Feeling baby move.
Baby move from around 8 weeks in the womb, which can be seen on an scan. However fetal movements are not felt by the person carrying untill the second trimester and then even later normally by others on the outside.
The average for people feel baby move is around 16-24 weeks into pregnancy, however if it your first pregnancy it can be well after 20 weeks. But also some people mainly second + pregnancy can feel baby much early around 13-16 weeks. Then other should be able to feel baby from as early as 20 weeks or later depending on when they start growing bigger and other factors I will mention below.
Many things can effect fetal movements being felt early or later on in the pregnancy. Some of which are where the placenta is placed weather it is at the front (anterior) or back (exterior). It can be due to different weighs, or how you carry in general. If your busy you can also be less likely to feel baby then when your resting and relaxed, focusing on feeling them. Dehydration can also cause less fetal Movements apparently.
It is important that as you start feeling movement and are in the third trimester that you start to notice your babies own individual pattern and if they change or you feel no movements it is always adviced to seek help. There are a few things you can do first but always go get checked!
Things you can do first:
- Sit or lie down
- Drink cold water
- Have a snack
- Do some star jumps or walk around
- Touch or general poke/ wiggle your bump
- Some people say shine a light on belly but I'm not sure of this one.
- Play music or talk to baby.
Most of the time changes in movements or lack of movement is nothing to worry about. As the baby is growing they may change their regular pattern or movements could feel different. Nevertheless it is better to be safe to get seen in case it is for another reasons, that does require medical assistance.
With Ariyah we were in all the time, Ben had an anterior placenta, which meant it was at the front of baby, cushioning the movements. He did not feel her untill past 24 weeks and I could not feel from the outside untill much later and hardly at all. So we were always in and out of hospital getting checked. Despite that she always shown movement on the monitors or scans, that she was in fact wiggling away happy and healthy.
My pregnancy movements
Now in this pregnancy, I know my placenta is high and at the back. I am also very small. My bump is already quiet big for the gestation I am. Which means even as my first pregnancy I was likely to feel baby more. But we didn't not expect what happen.
13 weeks I felt the first movements. I thought it was not, I convinced myself I was too early. As I laid in bed sorting some of Ariyah's photos I felt a wave, like a roll of my skin inside. Thinking it was gas I did not take much notice, then there was a little pop like movement. I laid down and placed my hands on my tummy, there came more. I told Ben but still we thought it was early. Few days later I had more little flutters again thinking it is still to early. I must be making it up.
About 14 weeks I was resting in bed again feeling little pop movements. I placed my hand on my tummy again and could feel it from the outside this time. Like a little push. I called Ben up quickly and he placed his hand where I felt. To our surprise as I felt the little kick he felt it too, we were amazing, in shock and in love. I cried! It was such a special moment. Since then I have felt a few tiny movements every day since or every other day. One night after eating pasta Bolognese they were jumping all over the place, which Ben could feel too, it was so amazing.
Few days later I was with my friend who is a midwive in the car, she popped in Asda so I sat in car just talking and feeling baby. There they went again pushing away at my tummy. As my friend come back she quickly felt my tummy and to her surprise to she felt it. She is a midwive too and definitely said it was a fetal movement. Up untill then I thought I was making it up, it was gas or anything. But to have others feel and say it was baby, was such a relief.
When we do the home Doppler to listen into the baby you can here them moving around and I can now feel them pushing on the Doppler as well as hearing the movement too. There heartbeat is very strong and easy to find now too.
Home doppler are not adviced to be used at all especially for reasurrance. If you do not feel baby, do not use it. A heartbeat does not always mean baby is fine so you need to get checked. We have one for bonding. More so because Ben can't come to scans. But we have a midwive do it or have been shown exactly what to listen for. So never use it instead of going to get checked out.
(Written at 15 weeks)
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