Baby spin cycle? What IS he doing in there? :)

[Vermillion]

So I know my title is totally, weird but it's honestly the first thing I can think of to describe these movements. Every now and then (like, once a week for a few weeks now) it feels like my little guy is on the washing machine spin cycle. He'll suddenly vibrate back and forth or up and down with some pretty fierce force! It only lasts a few seconds and then all is well again. The first time I felt it I panicked a little... thinking something happened... that he was maybe in distress. The next couple of times I felt a little calmer, as he goes back to normal after... but it's still odd.

Any thoughts on my vibrating, jumpy baby? I never felt this kind of movement with my first, so I have no idea!

ETA: So my lazy butt googled this and it turns out that by 24 weeks some babies will have the startle reflex, and all of them will by 28. Since it started around 24/25 weeks, I am guessing the mystery is solved and my little guy is getting startled! Amazing that I have a have a 9 year old and I'm not exactly a newb... but this is new info for me! But like I said, my older son NEVER did this... I don't even think he has a startle reflex actually... only like to cause it in others!

Edited by Vermillion - 10/5/11 at 8:50am

[cameragirl]

They do startle some, and they also like to jump and kick around a lot. I was cracking up at my last ultrasound at being able to see what I was feeling. When I was really pregnant with DD, I went to a basketball game. My boss had season tickets, and we were seated right above the player's wives. It was awesome, except that every single time the buzzer went off, DD would freak out and I'd have to pee. Then it was a huge hike up the stairs, a wait in line, and back down the stairs. I think she was definitely getting startled.

[MaJoie]

Way back in 1977 when I was pregnant with DS1 I was working the graveyard shift in a hospital for emotionally disturbed kids. I drank about 2 pots of coffee a day because I had to stay awake all night. It never occured to me that my baby was also getting dosed with caffeine. But just about the time I got home showered and went to bed he would start running a marathon. Whe it was time for me to sleep he wouldn't let me. After he was born I continued to work the same shift. He sometimes had trouble settling down to sleep. I had no idea he was also getting caffeine in my breast milk. It wasn't until long after he was weaned that I learned that caffeine could cross the placental barrier and also would be in my breast milk.