When Can You Feel Your Baby Move: Fetal Activity Throughout Pregnancy

An uplifting moment in gestation is encountering the sensation of a baby's movements for the first time. These movements serve as a comforting indication of the baby's health and well-being.

When Can You Start To Feel the Baby's Movements?

Typically, you won't feel them until sometime between 16 and 22 weeks of gestation, even though the baby starts moving around 7 or 8 weeks into the gestation.

Veteran mothers usually distinguish these slight kicks, specified as "quickening," earlier than first-time mothers, given their former experience.

Factors such as BMI and the baby's position in the womb can affect when you feel these movements. Once start feeling the baby move, it may be a few more weeks until your partner can feel it too.

For women pregnant for the second time, these movements might be felt slightly earlier, around the fourth month.

However, generally, females become attentive to these movements, which can feel like wiggles or muscle spasms, at the beginning of the fifth month.

As for the sensation of baby movement, it differs among females, with descriptions ranging from popcorn popping to butterflies fluttering.

By the third trimester, the movements become more evident and may include obvious movements across the belly. Every pregnancy is unique, making it challenging to anticipate exactly when to feel these movements.

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Schedule for Sensing Baby's Movements

• 16 to 19 weeks: Faint and fluttery sensations.
• 20 to 23 weeks: Gentle kicks and jabs become noticeable.
• 24 to 28 weeks: More pronounced movements, possibly including jumps at sudden noises or repetitive jerking from hiccups.
• 29 to 31 weeks: Smaller, sharper movements, such as strong kicks and pushes.
• 32 to 35 weeks: Changes in movement type due to reduced space in the womb.
• 36 to 40 weeks: Movements may become slower but stronger, with kicks felt in new places.

It's essential to pay attention to the baby's movements and inform the healthcare provider if notice any decline in activity. If notice any changes, don't hesitate to seek medical attention promptly.

Elements That Trigger Baby's Movements

The positioning of the placenta can also influence when feeling fetal movement; if it's anterior, facing the front, it may delay feeling movement by weeks.

If haven't felt any fetal movement by the middle of the fifth month, a healthcare provider may recommend an ultrasound to check on the baby's health.

However, it's essential not to jump to conclusions if the baby seems particularly active in the womb.

While repeated and strong kicks are common and healthy, any sudden changes in movement patterns, especially in the third trimester, warrant contacting a healthcare provider.

As the pregnancy advances, expect to feel the baby's movements every day, sometimes quite energetically. By the third trimester, you may even be able to communicate with the baby by gently pressing where you feel a limb protruding.

As delivery approaches, the baby's movement patterns may change again, but you should still feel movements every day until labor begins.

Related Article: When Do Mothers Typically Begin to Feel the Kicks of Child in the Womb