I have a small build and I tend to be sensitive to physical changes in my body. Nevertheless, I was surprised when I began feeling my daughter's kicks and tumbles when I was just fourteen weeks pregnant. Many of my friends and family members hadn't felt their babies move-- a pregnancy milestone known as "quickening"-- until far later in pregnancy. The age at which a mother feels a baby's first kicks depends largely on her sensitivity to these unusual, exciting sensations. If you're wondering when you'll feel your baby kick for the first time, here are some facts you may need to know.
1. It usually occurs between 16 and 22 weeks of pregnancy. Your baby begins moving around in the womb at about 7 weeks from your last period (5 weeks from conception). However, she isn't large enough to feel until far later than that-- mostly commonly, the second trimester. Although it's most normal to feel your baby between the 16th week and the 22nd, there isn't necessarily anything wrong if you feel your baby during a different frame of time.
2. It depends partially on whether you've given birth before. If you've been pregnant before, you're likely to feel your baby's movements earlier than first-time moms. Veteran child-bearers have often learned to recognize the sensation of an unborn baby's kicks, and can discern them from gas bubbles and hunger pangs. If this is your first time feeling a baby's quickening, you'll feel your little one's acrobatics later on.
1. It usually occurs between 16 and 22 weeks of pregnancy. Your baby begins moving around in the womb at about 7 weeks from your last period (5 weeks from conception). However, she isn't large enough to feel until far later than that-- mostly commonly, the second trimester. Although it's most normal to feel your baby between the 16th week and the 22nd, there isn't necessarily anything wrong if you feel your baby during a different frame of time.
2. It depends partially on whether you've given birth before. If you've been pregnant before, you're likely to feel your baby's movements earlier than first-time moms. Veteran child-bearers have often learned to recognize the sensation of an unborn baby's kicks, and can discern them from gas bubbles and hunger pangs. If this is your first time feeling a baby's quickening, you'll feel your little one's acrobatics later on.
3. Thinner mamas feel quickening sooner. If you're petite, you're more likely to feel your baby's kicks and flutters earlier than average in pregnancy. Thin women don't have as much abdominal cushioning to soften the blows of a baby's knees, arms, Iand feet. Moms-to-be with a little extra fluff may not feel their babies kick until later in pregnancy, while very large women sometimes don't feel fetal movements until the third trimester.
4. Late quickening doesn't mean your baby is unhealthy. In general, there's no reason to be worried if you haven't felt your baby move yet. If you're keeping all of your prenatal appointments and everything seems to be fine with the baby, it's unlikely that late quickening is a sign of an undiagnosed problem. Perfectly healthy babies may begin moving at the same time as their peers, but their moms might not feel movements until far later. Odd are high that your baby is okay.
5. Talk to your prenatal care provider if you're worried. If you're concerned about your little one's health, it's always best to check with your obstetrician or midwife. If you did feel your baby's movements, but don't anymore, it's a good idea to get yourself checked by an expert. Your health care provider will also want to do an ultrasound if you haven't felt any fetal movements by your 22nd week of pregnancy. In the unlikely event that there is something wrong, quick medical care may help to save your baby's life.