When Do Babies Begin Moving In The Womb?

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Remember how the movies and TV shows have beyond-excited parents who experience their baby’s first kicks in the womb? A baby’s movements (and not just kicks) can be felt in various ways. They can be felt more at some point in time than others. At times, you may not experience the movements at all while other times you can sense or feel them prominently. Want to know when the baby is more active and when the counts are higher? Then read on.

In This Article

When Do Babies Begin To Move?

A baby begins to move in the womb around seven to nine weeks. You cannot feel but the ultrasound picks them up. You can feel the kicks or the movements only after 17 to 22 weeks of pregnancy. Experiencing kicks or baby movements is a direct indication of a healthy baby!

How Are The Sensations Like?

The inspiration from TV and movies don’t really help. The movements are not always kicks. As the baby is in a fluid-like environment and after the ninth week he can move his muscles, the sensations feel like the baby is rolling over, or just moving around. The baby could also toss and turn, and these movements can be felt easily.

You may not understand the movements in the beginning but figure out a pattern later. During some active hours of the day, you can relax and record the baby’s movements.

Interestingly, mothers having the second or subsequent pregnancies can feel baby kicks earlier than 17 weeks! Maybe because they are already expecting the kicks?

When Is The Baby Most Active?

Babies are most active during the early hours of the day. The movements are especially high in the mornings and after you have your meal. Babies tend to react more to sugars and the kind of food that you eat gives the baby a sense of taste as well.

Week-By-Week Baby Kicks

The baby grows at different stages and below, we give you a break-up of the development and the movement therein.

Week 8 to 12:

This is when your baby is a fetus. His eyes, tongue, and mouth begin to form, and the spinal cord is also forming. His brain begins to function and has brain waves. This means that he is capable of sending signals to the growing parts. You won’t feel any kicks for the time being, but the baby is floating in the amniotic fluid. The ultrasound scans can now reveal if your baby is suffering from down’s syndrome or trisomy.

Week 13 to 17:

The baby can now swim around with ease and cry as the vocal cords are developed. Some mothers who have had a pregnancy before experience baby movements, but this could be rare.

Week 18 to 22:

This is the time when most mothers can feel the ever-so-slight movement. As the baby is still small and isn’t completely developed, his movement can pass off as acid reflux or indigestion.

Week 23 to 28:

The baby tends to be more active now than before, and you can see a pattern in the movements. You could chart these down and consult your doctor. The doctor will advise you on how the patterns are and if they are healthy.

Your baby may have weird waking up times which may be inconvenient to you. But you must try to chart the movements and maintain a schedule.

Should I Count My Baby Kicks?

Counting kicks is important as it could prevent stillbirths, especially in the case of high-risk pregnancies (1).

Depending on your pregnancy, the doctor could give you a parameter or the basic number of kick counts for a day. The easiest way to count your baby’s kicks is by choosing a specific time of the day and then following up on the routine.

  1. Figure out when your baby is most active.
  2. Choose a position in which you are comfortable, like lying down, or reclining, and begin counting.
  3. Write down the time when you begin to count.
  4. The movements should be counted in terms of ten kicks. This should be inclusive of turns, twists, and any other movements.
  5. Wait until you are done with counting ten kicks and then write down the time again.
  6. There may be cases when your baby wouldn’t move. Try to wake the baby up by drinking a glass of juice or having something sweet.

Now that you know how and when your baby begins to move, you should talk to your baby more often. Remember that they do respond to touch, and they feel safe and loved when you do so!

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