When Can You Feel the Baby Move? Quickening in Pregnancy

Can’t wait to feel baby move?! Here’s what to expect when it comes to fetal movement during pregnancy.

Here's what to expect for fetal movement during pregnancy, what's normal, what's not, and what to do about it. When can you feel the baby move? Find out!

It’s the question that’s on just about every mama’s mind when they’re in the first trimester: When will I feel the baby move? Fact is, there are no hard rules. Also known as quickening, when you can feel the baby move happens at different times for each mama. Here’s what to expect for fetal movement in your pregnancy, as well as what’s normal, what’s not, and what to do about it.

When Can You Feel the Baby Move?

When will you feel quickening in pregnancy? The easy and vague answer is: Some time between 16 weeks and 25 weeks.

When exactly you notice those first fetal movements varies from mama to mama and pregnancy to pregnancy:

  • First-time moms may not notice movement until closer to 25 weeks, or may not know for sure if what they’re feeling is really a baby.
  • Experienced moms tend to notice fetal movement sooner.

Why do experienced moms notice baby move sooner?

  1. They already know the difference between baby movement and other internal rumblings.
  2. Women, who have carried babies before, have more relaxed uterine muscles, and therefore their uteruses are more sensitive to movement.

What Does It Feel Like When Baby Moves During Pregnancy

  • Some women describe it as the fluttering of a butterfly or an angel’s wing.
  • Others feel quickening as a tumbling or twitching sensation.
  • And still others think it feels like bubbles or gas.

Keep in mind that the fundal (top of the uterus) height is still relatively low when quickening happens, so pay attention to your lower abdomen for signs of fetal movement.

As you move into your second and third trimesters, you’ll notice movements more often and may even have a good idea of what body parts are making those jabs!

Keep in mind that the placement of your placenta will also influence your ability to feel baby’s movement.

Pregnant? Get my FREE week-by-week updates! – Week by Week Promo [In-article]

Track your baby’s growth, find safe and natural remedies, and have fun along the way!

Get Pregnancy Updates!

Fetal Movement By Trimester

Here’s a quick guide to fetal movement by trimester:

First trimester

Your baby will start to move around week 8, but you won’t feel it that early. In fact, you probably won’t feel it at all during the first trimester.

Second trimester

You may notice early fluttering movements, but you will likely be unsure if they are your baby or something else.

As you move through the second trimester, you will begin to feel baby movement for reals. You may even begin to feel baby hiccups, which feel like repetitive, rhythmic bumps, or like popcorn popping.

Third trimester

In the third trimester, your partner should be able to feel baby moving. And you will definitely be noticing hiccups and baby kicks and stretches. You will probably even know what body parts are making which movements. Massive kick to your ribs? That’s a leg. Judo chop to your belly? That’s an arm.

You will begin to notice baby’s position, and you may be able to play games with baby. Push on his or her foot and s/he may kick you back!

Will It Hurt If/When the Baby is Moving?

Quickening is such a small, gentle movement that it can’t hurt you. But this may change as your pregnancy continues. As baby gets larger, particularly in the last few weeks of pregnancy, you may notice discomfort when baby moves. And yes, it may even hurt a bit when your little karate master gives you a big judo chop to the ribs or bladder.

But pain is the exception, not the rule. Mostly, baby movement is just a curious pressure—and a joyful one. Many moms say that the movement in their womb helps them feel more connected to baby.

When baby flips to a head-down position (sometime in the last few weeks of pregnancy), you may notice a stretching feeling that can be intense but shouldn’t be too painful. If you notice pain, contact your healthcare provider as a precaution.

Should I Be Monitoring and Keeping Track of Baby’s Movement?

In the early part of your pregnancy, you will begin to notice movement but won’t notice every movement, so there is no reason to monitor.

As you start to identify what baby movement feels like, you can and should start monitoring… especially when you reach week 25 and beyond. Studies show that fetal movement monitoring can be a very effective way to determine your baby’s health in utero.

