, the baby could be rocking itself. 
    Kat used to do this -- after she was born, even the day she was
    born, she'd lie on her back and draw her knees up to her chest and
    then straighten them, like kicking.  I guess she liked the motion
    or something.  It was the same rhythm that used to drive me crazy
    the last couple of months of the pregnancy, so I presume she was
    doing it in utero.  
    
    I used to joke that she was going to grow up to be a basketball --
    not far off, as she was a gymnast and is now a dancer...
    
    --bonnie

My wife is not unduly worried, but just concerned, about the movents our baby
is making inside her.

It's not the occasional soccer kick that concern her, nor the flurry of punches,
not even the vicious headbutts, but it ALWAYS seems to be squirming around.
It just doesn't stop!  First it's on the left hand side, then it gets bored and
moves over to the right, and then it decides to turn base over apex ( or vica
versa ) until it gets bored with that too and then... ( get the message ).

Also it likes to play a couple or games with us.  The first one is that it will
be in the middle of having a good old wrestling match with its placenta but will
stop immediately my hand touches her stomach.  The second one is a little more
subtle.  It pretends to be asleep when we go to sleep but as soon as we turn
off the light and settle down it starts it's keep-fit exercises.  Finally, when
my wife is in an important meeting it again pretends to be asleep but gives a
vicious upper-cut just at a critical point, making my wife cry out in pain, and
making everybody turn and look at her.

After my ( hopefully ) humorous account above, I just have a couple of
questions:

1.  Is this normal behavour ?  Have any other noters come across this sort of
    behavour ?

2.  Does this mean it is likely to be hyperactive when it eventually ( middle /
    later November ) pops out and says hello to the great wide world ?

3.  Is there anything we can do to placate it ?  Would music, rubbing it, warm
    baths help ?


Regards

Steven and Jane and lump

They say babies "slow down" in the last month.  Well, I have 3 weeks
to go, and she's bouncing around as much as before, if not more.

I've resorted to the rocking chair several nights in a row.  About
20 minutes of straight rocking seems to lull her to sleep, then I
can sleep too.  Let's hope this technique has value once she's born, too!

--Jennifer

    re:-2
    
    Both my kids were "squirmers" in utero. Neel (our 3.5 month old son)
    was more of a squirmer than Avanti (3 year old daughter). Neel loved to
    squirm and stay put just under my ribs - I could feel this huge "lump"
    under my chest and could not sit any other way than erect. Each time I
    slumped, this "lump" would prevent me from doing so. He did kick a lot
    as well but squirmed more. I would gently massage/rub the area on my
    tummy that was bulging and it made Neel squirm away to another area
    only to return. He seemed to love that spot - it did hurt me a lot due
    to the constant friction inside.
    
    Shaila
    
    P.S. Both my kids are squirmers even after birth. 

    My first, Chris (2 years old yesterday), barely moved inside of me. He
    would squirm for 15 minutes as I settled down to sleep. But other than
    that, he was calm. He is pretty active now, and hates to sit still.
    
    Kevin, our second, who will be 4 months this Sunday, was an acrobat
    inside of me. He was alot like your description of your "lump". He
    is a very happy and calm baby now. He squirms alot with his hands and
    arms, but will sit in a carrier seat for quite a while (1/2 hour or
    more) and just talk and play. 
    
    I don't know if it means anything, by how active they are inside. I
    think it feels better when they move around more, because then you 
    at least know that they are alive and well!!!!  It use to bother me,
    that Chris didn't move around alot, but I knew he was fine once I
    settled down for the evening.
    
    -Sheila
    

    
    Michael was VERY active while I was pregnant, especially about 8 mos
    along. It was like his head was going to pop out the side of my belly!
    You could see the whole outline of it protruding out my side!
    
    And he had turned out to be a pretty active baby now at 10 mos. old!
    Constantly on the go, go, go,...Squirmy, stubborn, etc...!
    Somedays it takes "2" of us, and all our strength (and patience) to
    get the little guy dressed! He's one strong kid! (I better start
    working out soon,. or he'll be kicking my butt at 2yrs!)
    
