You will not notice the baby kicking till about 16 to 22 weeks, even though they would have started moving somewhere between 7 to 8 weeks. This is bound to be witnessed if you may have had an ultrasound.
The veteran moms tend to notice the subtle kicks also referred to as quickening than the first time moms as it is easy to distinguish from other belly rumblings if you have been pregnant before. These movements are likely to be witnessed when you are sitting or lying down quietly. Once the baby starts moving, your partner may take some time to feel the side kick
What are the sensations of the fetal movements?
Women have gone to describe this sensation as goldfish swimming or butterflies fluttering. You may feel the gentle taps in your belly as gas or hungry pains, but once you start having them regularly you will start noticing the difference.
At first the noticeable kicks will be lesser than normal. One day you may feel a lot of movements and the next day the baby movement will be nil. Though the baby is moving or kicking regularly, many of the movements are not that strong enough to make you feel that way. But these kicks will become assuring and all the more regular in the second stages of your pregnancy.
Do not worry if your experience is different from that of your friends. Each baby has their own pattern of activity and as long as the usual activity of the baby does not decrease, the chances are that they are doing fine.
Is the baby going to kick less once you reach the ending stages of pregnancy?
Certainly not. As the baby tends to take a lot of space in the uterus, and there is going to be longer periods of quiet. He should not become less active at all. The movements are going to be stronger when there is less room.
Is there any need to keep a track of the kicks of the baby?
Once you have figured out the kicks, do pay attention to how often the baby moves. Let the health care provider notice if the activity level of the baby has slowed down or not. Less amount of movement may be a cause of worry, but the doctor may need to have a non-stress test along with other set of tests to figure out whether everything is ok or not. These tests may also be recommended as part of your routine prenatal care
By the time you reach the third trimester of pregnancy, some providers recommend that you spend each day counting the kicks of the baby. There are lot of ways to do this and you can ask the provider for specific instructions in this regard. For example, they may ask you to choose a time of the day when the baby is most active. Then sit quietly and lie on your side and figure out how long does it take for the movements. If it is less than 10 get in touch with the provider.
