When do you feel the baby move first pregnancy

When do you feel baby move? All about those first little kicks

Is that a baby kick? Or gas? When it comes to feeling your baby move, deciphering the normal from the worrisome can be downright confusing. That’s why we’ve got the inside story (literally) on when your baby will start to kick, wiggle and somersault. 

When I was pregnant the first time around, I expected my baby-to-be’s initial movements to feel like a jolt. I was fully prepared to have a tiny foot boot me from the inside with a wee whap and I’d joyfully announce, “The baby kicked!” I was waiting for the dramatic thump, but that’s not what happened. Instead, one day about 19 weeks in, I got a subtle sensation. I was lounging on the sofa after dinner with the cat splayed across my belly when it suddenly felt as if I had swallowed a couple of drunken butterflies. The cat noticed nothing.

But was it the baby or just pregnancy gas? Some days, it was impossible to know the difference. And where were my big, powerful kicks? I asked Heather Bartos, an OB/GYN, mom of two and medical director at be. Women’s Health & Wellness in Cross Roads, Texas, to explain.

When will my baby start to move?

Your baby flips and flops way before you can actually feel it. In fact, your healthcare provider can spot spontaneous fetal movements, like baby stretches or arm wiggles, around eight weeks’ gestation. This is a sign that your baby’s central nervous system is developing as it should. However, they are still far too small (about an inch long) at this point for you to feel anything.

When do you feel baby move?

For most first-time moms, those early flutters, also called quickening, can happen anywhere from 18 to 22 weeks into pregnancy. “But that’s not a hard and fast rule,” says Bartos. “I actually felt my first baby move at 16 weeks—it felt like gas bubbles.” How big your baby is and the position of your uterus also play a role in when you feel those first movements. “You’ll feel movement when your uterus is at the same level as your belly button and the baby is large enough, usually weighing about one pound,” explains Bartos. However, moms who’ve already delivered a baby often feel movements sooner, even as early as the 12-week mark. “Not only do these moms know what the sensation feels like already, but the abdominal wall of second-time moms relaxes early, allowing her to feel movement earlier, too.”

If you don’t feel your baby moving by week 22, let your midwife or physician know. “There are many reasons you might not have felt your baby move yet. For instance, women with some extra weight don’t feel the movements as much,” says Bartos. “The position of your placenta may be muffling the sensations. Or, rarely, it may be something more serious, such as a genetic issue that delays movement.”

What will my baby’s kicks feel like?

The first movements you feel from baby won’t feel much like a kick at all—at least not at first. “For me, the first time I felt my baby move, it felt like I had too much carbonation,” says Bartos. “Other times, my stomach would flip as if I was on a roller coaster. ” Most women equate early movements to the sensation of gas bubbles. Those subtle flutters often morph into bigger, more distinct movements around week 22. “It’ll start to feel more like a karate kick, punch or even a scratch,” says Bartos. “Babies have sharp fingernails.” For some women, however, the sensation will always be a bit muffled. “If your placenta sits on the front of the uterus, called an anterior placenta, it can tamp down the feeling,” explains Bartos.

When will other people be able to feel the baby move?

Your partner, parents, siblings and friends will usually be able to feel the baby’s kicks when you’re around 24 to 28 weeks pregnant. But Bartos says when and even if others can feel the baby move really depends on the position of your placenta. An anterior placenta makes it more difficult for family and friends to feel the baby move. “I had an anterior placenta with my first and my spouse never felt the baby move,” says Bartos.

Why is my baby moving?

Babies stretch, flex and wiggle, in part to test out their developing neurological system. But new research out of Trinity College Dublin shows there’s another reason they’re so wiggly in utero: Apparently, all that turning, kicking and stretching helps to stimulate what scientists call molecular interaction, which ultimately turns cells and tissues into strong bones and joints. So even though all that kicking can be a pain in the bladder, it’s a good thing!

Why does my baby move more at night?

While it may seem like your baby saves his or her gymnastics routine for the exact time you settle into bed, that’s not really the case. “It’s likely all about perception,” says Bartos. “In the evening, moms-to-be tend to be less active. They’re relaxing and not distracted by everything else going on, so they’re more in tune with their baby’s movements.” At the same time, if your meal was capped with caffeine or something sugary, that could spur the baby’s movements. Your baby-to-be is simply responding to a blood-sugar kick, just the way you would.

You will feel baby move with somersault-like motions between 24 and 30 weeks. “This is when the size of the baby is optimal for moving; your uterus still has room in it and baby is large enough to cause a ruckus,” Bartos explains. Once you are in your third trimester, however, the wiggle room in your uterus shrinks and you will notice an activity slowdown. For instance, your baby’s movements might feel more isolated, like one big jab at a time. Then, as you inch closer to your due date, say around 34 weeks, those sharp kicks will morph into a more ballet-like, rolling sensation, says Bartos. “You might also begin to feel cervical pain, which is like a lightning bolt down the vagina. This can occur when baby settles into a position that hits the cervix.”

