when can you feel where baby is lying?

I am 27 weeks 2 days today. At the last scan baby was growing well for her dates.

I'm wondering when, if ever, I should be able to feel in what position the baby is lying.

To be honest, I'm rather overweight. So there's a lot of, um, padding between baby and the outside world. And when I feel my ever-expanding uterus all I can feel is the firmness of it, kind of like a firm bag of water, but no suggestion of a head here or a foot there.

I have assumed that when she's kicking down low her head is up and when she's kicking near my ribs her head is down low. But beyond that I can't tell a thing.

Should I be able to feel this? I'm starting to wonder whether I'm missing something, when people say they can feel the way their baby is lying.

Can't help I'm sorry but thought I'd hijack and say that I am so grateful that there is someone else here that has..umm..."padding" and feels the baby move differently to the slimmer majority. Don't get me started on plus size maternity clothes! :-)

Hijack over.

I am much earlier in my preg than you but totally know what you mean about being able to feel a firmness to my uterus...but my baby belly doesn't show because of my fat layer!

I never could until about 32-34 weeks, when there was very little room left and I knew exactly where she was. Generally by the kicks and movements though, but in the last few weeks i could see her feet and bum when she moved about (got it on video! LOL!).

:yeahthat:

I can feel it now... where bum is versus feet. But I'm 36 weeks. And it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I felt confident enough.

Don't stress :D

ETA - I have an anterior placenta, meaning it is attached on the front of my uterus, so my being able to feel kicks and movements was restricted somewhat by the placenta. But eventually they get so big and so squished that you can feel everything and tell where they are.

My placenta is at the front, too. Maybe that's part of why I'm having trouble feeling anything clear.

Guess I'll just wait.

Angela, I'm totally with you about the dearth of decent plus sized maternity clothing. It seems to me that there are clothes for pregnant women up to about size 14, and clothes for larger women who aren't pregnant, but nothing that is both.

Depressing, isn't it. And it isn't even like there aren't plenty of us out there...

Hi :)

My placenta is at the front, but i knew about the time she went from lying accross, to lying up/down, as she stopped kicking into my sides to much, and ended up on my bladder! lol A week after i noticed this I had a midwife check up (at 26 weeks) and she was able to tell exactly where her back was lying (which side of me, and that it was up/down) although couldnt tell whether she was head up or down).

Only just the last week (34-35weeks)

Only just the last week (34-35weeks)

I've been wondering this too. I'm 30-31 weeks at the moment, and can't wait to find out what's what in there. I often feel large rounded hard bits, but can't tell whether they're head or bum. Then the limb movement could be feet or hands. I'm grateful we found out the gender otherwise I think that would be driving me crazy by now! lol

It's was only from 34/5ish weeks that I can tell where bub is. I couldn't tell head vs butt from the outside, but can from the movements. I get bigger movements up high where the feets are, and smaller 'tickly' movements down low (I'm assuming from hands). I can tell which side bub is lying, just from my belly feeling really firm on one side. Sometimes I can see his butt move from one side to the other - really funny to watch! :lol:

I am 37 weeks pregnant and from about 29 weeks I had a bit of an idea of where she was as I could always feel stronger movements in one spot which I assumed would be her legs/feet. I asked my midwife at one of my appointments, she had a feel around and told me exactly where her head, back, bum, legs were. Since then she hasn't really moved from this position. In a few weeks you may have more of an idea, its amazing how much bigger and stronger they get within such a short time. But I recon ask your doctor or midwife at the hospital to have a feel around for you.:D

I never could. Well I could tell roughly where he was but I could never tell if it was a head or a foot or arm or whatever that other people seem to be able to distinguish. I had a couple of scans in the last 2 months & bub was never in the position that I thought he was - the scans showed otherwise.

My (our?) placenta is anterior, too, and although I could tell where she was lying according to where I felt kicks and hiccups from about thirty weeks, it was only from about thirty-four weeks that I could really begin to distinguish body parts. How incredible is it when you can start to give little back rubs and pats on the bottom - through your own stomach!?

It is amazing littleberlin, I always pat my little girls buttom aswell. She has the hiccups about 2 times a day. Sooooo cute!

Oh my goodness - all my baby does is hiccup (honestly, about eight times a day!) and move her little bottom. Yesterday she did some kind of manoeuvre that involved her entire rump jutting out of my stomach - I looked like I was growing another little bump on top of my bigger one! I wonder if it is a form of baby-dancing? I suppose they need to entertain themselves somehow - nine months is a long time in such a confined space!

3rd baby here and I STILL can't tell you how it's lying, I never know and never knew right up to birth with the others. I get kicks in all directions, often out both sides at the same time. Go figure!!