    Chris
    

    Kat was extremely active in utero.  It used to feel like she was
    running track laps around the inside of my belly.  There were
    times I could count the ripples of both hands and both feet at the
    same time, so hard they were visible outside.  
    
    I wouldn't say she was hyperactive as a kid, though she was very
    very active and NEVER sat still -- she'd put herself in a
    headstand in the chair to watch TV, or do splits on the floor. 
    Wound up doing gymnastics and now dance as what appears to be a
    livetime avocation.  
    
    Steven was pretty rough in utero and is active but not
    exceptionally so.  David was more mellow before birth, and remains
    so after birth.
    
    --bonnie

Hi.  Im currently 19 weeks pregnant and have had no feeling of baby movement
yet.  Im a little concerned.  At what time did you feel movement for the first
time?  Hearing the heartbeat once a month is very re-assuring but Id feel alot
better if I could feel this baby move.  This is my first pregnancy so Im very
new to all of this...

Thank You
Maureen Kane

    Maureen,
    
    Everyone is different. Usually the first time, it takes a while to
    feel, because you don't really know what you are feeling. I think
    the first time, I didn't feel movement until the 21st week. I'm
    positive that there was movement before that, but I didn't really
    know if it was the real thing or not, since I had never experienced
    it before.
    
    The second time, I felt it around the 18th week, and my doctor told
    me I didn't. Believe me, it was movement, having been through it
    with the first baby, I knew what it felt like. 
    
    You should feel it in the next couple of weeks, but who knows, your
    baby may not be very active. So as long as you hear the heartbeat,
    everything will be fine. Good luck,
    
    Sheila
    

    Hi Maureen,
    
    If you are anything like most Mothers-to-be, you must lay ther is bed
    at night with your hands on your tummy just wanting to feel SOMETHING!
    When I was 18 wks with my last one it felt like little air bubbles 
    floating around, but it was the baby. At 20 wks is when I really FELT
    it. The baby felt like it did a flip and then bunched up to the
    left of my tummy. Most of the time when the babies are that small
    they seem to stay to one side of your tummy.
    So, if you think you feel movement of any kind keep your hands on that
    area.
    Also, when you are active during the day you are not likely to feel
    anything for a few more weeks.
    
    Good luck and enjoy!!
    
    Sherry

    I was 19 weeks when I KNEW I felt something...but....upon noticing it
    I realized (1st time---didn't know what it felt like) I had in fact 
    felt it before....attributed it to gas, stomache gurgles....whatever.
    It didn't feel like a BABY anyway...so I ignored it.  You may have 
    felt it already....and you will feel it soon I bet.
    
    
    

    
    
    Like the others have said, everyone is different.  I felt my first
    between 21 and 22 weeks.  That is when I was sure I felt the baby 
    move.  I also had the butterfly feeling and bubble feeling but did
    not think it was anything other than gas.  
    
    It will happen soon.
    
    Best of luck.  Lisa

    
    
    Maureen,
    
      You might find this hard to believe, but it is the truth, With my
    first I felt nothing the whole nine months. Doctors say either I have
    thick skin or the baby was asleep when I was awake and maybe when I was
    sleeping he kicked then and I never felt him.
    
    With my second I felt kicking around 19-20 weeks...
    
    Lynne

    I was sure at the 20 week mark with my first. In fact, it was about
    2 days before my Drs. appt. (I was getting nervous and planned to 
    discuss it with them). It was a definite, repetative (although light)
    kick in the belly. Afterwards, I realized I had probably felt something
    before, but just wasn't sure. I'm presently 20 weeks along with #2 and 
    felt movement (albeit random and very light) at about 15 1/2 weeks. 

    Hi Maureen,
    
    First....don't worry!  I didn't feel anything until the 24th week and
    then what I felt wasn't anything like I thought it was gonna be.  I
    guess gas would be the best word, but it was so low....and I mean
    really low.  I thought I was passing gas out my vaginal area and
    couldn't for the life of me figure out what was going on.  I called
    the doctor and was trying to explain to him the sensation...when he
    laughed and said "Lori, thats the baby moving down by your cervix"...
    I still couldn't believe it, but within a couple more weeks the
    movements were more defined.
    
