If you are getting ready to become a mother, you already know how exciting it can be when your belly starts to expand. It’s an amazing feeling when you can finally see your baby growing but waiting for those first kicks can feel endless.
In this article, you can find out when you might begin to feel your baby moving around during pregnancy, as well as what it might feel like when your baby starts “bubbling” in your belly.
When can you begin to feel movement?
When you are pregnant, those kicks and wiggles are the first moments of connection you share with your baby. This sensation of life inside often provides expectant mothers with the opportunity to begin the important bonding with their child, which is a big reason most look forward to those first movements.
How early you begin to feel movement is unique to each pregnancy. For example, women who are expecting their first child usually begin to feel movement later than mothers who have had a prior pregnancy. As a first-time mother, you can typically expect to feel movement starting around week 20 or 21, while during a second (or later) pregnancy you might feel it as early as week 18.
What does the movement feel like?
Most women describe the first sensations as a gentle bubbling feeling in their belly. As the pregnancy progresses, the bubbling feeling will turn into faint taps, nudges, and kicks.
As the pregnancy progresses, you will feel more frequent movement. When they first start, it will not be every day, but from week 24 onwards, you will most likely feel daily movement. As your baby develops and grows, the space in your uterus naturally becomes smaller, therefore you will notice bumping around more often.
The little one inside often follows certain movement patterns day to day. For example, they might be more likely to move around in the morning than in the evening.
In the final weeks of your pregnancy, you will feel your baby stretching and pressing against your other organs.
As your due date gets closer, you may actually notice that there is less frequent movement. This is because your baby begins to sleep for longer stretches of time. However, you should still be able to feel some movement every day between napping periods.
When you feel movement
The timing of when you begin to feel your little one moving around varies from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy. During your pregnancy, allow yourself time to tune into your body and enjoy the feeling of your baby growing.
Some babies are very active and kick a lot, while others are much calmer and seldom move around in a noticeable way. Be sure not to compare what you feel to other people’s experiences as every pregnancy is unique to mom and baby.
