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Fetal Movement - WebMD: When You Feel Baby Kick

Written by Stephanie Watson

Reviewed by Traci C. Johnson, MD on January 08, 2021

In this Article

• When Will I Feel My Baby Kicking?
• What Does the Baby's Kicking Feel Like?
• How Often Should I Feel My Baby Moving?
• Should I Monitor My Baby's Kicking?
• If You Don't Feel Your Baby Moving
• Timeline of Baby Movement

One of the most exciting moments in your pregnancy is when you feel those first little flutters of your baby kicking. These tiny movements reassure you that your baby is developing and help you feel closer to the little life inside of you.

When Will I Feel My Baby Kicking?

You should feel your baby's first movements, called "quickening," between weeks 16 and 25 of your pregnancy. If this is your first pregnancy, you may not feel your baby move until closer to 25 weeks. By the second pregnancy, some women start to feel movements as early as 13 weeks. You're more likely to feel baby move when you're in a quiet position, either sitting or lying down.

What Does the Baby's Kicking Feel Like?

Pregnant women describe their baby's movements as butterflies, nervous twitches, or a tumbling motion. At first, it may be hard to tell whether your baby has moved. Second- and third-time moms are more adept at distinguishing those first baby movements from gas, hunger pangs, and other internal motions.

By your second and third trimesters, the movements should be more distinct, and you'll be able to feel your baby's kicks, jabs, and elbows.

How Often Should I Feel My Baby Moving?

Early in your pregnancy, you may just feel a few flutters every now and then. But as your baby grows -- usually by the end of the second trimester -- the kicks should grow stronger and more frequent. Studies show that by the third trimester, the baby moves about 30 times each hour.

Babies tend to move more at certain times of the day as they alternate between alertness and sleep. They are usually most active between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m., right as you're trying to get to sleep. This surge in activity is due to your changing blood sugar levels. Babies also can respond to sounds or touch, and may even kick your partner in the back if you snuggle too close in bed.

Should I Monitor My Baby's Kicking?

Once your baby's movements are well established (usually by week 28), some doctors recommend keeping track of all those little punches, jabs, and kicks to make sure your baby is still developing the way they should. This is known as a fetal movement assessment, fetal kick count, or fetal movement counting.

Obstetricians recommend moms do fetal movement counts. While reduced movements or counts done at home can be worrisome, they may not be reliable. If you feel your baby is moving or kicking less often than normal, contact your doctor. 

Counting is a lot harder when you have twins. You may not be able to tell which baby is moving. Even so, many doctors recommend it as a way to keep track.

If you are counting, it helps to chart your baby's kicks so that you can keep track of your baby's normal patterns of movement. To count movements, pick a time when your baby is usually most active (often, this is right after you've eaten a meal). Get into a comfortable position either sitting down in a comfortable chair or lying on your side. If you lie down, lie on your left side, so your baby will have better circulation.

Opinion varies as to how to count your baby's movements, but the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends noting the time it takes for your baby to make 10 movements. You should feel at least 10 movements within a 2-hour period.

If you can't feel 10 movements in 2 hours despite eating something and fully focusing on the baby's movements, call your doctor for advice on what to do next.

If You Don't Feel Your Baby Moving

If you haven't yet reached 25 weeks and don't feel your baby move, or you're not sure that what you're feeling is actually your baby, don't panic. As your baby grows, you'll be able to better distinguish their movements. You'll also figure out at what times of the day your baby is most active. Some babies just naturally move less often than others.

A lack of movement also may mean that your baby is asleep. You may feel fewer kicks and jabs after the 32nd week as your baby gets bigger and has less room to move around in the uterus.

If your baby has started to move regularly and you don't feel at least 10 movements within a 2-hour period, or the movements have slowed significantly, it's time to call your doctor.

Timeline of Baby Movement

Here is a guide to your baby's possible movements.

Week 12: Your baby should start to move, but you probably won't be able to feel anything because the baby is still so small.

Week 16: Some pregnant women will start to feel tiny butterfly-like flutters. The feeling might just be gas, or it might be the baby moving.

Week 20: By this point in your baby's development, you may start to really feel your baby's first movements, called "quickening."

Week 24: The baby's movements are starting to become more established. You might also begin to feel slight twitches as your baby hiccups.

Week 28: Your baby is moving often now. Some of the kicks and jabs may take your breath away.

Week 36: Your uterus is getting crowded as the baby grows, and movements should slow down a bit. However, alert your doctor if you notice significant changes in your baby’s usual activity. You should feel consistent movement throughout the day.