    Chelsea was the most mellow baby during my pregnancy.  I would go to
    sleep at night and wake up in tears in the morning, because I never
    felt her once throughout the entire night.  I was monitored from week
    30 on becuase my doctor knew I was concerned (he really wasn't), but
    he didn't want me to worry.  She would only move a little bit during
    the day too.  I figured she was either gonna be the worlds most mellow
    baby or she was saving up to give me her all after birth.  She's a
    little pistol, thats for sure....but one who has been sleeping thru
    the night since 2 weeks and at 5 months she usually does a solid 10-
    11 hours each night.
    
    Don't worry...soon the baby will be bouncing off your walls!
    
    ...Lori

thank you for all of your replies - I really have been getting anxious and have
been waking up every morning wondering... will it happen today...

My next doctors appointment isnt until my 22nd week so with any luck the baby
will make some kind of movement by then - but I still worry...

Maureen

    Maureen,
    
    Get use to worrying...I think its part of the joy of being pregnant!
    
    When we got pregnant I worried about getting thru the first trimester.
    With IVF they really watch your closely.  I had bleeding from the 8th
    thru 11th week.  Once I made it thru that, my OB wanted to do a amnio.
    So of course I worried about the test....when the test was done I was
    anxious for the results.  Finally thru that phase, I found myself
    worrying about the baby not moving enough....but she did and most
    important, she had a healthy heartbeat...of course there were a few
    appointments when she would hide and the nurse couldn't find the
    heartbeat....finally she did and I could resume breathing.  When we
    were finally close it seemed like I spent a lot of time worrying about
    labor and delivery and the baby making it out okay.
    
    Bottom line....imbetween all this worrying was the constant joy and
    excitement of being pregnant, carrying this blessing, looking forward
    to parenthood, buying little clothes and decorating the nursery,
    sharing this wonderful time in my life with hubby..family..and friends.
    
    Add it all up = one of the best times in my life....topped of with 
                    topped off with some worries!!
    
    Good Luck!
    
    ...Lori

Well I finally felt alot of fluttering going on, on the 21st. but I kind of
thought it would continue once it started.  I havent felt anything since! I
think the baby is playing games with me!

Maureen

    Or the baby has changed position.  Be glad it's not continual or your'd
    be exhausted, too!
    
    -sandy
    

    Don't get discouraged...as Sandy pointed out, the baby changing
    positions will affect when you feel the baby move.  When I first
    started feeling movement, it would be a couple of times in one day and
    then maybe not again for a few more days.  As the baby grows, you will
    feel movement more frequently.  It starts out slowly and steadily
    increases...at least that has been my experience with both of my
    pregnancies.  You have a lot to look forward to, that fluttering will
    soon turn into little subtle kicks and then maybe some strong kicks and
    what will feel like a wave...the baby turning over, though this is
    quite a bit later.  Everyone's experiences are different based on how
    active their children are.  Just remember, it is usually gradual in the
    beginning, but soon you should feel some movement most every day, some
    days will be more so than others, it just gets better.  Good Luck with
    your pregnancy, and ENJOY!  This has been one of the most rewarding
    experiences in my life, hopefully yours will be to!
    
    Von

    
    I know what it's like to wonder about the baby when you don't feel
    any movement.  With my first pregnancy my baby was very calm and quiet,
    she rarely kicked and would roll around once in a while.  She is now
    a VERY active 20 month old!  With my current pregnancy I felt movement
    much earlier (about 18 weeks) and it has NEVER stopped.  This baby
    seems to be awake and moving all the time.  My midwife said it was good
    that my active pregnancy was my second, because if the two would have
    been reversed I would have worried even more than I did about the
    quiet baby.  
    
    Enjoy those flutters and kicks.  You'll miss them once the baby's born!
    
