Can you see the baby "breathing"?

kaydogger

So I have no idea what I'm talking about but sometimes I can see/feel what looks like the baby breathing in my stomach. It'll be a small area about the size of my palm just going up and down as if I'm watching her breath but I have no idea what position she could possibly be in that that's actually what I'm looking at.

Am I being a crazy or does anyone else know what I'm talking about? 

luvbeingmom

uh, i doubt you could see it thru the uterus, and a layer of fat and then your own skin...

but they do "practice breathing" by swallowing amniotic fluid from time to time. not very consistently though like breathing would be...

Nuttyone

Although I love the idea of watching her 'breathe'    I expect you are probably seeing a blood vessel pulse.  But still wild to watch part of your belly move.

Doriekirk

Yes. Dr told me this is them 'sucking'.

Amaya84

It is likely your own pulse, or the baby has hiccups. 

princess101

luvbeingmom:

uh, i doubt you could see it thru the uterus, and a layer of fat and then your own skin...

but they do "practice breathing" by swallowing amniotic fluid from time to time. not very consistently though like breathing would be...

This. 

blainethetrain

Babies are inside a fluid filled sac. Their lungs aren't activated until they are born.

lalalaurenx0

I know what you're talking about!lol I told my midwife about this and she looked at me like I was crazy...she said it was a vien in my uterus pulsing but it really does look like it's the baby making breathing movements!

jeffrae

you are not crazy.  not all women get to see this. With both my LOs I have been fortunate enough too.  Baby "practices" breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid (different then hiccups).  My tummy rises rhythmically - usually for a couple minutes.  I only can see it if her back is pushing out on my tummy.  I LOVE IT!  We were able to see this at a late ultrasound with DD1.  Awesomet that you can experience this too.

biblionerd

You absolutely can see them practice breathing on the rare occasion through your abdomen. To the person that said something about their lungs being fluid-filled or something, they still "practice breathe" and go through the motions. It prepares their lungs and strengthens them for the outside world. I've seen LO do this on 3 occasions surprisingly. I asked the OB after the first one and she said that yes, absolutely you can see this if they are positioned just right. You can see hiccups (even his faint ones) plain as day through your stomach, kicking, moving, rolling, etc. What's the difference if they're positioned just so? It's just another movement you're seeing. She said he had to have been positioned most likely with his chest/stomach/back smashed up against the front of me. Luckily the second time it happened I was at the office and she laughed and said "yep". This little booger must practice breathe a lot. I had an hour long u/s to look at his liver for something suspicious and the whole time the sonographer was trying to get a chest measurement, but couldn't because he wouldn't stop "breathing".

asl71476

At our 32 week u/s the tech specifically pointed out his practice breaths, which were clear as day on the screen, but I've never seen them when looking at my belly.

LegalLadyBug

I don't think you can see it from the outside. However, I have my fluid checked 2x a week and the nurse showed DH the "fetal breathing" LO was doing the other day. An OP mentioned that lungs aren't "activated" until born, which is true, atleast for air. While inside, babies "practice" breathing in the amniotic fluid and it can be seen on u/s, as was shown to me.

klcl8981

It's likely your pulse making your belly appear as if the baby is 'breathing'. My belly does this too.

biblionerd

klcl8981:

It's likely your pulse making your belly appear as if the baby is 'breathing'. My belly does this too.

Seeing my pulse through my stomach is different than seeing the practice breathing.

kaydogger

jeffrae:

My tummy rises rhythmically - usually for a couple minutes.  I only can see it if her back is pushing out on my tummy.

 THIS exactly. I obviously know she's not actually breathing in there (which is why I put it in quotes in the title) but it's definitely not hiccups because that's a totally different feeling.

I'm voting it's practice breathing, haha. I'm going to ask my doctor at my next appointment.

JUSTBEYOURSELF

hckygrl909:

Babies are inside a fluid filled sac. Their lungs aren't activated until they are born.

um they practice breathing while in the womb.

I too was told that the baby was practicing sucking their thumb too.

KMAXON

I have absolutely seen this with my LO.   She has her back right up against my stomach and I can see the little rise and fall of her chest while she is practice breathing.    I even held my breath to make sure it wasn't me and she still continued to do it.   This has been one of my favorite things so far about being pregnant.    Everyone may just not get to see it because of the position of the baby. 

virginiagirl11

jeffrae:

you are not crazy.  not all women get to see this. With both my LOs I have been fortunate enough too.  Baby "practices" breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid (different then hiccups).  My tummy rises rhythmically - usually for a couple minutes.  I only can see it if her back is pushing out on my tummy.  I LOVE IT!  We were able to see this at a late ultrasound with DD1.  Awesomet that you can experience this too.

This.  I have been able to see the practice breathing, too. I have read that women who were slim/fit prior to pg are more likely to be able to see this.  DH and I have seen it occasionally when LO's back was right up against my stomach.