How to Monitor Fetal Movement in Pregnancy

For more detailed information about fetal movement, check out our kick count post, but here’s a quick recap on how to do it:

  1. Find a comfortable place to rest. Sitting or laying down are both fine. Choose a time when your baby is most active (usually in the evening). Some moms choose to count when they are laying down for bed, since it’s easy to detect baby’s movement when you are still.
  2. Start counting any rolls, punches, kicks or movements from baby. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that you look for 10 movements within 2 hours. Some practitioners want more activity (more on that below).
  3. If you haven’t felt 10 movements in that time frame, drink some juice or eat some dark chocolate to give baby a little boost of glucose, and then count again. You can gently push on your belly where you feel the baby to get her to wake up and start moving too.

To be more proactive and conservative, you want to feel even more movement than ACOG’s recommendations…

“After 28 weeks the baby should have at least 3 active periods of movement in a 24 hour period, in each of those active periods the baby should move at least 6 times in a half hour (or 10 movements in an hour). Small, subtle movements also count as movement.” — Cynthia Mason, CNM, APN, MSN

Keep in mind that the number of kicks per hour is not as important as understanding your baby’s schedule and noting when something is different. For example, if baby is always active at bed time, and one night isn’t active at all, it might be a good time to count kicks and call your provider to be sure baby is ok.

What if I don’t Feel Baby Moving?

Don’t panic. Baby may just be very sleepy, or perhaps all of her movements happened while you were busy with an older child and you didn’t notice them. Likely, your baby is fine. However, call your midwife or doctor immediately to be safe.

What Will a Midwife or Doctor Do if Baby’s Not Moving Often?

Your midwife or doctor might give you some instructions for getting baby moving. If this doesn’t work, your midwife or doctor may ask you to go in to the hospital to be monitored. At the hospital, they will give you a non-stress test and monitor baby’s movements, heart rate, and any contractions. They may offer you some juice to get baby moving.

If the monitoring looks good, you can probably go home. If it shows any possible issues, they may want to use an ultrasound to check baby.

How About You?

When did YOU first feel your baby move? How often did baby move during pregnancy? What did it feel like? Share with us in the comments below!

Genevieve Howland

About the Author

Genevieve Howland is a doula and childbirth educator. She is the bestselling author of The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth and creator of the Mama Natural Birth Course. A mother of three, graduate of the University of Colorado, and YouTuber with over 135,000,000 views, she helps mothers and moms-to-be lead healthier and more natural lives.

Cynthia Mason, CNM, APN, MSN medical reviewer at Mama Natural square

Reviewed By
Cynthia Mason, CNM, APN, MSN

Cynthia Mason, CNM, APN, MSN is a Certified Nurse Midwife who has attended more than five hundred births. She works in Regional Obstetrics and Gynecology for Cleveland Clinic.

56 Comments

  1. I am fifteen weeks and felt my first flutters a little over a week ago, a lot of people say it feels like gas I have never had gas that feels anything like it🤣! I think it’s probably one of the weirdest feelings I’ve ever felt, I was asleep the first time with my knees pulled up to my chest it woke me up, it was kind of like a feeling of something rolling in place on my insides, I’ve had lots of gas but it’s never felt anything like this, It’s kind of like the funny feeling you get when you go over a small hill in the road to fast, it’s that quickening but it’s rolling feeling. The second time I felt it I was sitting on my couch with my knees to my chest again, I don’t know if maybe I am restricting her space a bit with my knees pulled up like that, but everytime I’ve felt her move it’s been when I was sitting or lying in a position with my knees up like that. I have to say it’s a weird feeling, but the most wonderful feeling in the world!

  2. I’m about 30 weeks pregnant and my baby isn’t moving as much as before. She was extremely active what felt like all day the last 6-8 weeks and now she is moving less. Any insight? Should I be worried about the slow down? She’s still moving, just not as active. Thanks!

