Does it really end at birth?

Does it really end at birth? You may know what I'm talking about. You know, it starts off cute with a little kick here and a little kick there in your tummy. As your baby grows, the kicks get harder but still, cute. Then, near the end of pregnancy it's a foot in your ribs. Or an elbow, a hand, knee. And you're wishing it would stop.

I'm here to say, at least for me, no! It doesn't stop there. My baby is now 9 months old and I STILL get kicked in the ribs. I gave birth to him 5 weeks early due to a cancer diagnosis with compression fractures in my lumbar and T12 spine. I ended up having to have to c-section because of those fractures. Up until he was coming out, I had a foot in my ribs. And boy, did it hurt. When he was first born, it really wasn't that bad. There was probably a 3 month hiatus of being kicked in the ribs. Then, it started again. He's a mover. He tosses and turns, like I do, in his sleep. But he sleeps hard like his daddy. How do I know this? We are the parents who decided to co-sleep. I'm a very light sleeper, so I felt ok doing it. He slept a lot better and longer at night doing so. He's now in his crib for most of the night. Maybe until at least 6am. Then he's back in bed with us and kicking. Really, it's only me he seems to kick too. It seems moms get kicked. Whys that?

It doesn't seem to stop when he's awake either. I can be holding him during the day and I am getting kicked and walked on. Always on my ribs or stomach. If I lay on the floor and play with him, I am his jungle gym. He will climb over me back and forth for hours if I let him. Not to mention, he likes to try to use my head as a step stool if it's near the glider chair in his room. He starts at my stomach, through the ribs and to the head. It's at the point I won't lay near anything he may want to try climbing up.

I know the kicking won't end anytime soon either. I have friends who have children older than mine and they've had it happen through the older years. You know, they get scared and want to come sleep with mommy and daddy. Next thing you know the bed is a battle zone. A foot or knee in your ribs with a fist or hand to the face. It's amazing we don't come out of these nights bruised and battered. I guess the only time it may end is once they don't want to sleep in bed with us anymore. But at what age is that?

This isn't a complaining post, as much as an enlightening. We all thought, well at least I thought, it would end after we gave birth, but it doesn't. It keeps going. For years even. And, since I waited so long to have a baby and since I won't be able to have anymore, I will take it. I may get annoyed and wish it would stop in that moment, but then once it ends, it ends. And I know there are some women out there who don't get to feel that feeling. I will soak it all in for now. I'll take the pain, if it's making him happy. I'll gladly sleep next to his moving little body flailing around and I will be his jungle gym. Because it makes him happy. Just know, it doesn't end at birth.