distinguising body parts when he moves in my belly

[CloudBee]

For the past few days I have felt much stronger movement. If I rub my belly to wake him up (this works now!) I sense that he's stretching and then curling up.

I feel what seems like an apple on one side of my belly, but feel what must be hands/feet touching me in other areas.

Is this round, firm apple-like thing I'm feeling his bottom? Or is it his head?

Even if you have an ultrasound the day you feel movement, how do you know which body part is which?

[BAMFMrsB]

My OB was able to just feel his parts. He was head down and his bum was sticking out above my belly area. So when he stretched his arms out (holy wow) I knew where they were, around my ribs.

It was amazing.

[Brie]

I tried so hard but could never really figure it out. I could feel him sticking out lumps and bumps but never knew if it was an elbow or a knee or what.

[kangaroo11]

I really had no idea what was what until my last ultrasound (33 weeks). I had thought baby was transverse, because I would get hard spots on completely opposite sides of my stomach. But the ultrasound tech was able to point out where the different parts were and tell me that baby was head down. I figure those parts are still in the same position. Anything up near my ribs is one of the feet and the one near my belly button is a hand. I think I have a shoulder in my hips because I'm getting some badass pain down there and the heartbeat was really loud at my OB appt this morning.

[dcn]

I never figured it out, even with ultrasounds! Now I'm pretty sure he was kicking, not punching, my ribs the last 6 weeks or so based on how he never stops kicking now haha.

[Saudade]

I never could figure it out. I know he was head down but that's it.

[Deleted]

My baby is head down and has been. I believe what i feel moving around is her behind and maybe back but she is so large and folded up according to the ultrasounds that it must be her behind and baby sure does have back. I cant figure out the hands and feet though. They feel the same.

[Deleted]

I had a hard time with it until she was clearly head down beginning around 32 weeks as PPs have said. Even then it was still pretty tough.

[kittycatlove]

I had ultrasounds every two weeks up till 28weeks, so the tech would tell me the position of the baby. If I didn't have them I'm not sure I would have been able to figure it out. The way he was positioned though DS was always stretching and it ended up being his little butt that would poke out

[knitty]

Next OB appointment, get them to describe what they're feeling when they feel your belly and let you feel it too.

[knitty]

Dec 20, 2012 19:07:15 GMT -5 incogneato said:

My yoga teacher said if you can feel a big lump, grab it and see if it wobbles. Heads wobble, butts don't. All the FTMs were bug eyed and she went, "Oh, just WAIT until you see how the doctors fling those babies around!"

I laughed.

My midwife showed me that, it was crazy!

[ilikedonuts]

I wasn't able to tell specific parts until like 32ish weeks when DD dropped. They move around so much that they could easily move within the time between an ultrasound and when you feel movement 10 minutes later. Especially when they are smaller.

My favorite was when she would turn around completely and I could see my entire belly just flop over especially the days leading up to her birth when she was so big.

[Deleted]

Dec 20, 2012 14:07:19 GMT -5 Brie said:

I tried so hard but could never really figure it out. I could feel him sticking out lumps and bumps but never knew if it was an elbow or a knee or what.

This.

[Deleted]

My OB was able to tell me towards the middle of the third tri.

[dumbledore826]

I could always tell where his tush was, bc it would get wedged under my rib cage and I could have to move it out. And when he had hiccups, his shoulder would hit the inside of my hipbone. Hands and feet.......no idea. EVER.

[catbus]

I was horrible at figuring out what was what. E flipped from head-down to frank breech at 37 weeks (little stinker) and at that point I had a slight feeling something was "off," but only because I was suddenly much more uncomfortable... which happens when a full-term fetus's head is digging into your ribs, apparently.

But yeah, head vs. butt... knees vs. elbows... they all felt the same to me.

[nonsenseabound]

I never could figure it out except one time. DD took her hand and scratched inside my belly from one side to the other and it made me jump out of my chair. Otherwise it was just an appendage hitting me.