  3. I am pregnant again and still haven’t felt much at 17 weeks, I feel as if I felt things earlier with my older three, but maybe I was just smaller with them lol It makes me uneasy not feeling movement, but I’m just waiting and praying for movement soon! 🙂

  4. This is my first pregnancy so I had nothing to base anything on besides people telling me it feels like a fluttering or like gas. I have an anterior placenta and juuuust started feeling a twitching at the very bottom last week (Half way through 24 weeks). At first, I thought it was just a muscle twitch. By day three I was reading your book and realized that I really was feeling the baby! It happens so fast which is why I wasn’t sure at first. Can’t wait for those jabs to the ribs! Lol.

    • I felt fluttering for the first time at 6 weeks. Then nothing for a while. At week 12 I started to feel it again and it usually happened at least once a day. I am 14 wks today and I am feeling it several times a day. everything I read says that’s too early so I don’t know what that means. I am not super skinny but I am definitely not overweight either. This is my first pregnancy and it was accomplished through IVF. I don’t know if that has anything to do with it. Has anyone else felt it this early?

    • Oh, and you will feel those jabs. let me tell you. I’m 34 weeks at the moment with my first and some of these kicks and jabs can really hurt like hell. Then the sensation changes and it feels like they are stuffing their foot right into your stomach and it feels like pressure. the weirdest sensation ever! Wouldn’t change it for the world.

  5. I am 12 weeks and started feeling this tiny one moving a few days ago. My other 3 were around 16 weeks. This is the earliest yet. Heaven help us if that means even more active than the others.

  6. I’m 22 weeks and haven’t felt my baby kick yet. (This is my first.) She looked great and active at our 20 week ultrasound, and the tech was surprised I couldn’t feel her kicking – we saw her doing it but no sensation on my end. I was hoping it would be more obvious by now – it seems so many other first time moms feel the kicks much earlier! Am I just bad at recognizing baby movements? Or should I be concerned?

    • Do you know where your placenta is located? If you have an anterior placenta, sometimes it takes a lot longer to feel movement.

      • Thanks for the response! I don’t recall them saying anything about that at my ultrasound. Do you think it’s worth calling them to check? If they say it isn’t anterior, is there any action that you’d recommend I take, or just wait another week or two to see if anything changes?

        • You could absolutely call and find out. Your provider would be able to help you come to a conclusion on why you may not be feeling movement.

    • It’s so refreshing Jackie to hear of your experience, I too am a first time Mumma and not sure if I have felt anything tbh. I’m 21 weeks and reading your comment has made me feel at ease as we haven’t had a scan at all yet (first one is in a couple of days). Choosing this part of little to no intervention has been extremely hard but reading comments like yours helps. Hearing those who feel so early on does make me feel so disconnected but suppose my baba is just their own sweet time to kick and move 🙂

      • I feel the exact same way!

  7. I have usually felt my babies kick around 18 weeks. I’m pregnant again and this time I first started feeling kicks at 14 weeks. I was so surprised. I didn’t know that was even possible. My husband and I could feel baby’s kicks from the outside at 16 weeks. Having lost a baby in pregnancy, it’s so nice to have that daily reassurance this early.

  8. I began to feel (or think I could feel) small movements around 16 weeks (although some people told me it was too early to feel movement). At 18 weeks, I felt a first really big kick. I remember saying “oof” and then bursting into tears so excited for the first movements. Now at 24 weeks, I’m feeling lots of kicks and jabs. It’s so exciting!

  9. I am 18 weeks today and have been feeling baby move for over 2 weeks now! A couple days before 16 weeks was the first movement I noticed (felt like gas/big bubbles, but was definitely not gas!) now that I’m 18 weeks I am certain that what I was feeling so early was the wee one ☺️ I am a thin person, with very little stomach fat (I store my fat elsewhere, don’t you worry ?) and I can feel a LOT of the baby’s movements. It’s so special and such an interesting experience ❤️

  10. Am a first time mom and am in week 18 almost 19 weeks. I felt my baby move last night for the first time. I couldn’t believe when I felt the first move so I got quieter and baby moved again and again..it was awesome and so emotional. Am happy and I thank God for this incredible gift He has given me.
    Oh I just can’t wait to meet my baby!!