Should I count my baby’s kicks?

It’s recommended that you start counting your baby’s kicks around 28 to 32 weeks—sometimes earlier if your pregnancy is considered high-risk. Counting kicks is a simple way to keep tabs on your baby’s movement pattern and to spot any changes that may indicate a potential problem with your pregnancy. Everyday at a consistent time (generally when you feel baby move most), sit comfortably with your feet up in a dark, quiet room. “Place your hand on your abdomen to help drown out the extra stimulus,” says Bartos. Next, count each movement of any kind until you reach 10 kicks, rolls, flutters or flops. This could take less than 30 minutes or up to two hours. Record your pattern and refer to it daily.

If your baby’s normal movements change, try having something to drink or eat and see if that gets your little one moving. If not, check in with your midwife or OB, who can make sure nothing has changed with your baby’s health—your baby might simply be sleeping, or in a new position, but it could be something more serious like low amniotic fluid. To make kick-counting easier, you can use a free app like Baby Kicks Monitor or Kickme – Baby Kicks Counter.

Read more:
Pregnancy weight gain: How much is normal
What to expect during ultrasounds

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Baby movements in pregnancy | Tommy's

You may feel your baby move as early as 16 weeks of pregnancy, but most women usually feel something between 18 and 24 weeks. If this is your first pregnancy, you may not notice your baby’s movements until you are more than 20 weeks pregnant.

Tommy's has developed a guide to baby movements in partnership with NHS England on baby's movements in pregnancy. It is available in ten languages at the bottom of this page. 

What does a movement feel like?

Baby movements in the womb, also known as fetal movements or ‘kicks’, can feel like anything from a flutter, kick, swish or roll. The type of movement may change as your pregnancy progresses.

How often should my baby move?

There is no set number of normal movements you should be feeling – every baby is different. Get to know how your baby moves.

From 18-24 weeks on you should feel the baby move more and more. After 32 weeks, the movements will stay roughly the same until you give birth.

• It is NOT TRUE that babies move less towards the end of pregnancy.
• You should CONTINUE to feel your baby move right up to the time you go into labour and during labour.

Get to know your baby’s normal kicks and movements.

DO NOT WAIT until the next day to seek advice if you are worried about your baby’s movements

Contact your midwife or maternity unit immediately if you think your baby’s movements have slowed down, stopped or changed. There are staff on the hospital maternity unit 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• DO NOT put off calling until the next day to see what happens.
• Do not worry about phoning. It is important for your doctors and midwives to know if your baby’s movements have slowed down or stopped.

Find out what should happen when you report reduced fetal movement

Why are my baby’s movements important?

Feeling your baby move is a sign they are well.  

If your baby moves less or if you notice a change this can sometimes be an important warning sign that a baby is unwell. If you get the right treatment and care as soon as you can this could save your baby’s life.

Is there anything that can affect being able to feel my baby move?

You may be less likely to be aware of your baby’s movements when you are active or busy.

If your placenta is at the front of your uterus (womb), it may not be easy for you to feel your baby’s movements. If your baby’s back is lying at the front of your uterus, you may feel fewer movements than if his or her back is lying alongside your own back.

But don’t assume this is why you can’t feel your baby’s movements. If you think your baby’s movements have slowed down, stopped or changed contact your midwife or maternity unit immediately. It’s always best to get checked.

Your baby lying head down or bottom first will not affect whether you can feel them move.

Can I make my baby move?

No, you should not try to make your baby move. If you think your baby’s movements have slowed down, stopped or changed contact your midwife or maternity unit immediately.

Can I use a home doppler to check on my baby?

Do not use any hand-held monitors, dopplers or phone apps to check your baby’s heartbeat. Even if you think you detect a heartbeat, this does not mean your baby is well because it might be your own heartbeat. You need to be checked by a healthcare professional.

Find out more about why using home devices are not a safe way of checking your baby’s health.

You need to be monitored by a cardiotocography machine or a midwife who can interpret the baby’s heartbeat.

Any care or treatment that could save a baby needs to be done when the baby has a heartbeat.

What happens if my baby's movements have slowed down?

Less than 24 weeks pregnant

Contact your midwife if you have never felt your baby move by 24 weeks. They will check your baby’s heartbeat. You may have an ultrasound scan and you may be referred to a specialist fetal medicine centre to check your baby's health.

