Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

Original poster

Can you feel for the baby like the midwives do?

13 replies

ardenbird · 16/02/2012 22:59

So there have been enough trainee midwives and medical students at my appointments that I now have a pretty good idea of how to feel for the baby and tell what position she is in. I've done it a couple times (34 weeks and she's still turning somersaults), but I worry -- could I hurt the baby? It's just gentle presses, but I wouldn't want to harm her. Does anyone know if this is okay, or if you should leave it to be done just every two weeks at appointments?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

MidwifeT · 16/02/2012 23:26

How wonderful that you are getting in touch with your baby, don't forget babies can hear you too in utero. The baby is surrounded by a fluid, so if you imagine a gold fish in a plastic bag of water.... when you poke it, the fish floats to the other side of the bag. Unlike a fish your baby is aware of you and may respond by getting fairly active if poked too often, and you may suffer for this?

Original poster

ardenbird · 17/02/2012 00:13

Thanks MidwifeT! I have trouble imaging her more active :) So it's okay to give her a few pokes?

OP posts:

Tinsie · 17/02/2012 00:16

I gave mine a few pokes, didn't seem to do any harm.

Ecgwynn · 17/02/2012 13:15

Sometimes when I poke mine he boots me. When the cat sat on him he started kicking the cat.

mosschops30 · 17/02/2012 13:20

Those trainee midwives are oing a 3 year degree to feel where that baby is, and even then they can still be wrong about position.

Not sure why you need to feel your babys position in between appointments really

Idlewild · 17/02/2012 13:27

It's easier for you to work out how the baby is lying from kicks etc. Google the spinning babies site (sorry on phone so can't post link). You can also feel for position like MW though: my MW taught me how to feel for the back and shoulders. In my last pg (DC3) I knew exactly where baby was lying all the time. Wouldn't fancy feeling for engagement though!

GoldenMama · 17/02/2012 13:36

I could tell how my babies were lying after the first few midwife appiontments, and knew when engaged. I think it's great to feel where you baby is and a few pokes on the outside will surely not hurt it, just maybe wake it up and get it moving so others can see your tummy jumping!

EdnaClouds · 17/02/2012 13:38

Mosschops you are a grump

mosschops30 · 17/02/2012 13:56

Sorry my neck is hurting and i have a headache [ smie]

MrsHoarder · 17/02/2012 14:23

Gently poking the baby is going to do no harm.

Have to back mosschops up though: my MW always has students and one got the position completely wrong (they have a try first then the qualified MW checks/corrects). So it may not be that easy: I second telling where the baby is from kicks: I can tell where the legs are when it feels like my ribs are being hammered on!

Original poster

ardenbird · 17/02/2012 14:45

Well, just because it's fun and nice to think about :(

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply I'm as good as a midwife or doctor, just that I've heard the instructions given to first-timers (perhaps not the trainee midwifes, but some of the med students clearly hadn't touched a pregnant woman many times before) so many times now that I thought I could give it a go and find the hard bits and try to guess which was the bum and which the head. And I'm sure having the kicks helps: one midwife told a med student to push on what she thought was the bum and see if she could feel a kick on the other side, as the baby would straighten her legs, but I've got the inside track on that info...

I certainly wouldn't try to feel for engagement or anything like that, as I have no idea about that. (I do know she's not engaged yet because they said so.) And I don't really care so much if I'm right -- I won't argue with a midwife who says she's sitting another way! I just thought it was fun to envision her but didn't want to do it if it could hurt her.

(As an aside, I especially like when the med students are there: they seem so excited to feel a baby, and I really like the look on their faces when they feel a kick.)

OP posts:

Hotpotpie · 17/02/2012 14:49

I like to feel where mine is, think its lovely, the feet under my ribs perhaps less so but at night my baby seems to like to come right to the front of my stomach and I can feel the outline of its back so I quite often just sit and gently rub it, think the baby likes it too because thats when it stops kicking and wriggling, I take my hand away and it starts again - no harm in that

I have to say when you said like the midwife though I had visions of the prods and pokes she gives now that does not amuse the baby I always get a right good kicking after my appointments

marthamay · 17/02/2012 19:25

Oh dear, I poke and prod away at my baby all the time!!! Should I not be? Do you think it irritates them?
I'm 34 weeks and little one is breech and when I have this really obvious HEAD poking out from just beneath my ribs it's impossible not to give her a stroke/gentle prod.
I hope I'm not being too rough.

Flip

Swipe left for the next trending thread