Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms, Week by Week Pregnancy Guide

One of the most important landmarks of pregnancy is feeling the baby movement. Usually it takes a while for women to realize that the small turtling feelings that they experience are actually the movements of the little one. These movements are known as quickening.

Information about the movement of the baby

In the majority of the cases women realize that the baby is moving in the uterus around the 18^th-20^th week. However it is possible that the movements will appear later. If you were pregnant before for sure you will recognize the signs faster.

What’s the baby up to?

When thinking about the baby kicks you should know that the only way to find out what’s the baby doing inside is to have an ultrasound. Usually the movements of the babies start even before the mothers are aware of them. At weeks 7-8 the general movements begin like startling and bending sideways.

During the next week the baby movement also involves hiccups. During this period the little one can move his or her arms and he or she can also swallow and suck. At week 10 the baby can rotate and flex his head, move the hands to touch his or her face, stretch and open the jaw.

It is interesting to know about the kicking babies that during week 11 the baby can yawn and at week 14 the baby can even move the eyes. Gradually these small movements become strong enough for the mother to feel them. After a while you will get used to the stretching and kicking.

Remember about the baby movement that the little one doesn’t move constantly. There are some times when the little one sleeps or rests. During the third trimester the baby will rest for about 45 minutes. You don’t feel every movement so the rest may seem longer than it actually is.

How does it feel?

As it has been mentioned before, you don’t feel every baby stretch. Sometimes the movements don’t last long enough for you to feel them. Mothers normally notice those movements that last longer than a few seconds.

Weeks 20-24

As the little one develops, the baby movement will become more accentuated. Most probably the baby will become a lot more active during the day. This means that you will experience many kicks and what seem to be saults. Remember that there’s not too much space for the baby to move around.

Weeks 24-28

This is the time when the stretching of the baby becomes something new and the mothers can feel the hiccups of the baby. This is supposed to feel like a jerking movement. The amniotic sac has about 750 ml of fluid for the baby to move around in. If there are sudden noises, the mother can notice that the baby jumps.

Now you know more about the baby movements. Although at the beginning all the movements are new and unexpected, towards the end of your pregnancy you will get used to all of them.