The Quickening*

I’m fairly sure I felt the baby move for the first time this morning. I was in a supine position and worries about my thesis defense kept me in bed. The book Garry and I are referencing for fetal development and gestation said the the first motions would feel like a “flutter.” Really? I was skeptical that a term used to describe the motions of a butterfly could accurately characterize the first fetal movements. However, indeed, I felt a flutter in my abdomen. I waited … and felt it again! I laid very still to locate the source of the movement and it was clearly not originating from my bowel or my stomach – an acrobat has taken up residence in my belly.

*Quickening is defined as the first fetal movements detected by a woman during her pregnancy.