    Sharon

    Hi,
    
    I'm 18 weeks with my first pregnancy, and I've just started to feel
    flutters, which I assume is movement 8*).  My dr said she saw a kick as
    I was laying down at my last appointment, (I could't see a thing!)  But
    my question is, this may sound silly, but does the baby sleep when you
    sleep, or is it active and going all the time?   I feel twitches
    sometimes, but right now it's kind of hard to distinguish it from
    anything else.
    
    Michelle
    

    
    
    	It is active and going all of the time, especially when you want to
    sleep ;-)
    
    				Wendy

    AJ used to wake me up precisely at 5:30 a.m. doing his morning
    exercises!!
    
    Lyn

	I read that babies tend to get "rocked to sleep" by your
	activity, so rest more when you're moving.  Then, when you're
	still, they're awake!

	I used to notice that Emily always got going when I was in
	meetings or sitting on the couch after dinner (or after aerobics,
	which I'm sure "rocked" her ;-)  ).

	Luckily, she was pretty quiet at night after 1/2 hour or so.

	Karen

    I just wanted to reply to this note -mostly for a record for myself!!
    I am at 17 1/2 weeks and felt the baby move just now.  This is my
    3rd pregnancy so I am sure that is what I felt. The baby moved a few
    times and has now settled down again.  It is such a neat feeling! 
    I know with my firstborn I didn;t feel movement until around 24
    weeks (at least, not that I believed were really baby movements) 
    and around week 20 with baby #2.   Lila
    

    Just out of curiosity.  Does the in-utero activity of your baby
    at all determine how active it will be after birth.  I'm guessing
    not based on the past string of notes but if there is any
    correlation then I am in big trouble (ie. NONSTOP ACTIVITY!!!)
    
    Any ideas?
    
    Susan.

    From my own experience...yes, there is a correlation.  My son
    was very active before and after birth.
    
    Pam

    Angeline wouldn't stay still for the ultrasound!  The technician
    had the hardest time getting the necessary pictures of her organs.
    I'm shocked that at eight months she isn't up and running.   In
    her sleep, though, she is all over that crib and talking in her
    sleep.  No, she doesn't stop for much at all.
    
    					cj *->  

    In utero, Alex was very considerate of me during the night--no kicking,
    at least none that woke me up.  Sure enough, she was a very good
    sleeper from birth; can't remember how old she was when she slept 
    "through the night" (say 11p-6a), but I know it was at the 11# mark.
    
    Daytimes, she kicked plenty and often... and now she's a fairly
    restless and distractible kid :-) though not at bouncing-off-the-walls
    level.
    
    Leslie 

    At my 16 week amnio Alex was continuously doing forward flips (that I
    couldn't feel). I thought I'd be really sorry once he got larger but
    that never happened.  He never woke me up and his movements were alway
    rather gentle and pleasurable. Sometimes hours would go by without me
    feeling him. I wondered if he'd be an easygoing kid.  It turns out he
    sort of is.  He is very even tempered.  Everyone tires looking at him,
    however, as he is always moving but it's in an even tempered way, if
    that makes sense.  He is very active but I don't think he's hyper. He 
    runs rather than walks, finds interest in everything and moves from one 
    toy or object to the next. He laughs all the time and is quite a funny kid.
    I used to worry he wouldn't like books because he wouldn't sit still long 
    enough for that but he is calming down now and we do a book or two
    every evening before bed. He loves hugs and kisses and sitting cozy with 
    mom and/or dad. He moves very little in his sleep (though he does kick
    the covers off.) and has slept through the night since 4 months,
    sleeps til 7-7:30 every morning and takes a long nap.  
    
    

    My first son Matthew was not very active in utero, and has always been
    a very mellow, quiet boy.  My second son was much more active and has
    turned out to be a very "busy" little boy!!  (has quite a temper too!)
    Now my third child, our newborn daughter, moved quite a bit in utero
    and seemed to make me more uncomfortable with her kicks than the other
    two, but since she's only 11 days old it's a little early to tell how
    "active" she'll be. But, one thing I noticed with Sarah is that in
    utero she had hiccups alot and now seems to get them every time she
    eats!  Lila
    

    My first, Joe, was a very active baby, always on the move, and very
    much a night-child.  He still is, even at almost-seven-years.  With my
    current pregnancy, it seems that this child is perhaps even more active
    (oh, joy!!), kicking at least 10 times per hour during the day, and
    almost constantly at night.  Boy, am I in trouble or what??!
    
