First little scare (blown out of proportion by yours truly)
So, last night, I had my first little scare with this, my second, pregnancy. (You'd think I'd remember every little detail from the first. Somehow pregnancy hormones have a way of making you forget everything....past memories, your phone number, everything.)
I sat down on the couch with a magazine, after a long day of painting and wallpaper stripping. I try to relax every evening after Gardner goes to bed, namely so I can sit still and enjoy the baby's acrobatic skills as he or she dances in my belly.
Within minutes, I realized I didn't feel the baby. In fact, if I thought back, I hadn't felt the baby move in three or more hours. I jumped up. "The flashlight!" I placed the MagLite on my abdomen, knowing this always worked when Gardner was slumbering and uncooperative. Nothing. I laid on my left side. My right side. My back. I got on all fours. I still felt not even one tiny nudge from within.
Initiate freak-out mode. Ken balanced a fine line between becoming concerned along with me and quelling my fears by telling me that this happened with Gardner (that I just didn't remember).
Long story short, by 10:30pm I was calling the doctor on call and getting some reassurance. He said I didn't have to worry about kick counts until at least 24 weeks, and most doctors say 28. The baby might be turned around backwards, or in a deep sleep. He assured me that the inactivity had nothing at all to do with the illness I had earlier this week. I hung up feeling somewhat better, but I knew I would not feel 100% until I felt this baby kick me again.
That didn't happen until this morning, despite my late-night efforts of eating two lemon-oat muffins and a glass of milk. I awoke at 7am to the prodding that's ever-so-familiar, and I grabbed my belly and hugged it, smiling.
I know that there are many "scares" that mothers-to-be (and mothers) experience on a near-daily basis....yet I don't know if I'll ever get fully used to it. I think it's just something wired in.
I sat down on the couch with a magazine, after a long day of painting and wallpaper stripping. I try to relax every evening after Gardner goes to bed, namely so I can sit still and enjoy the baby's acrobatic skills as he or she dances in my belly.
Within minutes, I realized I didn't feel the baby. In fact, if I thought back, I hadn't felt the baby move in three or more hours. I jumped up. "The flashlight!" I placed the MagLite on my abdomen, knowing this always worked when Gardner was slumbering and uncooperative. Nothing. I laid on my left side. My right side. My back. I got on all fours. I still felt not even one tiny nudge from within.
Initiate freak-out mode. Ken balanced a fine line between becoming concerned along with me and quelling my fears by telling me that this happened with Gardner (that I just didn't remember).
Long story short, by 10:30pm I was calling the doctor on call and getting some reassurance. He said I didn't have to worry about kick counts until at least 24 weeks, and most doctors say 28. The baby might be turned around backwards, or in a deep sleep. He assured me that the inactivity had nothing at all to do with the illness I had earlier this week. I hung up feeling somewhat better, but I knew I would not feel 100% until I felt this baby kick me again.
That didn't happen until this morning, despite my late-night efforts of eating two lemon-oat muffins and a glass of milk. I awoke at 7am to the prodding that's ever-so-familiar, and I grabbed my belly and hugged it, smiling.
I know that there are many "scares" that mothers-to-be (and mothers) experience on a near-daily basis....yet I don't know if I'll ever get fully used to it. I think it's just something wired in.
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