  11. Sorry to all who have lost their precious babies. ?
    I have an 8 yr old son, and he wasn’t moving as much throughout my pregnancy and I did go a few times to the hospital. After a miscarriage 4 yrs ago I’m 11 wks pregnant I’m happy but not trying to get my hopes up as I’m diabetic and I had complications for my 1st pregnancy. I wasn’t diabetic for my 1st pregnancy but I was going into labor and my doctor said that I wasn’t in labor and one day I told my husband to take me to the hospital and sure enough the amniotic fluid had been torn a bit a leaking for over 2 weeks and I was admitted and my son was not looking too good and only gave me 1 day to see if I gave birth naturally but I couldn’t and the we were both high risk of infection so I had a c-section. I had told my doctor and he said it was urine. Please trust your instincts first.

    • Sorry to hear about your struggles and loss. Yes, listen to your gut on these things. Thought I was losing anatomic fluid and told my healthcare provider a few times. Finally, I called the hospital went in, and they did a swab test that showed I wasn’t leaking and ordered me an ultrasound to confirm that the fluid was still good. Turns out I have placenta issues and now they are monitoring me like a hawk. So I agree, listen to your gut.

  12. am getting to sixteen weeks now but i cant feel my angel and sometimes experience sharp and normal pains

  13. Im a first time mom at 29. Im 15 weeks and 5 days as of today and i felt my baby move for the first time about 3 days ago well tbh i thought it was gas because i felt a little bloated but when i pushed a little on my stomache the baby moved and that flutter sensation moved in my stomache as well letting me kno thats my baby and that this has been the baby movin for bout a week now and i was mistaking the movements for gas. Lol now that i kno thats what it is i tend to push a little to make the baby move so i can get comfort we have a good understanding now ?

  14. I felt my baby move for the first time yesterday and it felt so angelic. I just started to cry and was so thankful! I’m a first-time mum and feel so blessed. I started to sing and give God thanks. Such an overwhelming feeling that made it all real. I feel so connected to my baby now and that sense of I’m actually not alone as she grows inside me is mesmerizing and wonderful. I could just cry tears of joy all over again ??????❤ Oh, I’m exactly 19 weeks today!

  15. I am a FTM and I felt my baby move at 14 weeks. Many told me that it was too early, but my doctor was able to confirm that I was definitely feeling my baby move on the ultra-sound. Now at 19 weeks, I feel baby move about all the time. It is such an amazing feeling.

  16. I’m currently 25 weeks and 6 days with my first child and I started feeling him really early on for a “first time mum” at around 16 weeks!

  17. Am 25weeks 6days and I haven’t but feeling ma baby moving very much lately …i can just feel abit or feel like something z popping on ma tummy when I check I will just find one side of ma abdomen hard without feeling when the baby moved… I did the scan it was showing that ma baby’s fetal heart z very good and busy moving ….isnt it something I shud b worried of??

    • That’s a great thing to speak with your provider about.

  18. Hello ..
    This is my first pregnancy and I started to feel my little angel in week 18,
    But yesterday I had a very bad pain for like ten minutes, was praying so hard worried but after that I was oky , I wanted to ask if its normal to hav such pain ,
    Now my pregnancy is 19 weeks.

  19. I am currently 12 weeks, as of yesterday, with my 5th bundle of joy. My first 3, sadly, are angels . I do have a beautiful, intelligent and completely humble precious little boy who just turned a year old on April, 6th. 2017. I’ve been freaking out cause I felt my son first move on the inside at 13 weeks and at 17 weeks and 3 days on the outside. I could watch him press out on my belly and everything by then. I still have felt anything with this one, and it scares me. I’m probably just over thinking and over reacting, at least I hope I am. I just figured I’d feel this one move sooner then him, even if it is only a week. I thought I felt a movement about 10 minutes ago but really don’t wanna get my hopes up and I can’t really remember exactly how it felt with my son the first time. Just a bit ago I was laying own flat on my back and could have swore I felt a little “knot” pop up then go away but couldn’t figure out if it was a muscle balling up or my baby doll moving. Any advice or input on what anyone thinks would b highly appreciated and took into great consideration.

