What does it feel like to be pregnant?

[Tralis]

What does it feel like to be pregnant? Does it just feel like your stomach is larger? Do you feel the life within you?

[TinTennessee]

It is the most amazing feeling in the world. Life growing inside you! The first time you feel the baby move, just a tiny little butterfly wing! It is the most indescrible feeling in the world!!

[BlueSwede]

I agree w/TinTennessee. After my last child was born, I felt so empty...so lonely; I missed feeling the baby move and kick. Sure, sometimes I could have done w/o the feeling that little feet were dancing on my bladder and that if I looked down between my legs, I was sure to see a tiny foot sticking out...but overall it was wonderful (even w/the horrendous morning sickness). Feeling gas move around in your intestines feels a little like the movement of the baby, at least when it is still rather small.

[dicksbro]

Interesting question, Tralis. I've wondered that, but never asked. And thanks ladies for sharing that most special feeling.

[Gilly]

Hmm.... It feels wonderful at times, and to be brutally honest, it feels like hell at times.

The belly is there, yes, but it also adds back pain from hauling around so much extra weight up front. You retain water, and swell like a balloon in places you can no longer see.

And then, you feel the baby moving. Just a tiny flutter at first, so light you can't even be sure you felt it, like a tickle. As the baby grows, so does the strength of the movement.

Best way to describe it is in terms of indigestion. When my belly's a bit upset, I can feel it kinda moving around, so I'm sure guys have felt that before. It's like that, only all the time.

Once the baby gets to be almost too big for it's "room", they get creative in where they can shove their digits. I kid you not, my first one wedged her toes so tightly in between my ribs, that I had a bruise on the outside until about a week after she was born.

It does feel great, though I found it to be a much more "magical" experiance with my first, than with my other two, mostly because I was able to sit back and savor the experiance. Once I was pregnant with #2, and then #3, I was chasing one or two kids around, and always tired, and never able to get enough sleep or rest.

Those two pregnancies were less magical, and more joblike. ;)

[Lilith]

It feels like you are the epitome of woman. Maybe I just felt that way because it was sooo difficult for me to do.:rolleyes:

[naughtyangel]

This is a question my husband's asked me before, and it's so hard to answer. At the beginning, before you start to show and the baby starts to move, it's this amazing awareness that you're carrying another life inside of you. The first movements are like small butterfly wings, or fizzy bubbles maybe, so slight and gone so quickly, that you wonder if you really felt it. Later, when the movements get more pronounced, you really start to get a sense that the baby has a "self", if that makes any sense :) When you can feel turnings, and stretchings, and see small hands and feet moving across your belly. Near the end, as the baby grows and begins to take up all its space, your breasts start to feel fuller and it almost seems as though all of your skin is stretched, and sensitive all over.

That's as best I can describe it, and it still seems so inadequate :) It really is the most amazing thing.

[Gilly]

I think from the day I found out with each of them, till the day I had them, I would uncosciously fold both my hands over my belly. I didn't even realize I was doing it. It just felt different knowing there was a human being growing in your belly.

[nikki1979]

it hurts to have this kid kicking the shit out of every internal organ u have, sucks to be sick to ur tummy all the time, sucks not to see ur feet for 3-4 months, sucks to have acid indigestions for 6 months straight non stop no relif insight, sucks to live on saltines and water, sucks to have odd cravings that wud be just disgusting to a normal person, swollen feet, swollen ankles, gained weight, back pain, breast pain, hips spreading pain...........ive been preg twice the best part of the pregnancy was the drugs they gave me inlabor, now the kids are awsome, luv them to bits and yes most of the time they are worth it HEHEHEHE tho if i EVER want more i will most certanly ADOPT

~nikki

[RadicalFlower]

IT was wonderfull..i loved it when my babys started to move inside me..That was a awsome feeling..Felt Like Little Hands and feet Pushing on my belly ..But just from the inside...*S*...:)

[Kissy]

The very first time I felt both of my kids it felt to me just like i was riding a roller coaster. With my 1st I had rolled off/out of bed and it felt like my stomach kept going! Very very strange. And by the end...oh the pain of them pushing everywhere. But for the most part I just agree with what everyone has said so far. It is amazing, and it's a pain (everywhere). It's just an amazing pain...that's a great explination! :D

And after their born...well their still amazing pains. :rolleyes:

[Teddy Bear]

Its the most magical, wonderful thing in the world!! To know your creating a person.... WOW!!!

I loved every minute of being pregnant. Was lucky to only have morning sickness for a little while with the first one. Had cravings for chocolate pudding and peanut butter with both babies, not together, ewwwww.

My second pushed her foot against me from inside, so hard that we could see the outline of her foot. I'd run my finger over it & she'd pull it back, then a few minutes later push it out again. After she was born, while still in hospital, I had her laying on my bed and ran my finger across her foot. She pulled it back but a little later extended it again. Just like in the womb. :)

[nikanik]

It is a wonderful thing and each one is different. My oldest used to poke his but out for me to rub and it would soothe him and even now at 6 if I rub his but he goes to sleep. But with my last I leaked fluid for the last 3 months b/c of preterm labor so it wasnt as pleasant as it can be. but still it feels wonderful.