Palpating the Baby

[GinaRae]

Anyone else ever palpate to see what position the babe's in, etc? Last night I was playing around because the babe seemed to be pushing full body against my stomach. I know my midwife finds the baby at our appointments, so I suppose I should be able to.

I could be really wrong here, but even with all my fat, I could still make out what seemed to be baby head down and could feel the butt and leg curving off to the side.

I had hubby feel and was surprised the baby put up with it all without moving in protest. In fact, it wasn't until after we stopped playing with him that s/he started moving around.

[melissakc]

I felt a butt last week! Well, I think I did.

I think the baby is transverse most of the time. I know it doesn't matter this early but it's making me nervous. I'll ask about that at my next MW appt. on Friday.

[Hezzy]

I feel around a lot, and sometimes I can feel a big section that I assume is the back. Especially when, like you said, the baby seems to be pushing out really hard.

I asked my midwife at my last appointment if she could tell what position the babe was in. I was about 23 weeks. She said no, but that she would be able to by the next appointment. I don't think it was a matter of feeling through excess material, but more related to the baby's size. But she did mention that my abdominal muscles were pretty taut, and maybe that was interfering. (Not that I've done anything to get them that way - I have a fairly athletic build, but really it's just that most of my flab is on the back side ).

I can't wait to be able to feel body parts!

[sorteep]

I've got head up under my right ribs and butt down below with back against right side.. hopefully he/she will go head down soon...

[Valerieg]

Have you ladies checked out www.spinningbabies.com? It's great for helping you to figure out where the baby is in there.

My little one is head down, back is on the left, kicking up towards the right.

[moonchiald]

When the baby was smaller I could feel his whole back. Now I just keep feeling this round lump that I can't define. He has spent a lot of time transverse up until now. He is in a new position everytime I check so I think he is just flipping around too much right now for me to be able to tell. :

I am assuming he is transverse or head up because I feel most of the movement lower down, and I am assuming that is his feet.

I am looking forward to being able to tell what is what.

[Monkeybutt]

I've been trying. I feel him I have no idea as to what part o f him! Ill check out that link!

[GinaRae]

I also feel a lot of movement down low, but even when babe is head down, so I never know whether it's head up or down without feeling it or being told.

A week or so ago way low by my c/s scar I felt what I thought might be an arm/elbow combo. It felt like babe was way way low, and when I felt that I thought maybe head into cervix. But yet, with babe being so thin at this age, it COULD have been a leg/knee maybe??? I just don't know.

[gamitzer]

We are also just guessing at this point. We can tell when he's up front or floating toward the back, but we haven't picked out specific parts yet. One day my wife touched her belly and thought she felt something with either toes or fingers, but it moved soon after she touched. How cool! I'll have to check out that site above.

[Curlita]

Wow, the Spinning Babies site is amazing! My last doula had gone to one of their workshops. Dylan lined himself up nicely for a occiput anterior birth... except for the cord around his neck.

I remember at the end of my last pregnancy being able to figure out where his butt and head were at a given point in time, but I'm not quite there yet with this one. He's still all over the place.

[Googy]

Originally Posted by Valerieg

Have you ladies checked out www.spinningbabies.com? It's great for helping you to figure out where the baby is in there.

My little one is head down, back is on the left, kicking up towards the right.

Awesome link!

[brooklyn_warbler]

i've looked at spinning babies a couple of times but i cannot for the life of me figure out how owlie is positioned most of the time, although sometimes i think i can figure out the curve his/her back/butt. i assume s/he's still too little. usually i feel the biggest kicks down low though so i assume s/he's not head-down yet. yesterday was the first time i felt kicking like up near my ribs and it was nutty, so i'm in no rush for him/her to switch. it's still so early anyway.

[Undercover Hippie]

I palpate every night before I go to bed... usually I can make a guess at where the head and butt are, or a few other little body parts. Usually his head is up on my right side and he's angled down toward my left. But he still changes position all the time. I can't remember when they start settling into a nice head-down position and staying there?

Last night when I was palpating, baby punched me everywhere I put my hands. Then I had DH try it and sure enough, anywhere he pushed, within about 10 seconds babe would punch him there. It was really funny!

[dcgrl]

Tara, I think I read that it's around 32 weeks when the baby settles (hopefully) head-down.

I can't figure out what's in there. I'm assured it's a baby, but who really knows?

[GinaRae]

hehehe, hubby and I joke with the kids that it could be a puppy or something

[Valerieg]

I'm glad you liked the link. They changed the format since I was PG with DD but I still love checking it out.

My baby is undoubtedly head down and has been for about two weeks. I feel like hands and fingers down low and huge knees and kicks on the top right. The head (obviously) is still floating and sometimes will be to the right or to the left. Last night it was on the right and causing me some serious discomfort!

[sorteep]

aweeeesommmeeee link THANKS! I will add some of the things I am not yet doing to my repertoire!

[pixiesmommy]

Mine is all over the place- I feel just as much "slithering" past as I do kicks and bulges.

One question though- when you're drawing the map with the quadrants, is the intersection where your navel is??

[myjulybabes]

At this stage, I'm still having a hard time telling the head from the butt. One or the other is right below my ribs on the right side. Pretty sure it's the butt, at least today, because I'm feeling the most movement higher up, so I'm assuming that's the legs.

Of course now that I went poking around trying to see if I could find her head at the other end, she's gone nuts swimming around and I can't find any distinct parts. Stubborn little thing!

[GinaRae]

I've had no head in the ribs thing yet with this lil one, but it could be because I just turned 24 weeks and so when I catch up to all of you, I could be having the same problem.

Though it would be nice to never experience that! Jack used to shove himself up under my ribs so far. I looked so awkward leaning waaay back and to the side to find relief or constantly pushing down on babe to dislodge him only to have him push back.