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When Will I Feel the Baby Move?
Author: Heather Slee
Feeling your baby move inside you is an amazing experience. Many expectant mothers wait excitedly for this moment, not only to experience a bonding moment or just the incredible sensation of feeling the fetus move, but also for peace of mind. So, when can you expect to feel your baby move?
Most doctors agree that women tend to feel movement around 16 weeks. However, if this is your first pregnancy, it may take longer. For example, I didn’t feel my baby move until I was 23 weeks along. I was nervous about this, and after doing some research I found that it could take up to 25 weeks for the first pregnancy. My doctor also confirmed this.
However, sometimes you can’t even tell if you feel your baby move or if it’s just your stomach grumbling or a random ping. It may take a while for you to be able to determine if it’s your baby’s movement. Women experience different sensations, so what you feel may not be what your sister felt or what your neighbor feels. It could be a flutter or a jab or a swish. Soon the feelings will become more predominant and you’ll be able to tell if it’s Baby or dinner time.
Once your baby is moving regularly, your doctor may suggest you monitor the fetal kicks. Once you’re well into the second trimester and into the third trimester, you’ll get a handle on what your baby feels like and when your baby is most active. That’s when you should regularly monitor fetal kicks. There are a number of strategies for this, but one easy way to do it is to take your baby’s most active time of the day and count 10 movements. Then record how long it took for you to count the 10 movements. If your baby doesn’t move 10 times in 2 hours, you may want to try again during a different time of day, or call your doctor if you notice a significant decrease in activity.
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