How and how often should the baby push? Terms of shocks during pregnancy by weeks and months

The baby begins to move inside you at 8-9 weeks of pregnancy, but it is impossible to feel it, because it is still too small, and there is enough space for movement. Every day you eagerly listen to your body - when will this long-awaited moment come and can you recognize it? At what time does the baby start to push? How often should you feel movement? Look for answers to these and other questions in our material.

When does the baby start pushing?

Each woman's pregnancy is individual, so the first tangible push can occur at different times. The first shocks should be expected around the 16-24th week of pregnancy. Moreover, during the second and subsequent pregnancies, most women feel the first movements earlier, at the 16-18th week, and during the first pregnancy a little later, as a rule, after the 20th.

How to understand that the baby began to push?

Recognizing the first shock is not always easy. Some mothers mistake this movement for intestinal discomfort. Others describe it as the flutter of a butterfly or the splashing of a fish in water, while others immediately feel a confident push.

When and how much should the child push?

Despite the fact that no pregnancy proceeds strictly according to the schedule, experts have made an approximate "schedule" of the movements of the child.

Weeks 20-24

You are already beginning to get to know your baby's temperament. The baby, in turn, feels changes in your mood and reacts to them: it can start to actively push, or it can calm down for a while. During this period, the expectant mother should avoid stressful situations and grief.

24-28 weeks

At this time, the baby can already hear you and respond to your voice. The baby may kick sharply if he hears a loud sound, but this will not harm him. Don't be surprised if your baby starts to hiccup.

28-30 weeks

The baby is growing and there is less room to move. Now he can push less often, but harder than before.

31st-35th weeks

Before turning upside down, the baby may become more active and push the mother in the ribs, which can cause discomfort; but this only means that the child grows and it becomes crowded.

36-40 weeks

At this point, the baby will already be in the correct position - head down. His movements will slow down, and the number of shocks will be reduced. The norm is about 10 movements per day.

We have given an approximate schedule of a child's behavior at a given time. If it seems to you that the baby is not moving enough or, on the contrary, is too active, contact a specialist for a fetal examination.

You will also be interested

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4. How and how often should the baby push? Timing of tremors during pregnancy by weeks and months - Nutriclub

Pregnancy management at EMC Fetal movement test at EMC Medical Clinic

A woman expects many new sensations and emotions during pregnancy. One of the most pleasant moments during this period is the first movements of the baby.

Can you feel him pushing? So he communicates with you, talks about himself.

By how often you feel his movements, you can judge the temperament and his well-being.

To understand if your baby is doing well, you need to regularly, preferably daily, conduct a "fetal movement test", and all that is required for this is to independently observe the baby's movements.

The first movements of the fetus, as a rule, appear at the 20th week of pregnancy, but may appear a little earlier or a little later. Explicit regular movements begin from the 24th week. From now on, the child should remind himself about 10-15 times an hour. Of course, if you do not feel anything for 2-3 hours, it does not mean that something has happened. Maybe the baby is just sleeping. But in general, movements during the day should be regular.

Why is ultrasound and CT not enough?

Ultrasound and CTG are modern effective methods for diagnosing the condition of the fetus, which accurately determine the parameters of blood circulation and heartbeat at a particular moment and are carried out at a certain interval if there are no medical indications for more frequent examination. Therefore, usually at the appointment, the doctor asks the woman a question about whether she noticed changes in the "behavior" of the baby. In case of any changes, the doctor will recommend re-examination.

It is important that by conducting a regular fetal movement test, you constantly keep your unborn child's well-being under control. According to international studies, this not only allows you to identify and prevent possible problems in a timely manner, but also reduces the overall level of anxiety in pregnant women.

What determines the activity of the fetus

Of course, to some extent, the baby's mobility in the mother's womb is influenced by his temperament, but, of course, this is not the main thing. Its activity is largely determined by the following factors:

• The volume of physical activity of a pregnant woman. If you lead a fairly active lifestyle during pregnancy, fetal movements may be felt less frequently.

• Time of day. Although babies inside the tummy do not make much difference, day or night - they lead an active life when they want - practice proves that they become more active at night.

How to count movements

The most common is the Pearson or "Count to 10" method. You need to take into account any movement of the baby, excluding hiccups - pushes, kicks, flips, etc. But count not the number of movements following each other, but the alternation of rest and activity (both groups of movements and single ones). That is, if the baby first rolled over, then immediately pushed, this is only one movement.

According to the Pearson method, from the 28th week of pregnancy, a woman keeps a diary in which she notes the movements of the baby from 9:00 to 21:00. If in 12 hours there are 10 or more movements, you don’t have to worry - everything is in order with the child. Modern technology allows you to abandon the diary. You can install a special application based on this technique on your smartphone.

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