When Can You Feel Your Baby Moving?
Having your first baby can be really exciting and a bit overwhelming, so it’s natural to have lots of questions about your pregnancy! One of the first questions you might have is when you can start to feel your baby moving.
First Movements
Early movement is known as ‘quickening’, and usually first occur between 16 and 24 weeks. However, everyone’s experience is different, so some mums may feel their baby move as early as 13 weeks, or not until 28 weeks! Quickening may feel like flutters, or subtle movements which can often feel like gas bubbles. You may also notice some ‘kicking’ movements, particularly in the later stages of your pregnancy.
When to Contact Your Doctor
If you haven’t felt any quickening by 24 weeks, it would be a good idea to contact your GP or midwife. It’s completely normal to be concerned that there may be a problem, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that there is anything to worry about. Your midwife will be able to offer reassurance, and may be able to offer you a special scan to check your baby’s wellbeing.
Am I Feeling The Right Thing?
If you feel you’re noticing unusual movements, try to time them and record them in a diary. It can be hard to differentiate between baby movements and other causes like gas, however most often your baby’s movements feel like rolling, thudding, or butterflies.
Having Fun with Baby
Once you start to feel your baby moving, it can be really exciting. There are lots of ways to get to know and bond with your unborn baby, such as:
- Massage your tummy and see how your baby responds.
- Listen to music and see how your baby reacts.
- Talk to your baby and see if they answer!
Most importantly, enjoy this special time with your unborn baby.