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Parentpedia
Kicking
Feeling those little feet kick is an important landmark in the middle of your pregnancy and becomes a simple way to monitor your baby's health.
While your baby often moves earlier, most women won't feel anything until around Week 18 or 20 of their first pregnancy. Experienced moms can often detect movements a month earlier. Most women describe the earliest movements as a fluttering sensation.
By the sixth month, the baby normally is kicking up a storm. Faint, butterfly-wing movements become sharp jabs. If you feel movement in more than one place, remember "kicks" are often punches, elbow shots, or knee jabs. Bruce Lee would be proud.
Don't fret if you can't feel constant movement. Remember, your baby rests and sleeps, though rarely for more than 40 minutes at a time. You also won't feel every single movement the little person makes.
Around Week 25, your baby may start to get hiccups, which produces another jerking movement that some mothers can feel. There is enough room in there that the baby can move around freely. By Week 29, things are getting cramped, so the movements become shorter and more distinct.
By Week 32, your baby is getting bigger and stronger and his or her activity level peaks. In coming weeks, your baby may take a heads-down position, which often restricts movement. Your uterine muscles tend to hold him or her in place. Most of what you feel now are short jabs, which sometimes can be painful.
Be sure to take time to monitor your baby's kicks. Most authorities consider 5-10 movements per hour normal. Women are no longer asked to keep journals of fetal movement, although some do. Contact your doctor if you notice a sudden change in your baby's kick pattern.
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