Between 24 and 28 weeks pregnant

You should contact your midwife or local maternity unit immediately. Do not wait until the next day or next appointment.

You will have a full antenatal check-up that includes checking the size of your uterus, measuring your blood pressure and testing your urine for protein. If your uterus measures smaller or larger than expected, you may have an ultrasound scan to check on your baby’s growth and development.

Over 28 weeks

You should contact your midwife or local maternity unit immediately. Do not wait until the next day or next appointment. 

You will have a full antenatal check-up, your baby's heart rate will be monitored to reassure you about your baby's wellbeing. This is done with a cardiotocograph monitor.

An ultrasound scan may be arranged if:

• your womb is smaller or larger than expected
• you have a high risk pregnancy
• the heart rate is normal but you still feel that your baby's movements are slower or less
• you have had reduced fetal movements already in your pregnancy.

If the movements have slowed down does it mean my baby is not well?

Fewer movements could mean that your baby is unwell, but usually these checks reveal that everything is OK. Most women who have experienced one episode of fewer movements go on to have a straightforward pregnancy and healthy baby. However it is very important that you are checked to make sure everything is OK.

What if my baby’s movements are reduced again?

If, after your check up, you are still not happy with your baby’s movement, you must contact either your midwife or maternity unit straight away, even if everything was OK last time.

NEVER HESITATE to contact your midwife or the maternity unit for advice, no matter how many times this happens.

Download the leaflet

The leaflet Feeling your baby move is a sign that they are well is available to download in English and many different languages.

Fetal movement during pregnancy

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Pregnant women and obstetrician-gynecologists are waiting for fetal movements. This is a very important sign that allows you to judge that the pregnancy is going well, and the child is developing successfully. Also, the baby communicates with the mother with the help of movements and can tell her about any inconvenience, so you need to listen to the movements of the fetus. nine0003

When fetal movements appear

1. The first fetal movements appear at the seventh or eighth week of pregnancy. However, the small fetus does not come into contact with the walls of the uterus, so the mother does not feel its movements.
2. Closer to the seventeenth week, the fetus begins to react to loud sound and light, from the eighteenth it begins to consciously move.
3. A woman begins to feel movements during her first pregnancy from the twentieth week. In subsequent pregnancies, these sensations occur two to three weeks earlier. Also, a woman will feel the first movement of the fetus earlier if she is slim and leads an active lifestyle. nine0025
4. Especially active movements are observed from the twenty-eighth week. The child "communicates" with the mother, reacts to her emotions. This continues until the thirty-second week, when the baby grows so much that it can no longer actively move in the uterus.

Fetal movement - as normal

Except for three to four hours a day when the baby sleeps, he is in constant motion. In the twentieth week, the fetus makes two hundred perturbations a day, from the twenty-eighth to the thirty-second, their number increases to six hundred. Then, the activity decreases again. nine0003

Fetal activity may vary depending on the following factors:

1. Time of day . Usually the fetus moves more actively in the evening and at night.
2. Mother's emotions . If a pregnant woman is under stress, then the child is frightened, may freeze and stop moving, or, conversely, react to adrenaline with active movements.
3. Physical activity . During physical activity, the child is usually more calm than at rest. If the mother is in an uncomfortable position for a long time, the fetus may react with strong painful shocks. nine0025
4. Pregnant diet . If the mother feels hungry, the child begins to move more actively. Also pushing and touching become stronger after eating. Especially if mom eats sweets.
5. Environment a. The fetus reacts to loud sounds, sudden switching on of light. He may freeze in fear, or vice versa, begin to move more actively.

Why and how to count fetal movements

Changes in the motor activity of the fetus may be a sign of pregnancy pathology. Too strong, painful, or vice versa, weakened movements signal that the child does not have enough oxygen. This condition is called fetal hypoxia. In addition, sensations change when the amount of amniotic fluid changes. Therefore, it is important to count fetal movements, especially during the first pregnancy. nine0003

There are three methods for counting fetal movements:

1. Pearson method . Movements are considered from nine in the morning to nine in the evening, during which physical activity is limited. In a special table, the time of every tenth movement is entered. Normally, the interval between them is less than an hour.
2. Cardiff Method . Movements are counted for twelve hours. If during this period of time the child performed at least ten movements, the counting is stopped and starts again the very next day. If within twelve hours there were no ten movements, additional studies are needed. nine0025
3. Sadowski Method . The movement of the fetus is considered at seven o'clock in the evening, after dinner, since eating increases the activity of the child. During the first hour, the child must make at least ten movements. If in the first two hours they were less, a doctor's consultation is necessary.

Our clinics in St. Petersburg

You can get detailed information and make an appointment by calling +7 (812) 640-55-25 nine0039