    • Sorry, I had to fix the word be** in my last comment because my phone accidently erased the e. Lol.

    • 12 weeks would be really early to feel movement. I know it’s hard but, give it time ❤️

    • Are you very skinny I’m 20 weeks with my second I cannot feel him on the outside. IAM a thicker girl

  20. Im a first time mom and noticed baby move around 20 weeks and possibly earlier. Im 27 weeks now and he moves all the time. So fun to feel and wonder what he is doing in there. Cant wait until i can tell what and body parts are.

  21. I’ll never forget when I felt my daughter move during our labor she was always very busy my angel she passed August 19th 2018 at only 3 months and 28 days old she passed in her sleep still waiting to find out why I lost my princess my heart and soul??❤?

    • So sorry to hear. My thoughts and prayers go out to you.

  22. This pregnancy I felt baby jump as early as 8-9weeks. I knew for sure that it was her, by the 12th and 14th week. The jumps were always around the same time and became more consistent. She would do this movement that felt like she was straightening a bow tie. Left and right wiggle. She is still very busy and active as I enter my 3rd term. Seems like she has been flexing out/trying her new found strength lately. With my Son on the other hand, I didn’t feel anything until 15-16weeks. 18weeks on the regular. My kids were on the early side for me feeling movement, my friend didn’t feel anything until 20week, my cousin 22wks. Everyone is different.

  23. During one pregnancy the first movement I felt was around 9 wks. This time my husband&I both felt baby (on the outside) at 16.5wks!

  24. Am joy ,,am 1 month pregnant and I got surprised today when I saw my umbilical cord moving up and down its doing strange movements..is it not tooo early for that? Or is it normal?or something is not okay? Need help

  25. I am 15 weeks today and I could swear I felt my baby move this afternoon! It felt like tumbling very low in my belly. Now that I think of it, I may have been having these tumbling sensations for a few days now. This is my second pregnancy, so I was expecting to feel movement sooner, but this early surprised me! Anyone else feel baby as early as 15 weeks?

  26. I remember it being 18 weeks and I was so excited to feel some strong movements! My husband started feeling it at 20 weeks & now we just pause to watch every moment he moves. These days won’t last forever hey?

  27. Hi I’m 19weeks today and been waiting to feel my baby girl but nothing yet. This is my first after TTC for 4 years. I have pcos. I will find out where my placenta is at in cuple days at my ultrasound for 18-20 weeks. I’m really hoping its not were I won’t be able to feel much only because I already worry to much. With me haven pcos this may be out only baby.

    • So Irry for all the lost,am 39 and I feel my baby at 7 week,am 17 week’s now and I don’t feel It any more,am worried.

  28. My first born would celebrate every night when I finally got out of work and flopped into my recliner. He went wild. Made using my belly for a tv tray pretty difficult but still reassuring. 9 hours on my feet running noisy machinery was stressful enough without the people working under me. My little guy sure made it worth it with his shenanigans each night.

  29. I had an anterior placenta with both of my pregnancies so I didn’t get to feel as much movement. I loved the movements I got to feel and it was scary several times that I didn’t feel like I felt as much; we had a few NST’s to check in both pregnancies. I felt silly being worried about it and that my Dr. would make me feel like I was crazy. However I have a cousin that lost a baby at 38/39 weeks and I couldn’t handle not knowing if the baby was ok. I was their ONLY advocate and that would help to put my mind at ease when I felt like a crazy person calling the Dr. But there were several time on ultrasound that the baby would be moving and kicking and I had no idea, confirming that I was not feeling much of their movement. Be sure to advocate for yourselves and your babies. Blessings to those who have had loss, I am so sorry.

    • I had an anterior placenta too and couldn’t feel most of my son’s movements either. It was nerve wracking! It wasn’t until I saw baby on the ultrasound moving, but couldn’t feel it, that I could relax about it (a little bit).