    M.
    

	Both of my kids were very active in the womb, and are
	very active now.  I don't have any experience with less
	active in-utero babies, but my friend at church said her
	quiet, mellow baby was very inactive in the womb.

	Karen

    I have a question.  
    
    I'm 16 weeks pregnant with my first child.  Every once in a while, I
    get these sharp pains that go from my groin area up to around my belly
    button.  Some times they're on either side, some times straight up the
    middle.
    
    Is this the baby moving??  Or is it something that I should be
    concerned about??  I have a doctor's appointment friday afternoon, so
    I'll ask him then.  But I thought I'd ask the parenting community
    first.
    
    Thanks for any help.
    
    Holly
    

    
    Holly,
    	This is more than likely pains from the ligaments in your stomache
    stretching. When you first feel the baby move it's like a little
    flutter inside your stomache. When you first feel these "flutters"
    you'll realize  you've been feeling the baby move for a while but
    didn't know it. With my first I was getting close to 20 weeks when I
    definitively felt the baby move and realized I had been feeling her
    move since about 17 weeks. With my second I felt a movement at ~15
    weeks and then not much again for a week or two and then felt them all.
    So, I wouldn't be too worried about the pains, but do mention them to
    your doctor, they want to know everything you're feeling to judge how
    everythings going.
    
    Patty

    Holly,
    
    I too had some mystery pain.  Only it was always the same pain,
    always the same location, and always doubled me over to the
    point I could not walk.  It even occured in the doctor's office
    itself (who could ask for anything more?).   Never got solved,
    didn't involve baby, went away after birth.
    
    I beleive Patty is right with yours.  When the doctor thought 
    perhaps my problem was stretching ligaments, he described symptoms
    more like yours than mine.
    
    						Regards
    						 Cindy

    Well, the pain has gotten worse this afternoon.  I called the doctor's
    office about it and the THINK that it's stretching ligaments, but since
    it's happening so often (sometimes 3-4 times in an hour) and it's so
    severe (takes my breath away!!) they decided not to take any chances.  
    They've moved my doctor's appointment up to tomorrow morning and
    they're going to do an ultrasound.
    
    Here's hoping it's just stretched ligaments!
    
    Thanks everyone for all of your help both here and in mail!
    
    Holly
    

    
    Holly,
    	I'm glad you're going to the doctor's tomorrow. My ligaments never
    caused pain so severe as to take my breath away (well maybe a tiny bit)
    and it definitely didn't happen 3-4 times in an hour. Good luck and let
    us know what happens.
    
    Patty

    Well.. I just came back from the doctor's office and everything is fine
    except for one thing.  I guess the placenta is laying right on top of
    my cervix.  He said that COULD be the problem, combined with the
    stretching ligaments.  He also took a urine sample to see if I have a
    urinary track or bladder infection (something that i'm prone to).
    
    Also, it seems that they miscalculated my due date.  I'm not due until
    September 7th.  Only 13.5 weeks along. )-:
    
    The ultra sound is SO neat!  I can't feel the baby move yet, but boy it
    was squirming all over the place for the ultra sound!!
    
    Thanks everyone for all of your advice.  
    
    Holly
    

    
    A little off the subject, but your comment caught my eye
    
	>He also took a urine sample to see if I have a
    	>urinary track or bladder infection (something that i'm prone to).
    
    from someone who USED to be prone to them.  One thing that's made all
    the difference in the world for me, has been to get up after sex, and
    make sure that you go pee.  Apparantly it helps flush out any bacteria
    that may have been "pushed up" during intercourse.
    
    Read it in a magazine, and by golly, they were right!
    
    

    re: .46
    And sometimes you don't have a choice...
    at least for me (25.5 wks pregnant), I have to pee before and after!