What do I call an unborn baby when I write my story?

Question

“The baby was kicking all night.” Rachel looked up as if she was thinking and suddenly grabbed Will’s hand, "Look, she's doing it again!" she smiled as if it was her first time.

Instead of "she's doing it again!" what would I use instead of she?

Answer 1

fetus? It? You've already used "the baby". "She's doing it again!" seems fine. Assume your characters know the gender. I called my second child "she" all through my pregnancy. It was so different from the first one, I was sure it was a girl. I was wrong. No harm done. You're so emotional and ecstatic when the baby is born, you forget you called it the wrong gender for nine months, anyway.

Answer 2

Well saying "it" seems a bit harsh in this situation...

I can definitely picture the girl saying "Look, the baby is doing it again!"

However, you use of "she" is not really a problem. Many mothers give their baby a gender before they really know. Besides that, if the baby is kicking, "she" is probably old enough to determine sex. Perhaps just leaving it as "she" will give you an opportunity to expound on that point later in the story. :)

Good luck. Enjoy the writing!

Answer 3

Either "the baby's doing it again" - or - give the baby a name, like "little Will" or "little Rachel" - or a unisex name like "Baby Jordan" is kicking again.

Answer 4

Oh, don't call it a fetus. That is so cold and unfeeling--not the kind of emotion and pride that would be reflected in a mother's reference to her unborn child. How about "our darling [offspring, little one, baby, child] is doing it again!"

Answer 5

I always refer to unborns as "Fetal Goo"

Answer 6

You can call it by whatever name you are planning on giving her or a "pet name" such as Kangaroo. That is what I called my daughter in utero.

Answer 7

its a fetus