Identifying body parts - Mothering Forums
November 2014 Due Date Club > Identifying body parts
3lilchunklins's Avatar 3lilchunklins 11:47 AM 08-14-2014
So is anyone able to distinguish what body part you feel when your baby kicks?
I know its still earlyish for all that but I can definitely tell a difference between kicks and punches. A little while ago a kinda big part was sticking out on my left side... I'm guessing head or butt.
I always think its a lot of fun trying to guess what little part is poking me lol. Anyone else?

BlessedOne's Avatar BlessedOne 12:52 PM 08-14-2014
towards the end of my pgs I normally can tell pretty is early that is somewhat questionable
Although, I am decently sure that the baby is currently transverse with the legs on my right side. I think that because the strongest "kicks" seem to be there. I also get hit in the bladder and on the left side quite a bit, but they don't seem as strong as the ones on the right side. So I think the baby is hitting my bladder with arms and occasionally on my left side as well. At this point I haven't been able to feel head or rump....but that is not uncommon for me, because my babies tend to be smaller until closer to due date and then they plump up.
I will say that sometimes it almost seems like the baby is having a seizure in there! I would guess it is hiccups but typically with my other pgs (at least in the last month or so) I can tell hiccups because they are very rhythmic....this just seems like a "lets dance the salsa in mommy's belly for a moment!" type of thing. I wonder if I eat too much sweets and it is a sugar high?
missmagoo's Avatar missmagoo 02:33 PM 08-14-2014
I'm pretty sure the difference between hands and feet at this point, and it's obviously when he sticks his bum out. It seemed like he was head down a few days ago, but now t seems like he's transverse. Very similar to what my daughter did.
alk209's Avatar alk209 02:54 PM 08-14-2014
Wow! I'm so impressed by all of you - I can not distinguish, and never was able to with my daughter either. I can tell appendages from head/butt, but I can't tell hands from feet or head from butt.
Autumnlaughing's Avatar Autumnlaughing 07:42 PM 08-14-2014
I think I'm starting to tell the difference between kicks and head or butt, but I'm not sure. I think she was hanging out transverse for a few days, but now I think she's more vertical - no idea which end is up or down, though!
mamabear7's Avatar mamabear7 08:53 AM 08-15-2014
Had my midwife appointment today, and the head is down. I had been suspecting that little baby's rump has been poking out on the left side. Sometimes when she stretches I get a big old lump that sticks outs. 28 weeks and we are down to our two week appointments!
Casmira's Avatar Casmira 02:55 PM 08-15-2014
I've woken a few mornings with an obvious bump on the left side. I have no idea if it's his head or his behind, but I'm leaning towards head. Pretty cool
Momma2Merrell's Avatar Momma2Merrell 09:08 AM 08-16-2014
I can identify between limbs and bottom/back....but not really kicks/punches. I feel 'punches' straight down, and they are weird and somewhat uncomfortable. I also feel like a scratching sensation on the inside that isn't vary nice. Baby also moves in slow, big movements and that is neat to feel... I'll be 26 weeks tomorrow
BlessedOne's Avatar BlessedOne 01:02 PM 08-16-2014
yes scratching....I joke that I am having a of my babies were born with really long finger nails! lol
Autumnlaughing's Avatar Autumnlaughing 03:35 PM 08-16-2014
I swore I felt a pinch the other day...
missmagoo's Avatar missmagoo 08:49 PM 08-17-2014
Bum is firm but still mushy, the head is really really hard- you know it when you feel it. With my daughter I was constantly worried she was breech and what I was feeling that was actually her bum was her head- then I actually felt her head and was like ooooohhhhhh. The spinningbabies website has lots of good/fun info on how to identify body parts.
BlessedOne's Avatar BlessedOne 06:15 PM 08-18-2014
I should clarify...when I say "transverse" I don't mean perfectly horizontal...but more the baby is on its way to full rotation and head down position.
3lilchunklins's Avatar 3lilchunklins 11:37 AM 08-20-2014
I think I figured out a non-scientific way to tell if baby is head down. Hiccups! I'm fairly certain I feel baby's head or sometimes chest rhythmically tapping. I feel it waaayyyy down low. Like below my panty line....
So I would assume if you feel hiccups up high that baby is breech.
mamabear7's Avatar mamabear7 04:28 PM 08-20-2014
I can definitely tell my babe's head is down, way down. Sometimes when I go from sitting to standing I can hardly walk from the deep pelvic pressure. Some of her moving is downright painful with the pubic bone and bladder...
BlessedOne's Avatar BlessedOne 01:47 PM 08-21-2014
I currently get most of the kicks below my right breast....but more coming out the side or front than up towards my lungs. I still cant feel head or rump, just movements. I think baby is facing out towards front of belly instead of back. I am not too concerned about position just yet, I know I still have a lot of time (a little under 3 months) for baby to move into proper position. Although I will say if I palpitate my belly I can feel what is assumingly baby's head in the middle of my left side. I feel what I assume are punches in my bladder area , on my left side, and top of my belly under my breasts. I will be going in for another u/s in a couple of months, so that will let me know baby's position. =)
BlessedOne's Avatar BlessedOne 01:48 PM 08-21-2014
with my first few it seemed like baby got head down sooner than my last few......not sure why but that is how it has seemed.
Ratchet's Avatar Ratchet 10:16 PM 08-27-2014
Part of why babies go head down is the shape of your uterus-as space gets tighter, they just fit better head down. So as your uterus is more roomy from previous pregnancies, baby doesn't get forced into that position as early. At least, that's what makes sense to me.
mamabear7's Avatar mamabear7 09:18 AM 08-28-2014
hmmm, that definitely makes sense
BlessedOne's Avatar BlessedOne 01:48 PM 09-03-2014
I think baby is mostly head down now. I am feeling more action in center under my ribcage than on my side.
naturesbabies's Avatar naturesbabies 02:21 PM 09-03-2014
Last midwife appointment she said that he was head down. I definitely feel the strongest kicks going up right under my ribcage. The little fluttery movements are lower, like in my pelvic region. It feels so weird! It's like his little hands are wiggling above his head or something. At least that's what I imagine... lol. I still can't tell the difference between head and butt. I feel that knot sticking out from time to time and I don't know what it is! But I know its one or the other. Even though he was head down the last week when the midwife was here, I still sometimes feel like he's sideways. I guess there's still enough room that he may be flipping around still. But today I can tell that he's head down again because I can feel him stretching.