  30. My son I felt at 18 weeks, he was the classic bubbling fishy feeling, very gentle. He’s still such a gentle little boy at 9. My daughter on the other hand I felt at 12 weeks as jabs, the doctor didn’t believe me, but I could point out exactly where she was on the left side of my uterus and he confirmed with the Doppler. She is a feisty little ball of energy and I knew she was gonna have her father’s strength from that day forward. Even he, a seasoned construction worker is amazed at how strong she is. The funny thing is, she was full term and only 4.5lbs, so she was a minuscule little thing at 12 weeks making such a ruckus.

  31. With my first child I started noticing a pattern of her movements around 22 weeks. Everyone told me just to enjoy but not pay much attention. That until the third trimester it wasn’t important. I wish I had never been told that because at 24 weeks I went 2 days without movement and didn’t call a dr bc it wasn’t “important”. My daughter had passed and I had to deliver her stillborn. I was 21 years old.
    My second child I felt at 20 weeks and paid attention everyday. Going to he hospital or calling a dr whenever I was worried, better safe than sorry. Now with my third he is a crazy wriggler and I’ve only had a scare once and I’m almost due!

    • I’m so sorry for your loss. I was reassured by several mom’s that babies run out of space in the third trimester and move much less. I wish I had trusted my gut sooner when my son began moving much less. My beautiful boy passed during a non stress test, stillborn at 38+5 two and a half months ago. You are not alone on your journey.

      • I am so sorry moms 🙁 I lost my daughter at 32 weeks. It was my second and I thought bc I was moving so much that day that she was just sleeping.
        I wish I had paid attention more to the movements and ignored people telling me that they don’t move much in the 3rd trimester (that’s a vicious old wives tale!)
        I will definitely be a nut case about movements with this rainbow pregnancy!

        • Wow I’m surprised to see all the mommys of stillborns commenting! I wish people didn’t tell me that baby’s movements slowed down during the last trimester and to count baby’s kicks! We lost our little angel nevaeh at 37 weeks. Thankfully we do have 2 beautiful babies here on earth with us. Count those kicks mamas and don’t be afraid to call your midwife/dr.!

          • I was 27 weeks and went into the drs asking for an ultrasound because my little one stopped moving as much. The dr did the fetal doppler and told me I was just a worried first time mom and there wasn’t a need for an ultrasound. I went home still uneasy. The next day I went to pay for an ultrasound at those cute little places. The tech couldn’t find a heart beat..my little boy passed away and we found I had low amniotic fluid. Since then I always demand and stick to my instincts as a mom.

    • My heart is breaking hearing about your losses. So sorry to hear. I will update post and be sure to stress counting kicks as early as 20 weeks. Bless you all.

  32. Perfect timing! I just felt my baby for the first time at 16 weeks just last week. My pregnancy before this I first felt the baby a day shy of 16 weeks. So around 16 weeks is normal for me. I can’t remember on my first pregnancy, though 🙂
    I just had an appt with my midwife today and she said “oh that’s pretty early!” I love the peace of mind of feeling that little wiggle.

      • I lost two pregnancy and then Yahweh blessed me with my Jonah!
        It’s hard to deal with loss sometimes but Yahweh is with you.
        All you have to do is ask for His comfort and He is there!
        Praise Yahshua for babies!
        With my first child he moved pretty often.
        He even kicked a remote off my belly.
        I was sure I felt him flip at fourteen weeks!

        • Alicia, praying all is well with you and Jonah! Thank you for your post, especially for the encouraging words about Yahweh and his comforting arm. I so needed that right now. Not feeling very loved by hubby, and things are tough. I had pcos, but believed I was healed and now 22 weeks with first child. Thank you all who have posted about loss. May Yahweh heal your hurt and grant you multiple miracles. Blessings. Shalom.


Add Comment

Your email address will not be published. All fields are required *

*

Learn to have an amazing birth

(without leaving your couch)

Baby Name Finder

Discover thousands of unique and popular baby names with Mama Natural’s NEW Baby Name Finder.