1/14/11

Pregnancy Paranoia

I have often been accused of being over-analytical, researching too much, and trying to hard to understand EVERYTHING in detail. These things are very true about me. I really like to know what's going on in any situation and this has been especially true during my pregnancy. Sometimes I read to the point where I get upset. Example:

I frequent some community forums on the website TheBump.com. I like to read what other mothers who are due in June are experiencing. Lately--aside from everyone BUT ME finding out the gender of their baby--all of these women are talking about how often they feel their baby and how even their husbands are feeling the kicking and punching movements. Remember, these women are all on similar timing as me. I have yet to feel anything. UGH! I've felt the baby sloshing around in their sometimes, mostly when I'm exercising, but every night in bed I sit really still hoping to feel my little baby kick me in the gut. I know the baby is healthy, I just had an appointment this week and the heartbeat was strong and the little bugger even punched the doppler! I'm just getting a little sad that I can't feel it move in there. I know later on I'll wish I couldn't feel it sometimes, but right now I would give anything to feel it!

Part of the problem is that I have no idea what it feels like. I'm sure that I've felt the baby tons of times but I don't know how to recognize it. Tony tries to feel it move, too. It seems like every night we spend at least 30 minutes with his hand pressing on my belly to try to feel ANYTHING from this kid. Tony, learning that baby can now hear us, even tried singing songs to it last night to encourage it to move around. Nothing happens. It's kind of frustrating to know that all of these people are feeling their babies on a daily basis and some of them are not as far along as me.

I know this is totally normal, but I just needed a place to vent (whine). Thanks for listening :) I'll let you all know when I feel this kid moving around!

5 comments:

  1. I was at least 22 weeks pregnant before I was sure I was felling the baby. I couldn't tell whether is was gas or stomach aches. So many changes happen in your body that I think it's hard to tell what's going on in there.
    I'm a stresser and a major worry wart. I usually research everything but in this instance it was making me crazy. Everyone's story was SO different that I decided to just assume that everything was going fine and ask my doctor any questions. Ryan almost ripped a section out of my "What to Expect when You're Expecting." The one about all the things that can go wrong.

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  2. With all three of my pregnancies I was worried, worried, worried. I knew my babies were fine, but as each appointment came closer, I would get more and more anxious. I couldn't wait to get there and hear the doctor tell me how great my baby was doing.
    The nurse would take my blood pressure when I came in. It would be high from my blood-pumping excitement to get to the doctor. They would take it again when I was leaving and it would be normal.
    Your paranoia is totally normal. Don't worry about being worried. It's practice for later. :-)

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  3. Yea! You're already a mom! I FREAKED OUT a couple weeks ago because Sadie's stomach was unusually big and hard. I thought we were going to get a liver transplant FOR SURE! Turns out it was gas. (11 farts in 1 hour!) Worrying so much was the biggest personality change that happened to me when becoming a mom.

    To make you feel a little better. I felt those intestinal bubbling/swishing around 17 weeks, but wasn't sure that it was the baby for a while. The thing that gives it away is when it keeps happening during the same activities, ie when you exercise. For me it was driving. After 20 min in the car, the vibrations would wake up that little critter.
    I could feel Sadie with my hand at 21 weeks, but it helped that I could feel her on the inside too. Cory felt her at 24 weeks.
    I think a lot of the girls that post things on websites kind of exaggerate. Everyone wants their kid to be the first to do everything, ya know?

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  4. Thanks, guys. You are really making me feel like a normal person! It's nice to know that worrying is part of it. :)

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  5. 18 weeks is still really early for first time moms to feel. My OB says that it's often not until 22-24 weeks. Don't worry. It'll happen. And though you may be a little unsure at first, before long there won't be any doubt as to what you're feeling.

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