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9 Dads Describe Feeling Their Babies Kick & OMG Emotions

by Fiona Tapp

I was desperate to feel my baby kick when I was pregnant. Growing a human felt mysterious and unknown and I needed a sign it was real. I would go through a routine of lying down and talking to my bump before dancing around, drinking apple juice, and waiting to feel that little kick. Before I knew it I felt my little one move, and sharing it with my partner brought a new level of joy to the experience.

So I wasn't surprised when the following dads described what it's like to feel their baby kick for the first time and, once again, I found myself to be nothing more than a ball of emotions. Yes, all babies and all pregnancies are unique, and these men all had unique experiences when feeling that first kick, but the feelings associated with that moment seem universal. It's such a special time for both parents: when together, as a couple or parenting unit, you both realize you're really going to become mom or dad to a new little person. With one kick or prod, your baby reaches out from the unknown and says, "Hey" and you realize that becoming a parent means you'll forever be a walking basket of raw and relentless feelings.

Whether it's a first pregnancy or you have done it all before, that first kick you feel from your unborn baby is an incredibly special event. Parents who have had trouble conceiving ,or who are experiencing a tough pregnancy, can be even more moved by the motions of their baby from inside the womb, too. So with that in mind, here are what a few dads had to say about the moment they felt their baby kick for the first time. Prepare to be emotionally tormented in the best possible way.

Samion

"When I felt my son kick it really made everything real for me. That's when I felt like a dad for the first time."

Kevin

"It felt like a little thump, like when my cat bats me with her paw."

Edward

"It was really weird. I wasn't in a good place emotionally, and it added pressure when [the pregnancy] wasn't so abstract."

Jim

"My daughter would kick really hard, like it could actually hurt, and it made my wife wince. My son's kicks were more fluttery, though."

Dominic

"It was so exciting. I kept going back trying to feel it again, it made me feel so happy. It was like this little baby was knocking for dad!"

Jeremy

"I couldn't feel it at first, but I could just see my girlfriend's stomach moving and it was hard to guess where it would kick next. In the end, I laid both hands flat open on her stomach and then I felt it. It was like a wave across the surface."

Marc

"I kept missing it. I would wiggle my wife's bump trying to get it to kick! It used to drive my wife crazy!"

Mohammad

"It was like a little push up, and then a sort of shimmy over the whole tummy. I think [my son] was rolling around."

Tim

"It was very emotional for me, and I actually cried. It was one of my best memories so far."

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