How often should your baby move? There's no set number of movements you should feel each day – every baby is different. You do not need to count the number of kicks or movements you feel each day. The important thing is to get to know your baby's usual movements from day to day.
Yes, it's normal to feel your baby on and off. It may sometimes feel like it's been a few days since you felt a movement. Once quickening turns to strong kicks and wiggles, your baby's movements will become more regular and consistent.
You should feel at least 10 movements within a 2-hour period. If you can't feel 10 movements in 2 hours despite eating something and fully focusing on the baby's movements, call your doctor for advice on what to do next.
If you haven't felt any movement from your baby by 24 weeks, see your doctor or midwife. At any stage of your pregnancy, if you are concerned about your baby's movements, contact your midwife or doctor immediately. Do not wait until the next day. A slowing down of movement may be a sign that your baby is unwell.
A: It's normal for babies to have quiet periods in utero, and a temporary dip in activity could just mean that your baby is sleeping or he's low on energy because you haven't eaten in a while. However, if you sense an overall slowdown in movement, call your doctor.
If a usually active baby suddenly becomes quiet, it may be a sign of a common infection, such as a cold, which may cause fever. Lethargy could also be a sign of a more serious infection such as the flu or meningitis.
Your baby is still too small to feel consistently
Your baby may be an acrobat one minute and in hibernation the next. You may go hours or even a couple of days without noticing fetal movement.
As your pregnancy goes on, you may feel some changes in your baby's movement. Around 25 to 28 weeks, your baby may start to kick and stretch. And you may notice that your baby does less turning and twisting and more squirming or jerking. Around 30 to 32 weeks, your baby turns less and kicks and jabs more.
32 weeks to 35 weeks
This may be the most exciting time for feeling your baby move, as at 32 weeks your baby's movements will be at their peak. Afterwards, the frequency of your baby's movements will stay roughly the same until you go into labour (Jakes et al 2018, RCOG 2011, 2019).
At 19 weeks, the top of the uterus (the uterine fundus) is just below the level of the belly button. So most fetal movement (kicks, etc.) is felt in the lower part of the belly. As both the uterus and fetus grow, a fetus' movements can be felt all over the belly, including the upper part of the abdomen.
Some moms report that a short burst of exercise (like jogging in place) is enough to wake up their baby in the womb. Shine a flashlight on your tummy. Towards the middle of the second trimester, your baby may be able to tell the difference between light and dark; a moving light source may interest them.
Depending on your stage of pregnancy, your body type, and even the time of day, sometimes your belly will feel soft and other times it will feel tight and hard. The reality is, there's no normal to compare yourself with. Pregnant bellies come in all shapes, sizes, and firmness.
Excessive Fetal Movement Is a Sign of a Healthy Pregnancy
According to our maternal fetal medicine (MFM) experts, even growing and developing babies need exercise. Mothers may expect their children to only move occasionally, yet frequent movement is an important part of development inside the womb.
Instead, What to Expect suggested health snacks like cheese and crackers, greek yogurt, or fruit and nuts. These foods won't put you on the doctor's watch list for gestational diabetes, but they will boost your blood sugar enough to get your baby moving around in there.
When to see a doctor. If you're in your third trimester and you're worried that you're not feeling your baby move very often, definitely try the kick count. If you monitor your baby's kicks or movements during a particular window of time but you're still not logging enough movements, call your doctor.
"In the morning, the stomach is empty and the digestive tract has digested all food from the night before, making the abdominal area and, thus, the baby bump, appear smaller than later on in the day, when we've ingested food – especially if it's a big meal," she explains.
Your Belly Muscles Are Tighter In The Morning
“Overnight rest allows the stomach muscles to rejuvenate and do more of the work to hold the uterus in and up which is why your bump may seem smaller earlier in the day.” That's why a 9 months-pregnant belly looks smaller on some days rather than others.
Just like newborns, fetuses spend most of their time sleeping. Indeed, throughout much of the pregnancy, your baby sleeps 90 to 95% of the day. Some of these hours are spent in deep sleep, some in REM sleep, and some in an indeterminate state—a result of their immature brain.
Many physicians advise pregnant women to sleep on their left side. Previous studies have linked back and right-side sleeping with a higher risk of stillbirth, reduced fetal growth, low birth weight, and preeclampsia, a life-threatening high blood pressure disorder that affects the mother.
Fetal movements typically increase when the mother is hungry, reflecting lowered blood sugar levels in the mother and fetus. This is similar to the increased activity of most animals when they are seeking food, followed by a period of quietness when they are fed.
Yup, your baby on board can feel — and respond — when you stroke your tummy.
Of course, just because it won't hurt baby, doesn't mean she can't feel you poking — in fact, baby will probably feel you move and poke before you can start to feel her, which is usually at around 18 to 20 weeks. And when baby's big enough, she might even poke back!