Baby’s Movement in Pregnant Belly
Hi Winnie, I Can’t Tell If My Baby Is Moving: What’s Normal?
You won’t be aware of all your baby’s movements during pregnancy, for a variety of reasons. Some movements won’t last long enough or be strong enough for you to feel. But when your baby moves his whole body for longer than a few seconds (Hijazi and East 2009, de Vries and Fong 2006), or his limbs for longer than seven seconds, you’re likely to notice it (Hijazi and East 2009, RCOG 2011).
You most likely won’t feel too much before 25 weeks. Eventually, you will learn the times of day your baby is most active and the times when they are probably sleeping. Another reason you may not feel all your baby’s movements is that they can be harder to notice if your baby’s spine is at the front of your bump (anterior position), or if the placenta is at the front of your bump (anterior placenta) (RCOG 2011, 2012).
Every pregnancy is different, so it’s hard to say exactly what you will feel and when, but here are a few rough guides:
If after 32 weeks pregnant you don’t feel any movement for two hours ( during your baby’s normal active time) or the movements have slowed significantly be sure to check in with your doctor.
Best,
Winnie