Anyone who's ever been pregnant or knows someone who has been is well aware of "the waddle." It usually strikes somewhere in the third trimester, when you suddenly notice you're walking more like a penguin than an actual person. It's understandable, considering you're carrying around a watermelon-sized baby in your belly; but to the outside world, it's also kind of funny. One pregnant mama was recently reminded of that when she caught her toddler immitating her own waddle in the living room one day. Now the clip is going viral on TikTok where people can't seem to get enough of the spot-on impression.
The video was first shared a few weeks ago by TikToker @julieringwald
In it, she walks across the living room with her hands supporting her back, and her belly more or less leading the way.
"Thirty-six weeks pregnant with twins, and my 2-year-old noticed," she wrote in the caption. "Very humbling moment."
@julieringwald 36 weeks pregnant with twins and my 2 year old noticed. Very humbling moment…. #ringwaldpartyof5 #copycat #thankskid ♬ original sound – Julie Ringwald
As the mom makes her way across the living room, her son Teddy follows closely behind
Dressed in a onesie, with a pacifier in his mouth, the little boy mimics his mama by sticking out his own belly, stumbling across the room, and placing a hand on his back for added support.
Wherever she goes, he goes too — all while looking like a mini version of her.
The results are pretty hilarious
In fact, that's probably why the TikTok has already racked up more than 35 million views since the pregnant mom first posted it on November 28.
The clip has also drawn thousands of comments from TikTokers who can't believe the 2-year-old already has such a knack for impressions.
"I’m screaming," one person wrote.
"That’s the definition of 'We’re pregnant,'“ somebody else said.
“Idk what we’re doing, but I support you,” another person joked, imagining what the toddler must have been thinking at the time.
Meanwhile, dozens of others thought the toddler's walk resembled somebody else: Captain Jack Sparrow.
Funny or not, there's a reason for the so-called "pregnancy waddle"
Just as a woman's body loosens and stretches to make room for a baby, there's also a downward pressure from her growing belly, which causes the pelvis to become wider.
According to Dr. Daniela Carusi, director of both general gynecology and surgical obstetrics at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, a wider pelvis equals a wider stance.
"There are a lot of joints in the pelvis," Dr. Carusi told NPR in 2016. "Those are going to loosen as the pregnancy goes on, which is probably how the body adapts to allow a fairly good-sized baby to fit through."
That's only the half of it, though ...
Carusi added that the other part of the equation has to do with our shifting center of balance.
"As the belly gets bigger, which is the spot in the body which marks the center point, the weight moves forward and that makes the spine curve more inward," she explained.
It's only natural then that we start leaning back, in order to steady ourselves. And if that happens to look like a drunken waddle by the end of our pregnancy … well, so be it.
Since sharing the clip, the mom has went on to give birth
In several follow-up videos, the proud mama shows a video of little Teddy meeting his younger brothers, Benjamin and Sebastian, for the first time.
@julieringwald Teddy meeting baby Benjamin for the first time. Sebastian was down in the nursery #ringwaldpartof5 #twins #bigbrother #fyp ♬ original sound – Julie Ringwald
As of this week, the twins are back at home, and the family is starting to adjust to their new normal. According to the mom, Teddy is still getting used to all of the changes, but she says that watching her twins bond in their first days of life has been "really cool to see."
@julieringwald Coming home wasn’t exactly as we planned but the twins are both home and reunited. Big brother was overwhelmed and not super interested. Watching the twins and their bond at just 6 days old has been really cool to see. #ringwaldpartyof5 #fyp #bigbrother #twins ♬ original sound – Julie Ringwald
