Fetal Movement: The Time You Start to Feel the Baby Move
It is a moment every expectant mother looks forward to. The most exciting moment of pregnancy. The moment when you start to feel the little flutters of your baby kicking are like no other moments in life. The kicks are a way of reassuring you that your baby is developing. It also draws you closer to the little one inside you.
When will you feel your baby kicking?
The first movements of your baby, often referred to as “quickening”, happen between weeks 16 and 25 of pregnancy. For the first time pregnancy, you will probably feel the movement in week 25. In the second pregnancy, the baby can kick as early as 13 weeks. The best position to feel the baby kicking is either while seated or lying down in a quiet position.
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What does the kicking feel like?
Expectant women describe the feeling of a baby kicking as butterflies and others as nervous twitches. It may be difficult to tell if your baby has moved during your first time. By the second pregnancy, you will be more adept to distinguishing those baby movements from gas, hunger pangs or any other internal motions. In the second and third trimester, the movements will be more distinct.
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The frequency of the kicks
During the early stages of pregnancy, feeling the baby move may happen every now and then. As you baby grows towards the second trimester, you will feel your baby move more frequently. According to some studies, the baby moves up to 30 times every hour during the third trimester.
Babies move more at certain times as they alternate between alertness and sleep. High activity is usually between 9 pm and 1 am, around the time you want to sleep. This is because of the changing blood sugar levels in your system. Babies respond to sounds or touch.
How to monitor your baby’s kicking?
After around the 28th week when your baby’s kicks are well established, doctors recommend that you keep track of those kicks. It is important to keep feeling your baby move. The punches, jabs and kicks are an indicator of your baby’s continuous development. There is no tangible scientific evidence that this is a sure way of telling whether your baby is alright. In any case, check with your healthcare provider to know what’s best for you.
In case you are interested in counting, chart your baby’s movements to keep track of your baby’s normal patterns of movement. You can count the movements during their most active time which is usually after you have taken a meal. Lie in a comfortable position and count the time it takes for your baby to make 10 movements. Within 2 hours, you should have felt at least 10 movements. Keep track of the number of times for a couple of days.
If you can’t feel 10 movements in 2 hours for a number of days, your baby is abnormally inactive and you will need to call your healthcare provider.
Feeling your baby move is such an exhilarating feeling. It reminds you that all the pain and fatigue is worth it in the end.
Have you announced your pregnancy yet?
If not, here are a few creative ideas for pregnancy announcement:
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