Feel Baby Movement Early in Pregnancy
Most pregnant women don’t feel any movement from their baby until about 18 to 22 weeks, but the movement can be felt earlier in some cases. It’s not unusual to feel your baby’s movement as early as 16 weeks, and even as early as 14 weeks for some lucky moms.
Why You Can Feel Your Baby So Early
Some women who are thin, active or have had multiple pregnancies can feel their baby move early because the muscles in their abdomen are particularly sensitive to the movements. Women for whom this is true might tell you that they felt something as early as eight to 12 weeks along. With highly sensitive moms, movements can be felt even before the pregnant belly can be visibly seen.
Becoming Aware of Baby’s Patterns
When you can feel your baby move, you might find that the movements follow a pattern – they seem to be more active some times of day and less active at other times. The most active time for you might be the evening – some women find increased movement after dinner. And while you’re lying still and sleeping during the night, your baby’s activity might pick up so that you wake up occasionally feeling your baby.
Encouraging Baby Movement
If you want to encourage baby movement, there are a couple of things you can try:
- Talk to your baby. You might not realize it, but studies have found that your baby might be able to hear you somewhere around 16 weeks.
- Get active. When you get active and exercise, the jostling can excite your baby.
- Eat something sweet. Babies often respond to sweet foods like those filled with sugar, so having something sweet might get the baby moving.
Baby kicks and movements are something to look forward to as your pregnancy progresses and your baby matures. Remember that, though, when movement starts, you should partake in regular check-ins with your doctor or midwife to ensure that your baby is doing fine.