Your pregnancy may seem surreal till the time you begin to feel your baby’s movements. Till then, the main symptoms that help you realise that you are pregnant are related to discomforts, such as nausea and morning sickness. However, once your baby is big enough to make movements that you can feel, your pregnancy starts feeling more real than ever! This is a very exciting phase for every mother-to-be.
Just as it is with every aspect of pregnancy, there are many exciting facts about your baby’s kicks in the womb too. When your baby is really small, he has enough room in your womb to move around. He can be rather restless and active in this phase without you having any inkling of it. However, as he grows bigger, the constraints of space will limit his freedom of movement. Nonetheless, don’t expect your baby to stay still despite this. Prepare yourself for plenty of activity at this time too.
Although every baby has his or her own personality and activity levels that make every pregnancy unique, there are certain facts that mothers can use to determine whether everything is progressing as it should. To be able to read the signs, let us look at the different factors that are closely associated with baby kicking in womb during pregnancy.
Exciting Facts About Feeling the Baby Kicks
1. Kicks Indicate That The Baby is Not in Distress
One of the best things about feeling your baby’s kicks is that it is a clear indication that your baby is fine and not in distress. Hence, it is a way to identify if all is well with your baby. The movements will build up over time. However, once your baby is big and fills most of your womb, the movements will be slower due to lack of space. Nonetheless, they will be strong and should usually follow a definite pattern.
2. There is No Fixed Time for Baby Kicking to Start
Once your pregnancy is confirmed and you are past the initial discomfort, one of the questions in your mind is in which month of pregnancy baby starts kicking? You may even be perplexed when others around you seem to relentlessly ask you the same question. So, in what month do you feel your baby kick, or rather, by when should you feel your baby kick? One fact to remember is that every pregnancy is different. There is no hard and fast rule as to when you will feel your baby move. Some women feel it early on in their pregnancy, while it is much later for others. This can also vary in each of your pregnancies, if you have had children before.
3. Most Moms-to-be Feel Baby Kicks Between 16-25 Weeks
Normally, baby kicks can be felt between 16 and 25 weeks of pregnancy. If you are a first-time mom, expect to feel the movements closer to the twenty-fifth week mark. If you are concerned that there is no evident movement even after you cross this mark, you should consult your medical practitioner. There are also several instances when your baby has been kicking all along, but you haven’t been able to associate the feeling you experience with the baby’s kicking. This is because the baby’s kicking may not really feel like a real kick in the initial stages. It is a soft and barely discernible movement that gathers strength as time progresses and then becomes evident.
4. It is Recommended to Track Baby Kicks
Experts suggest that mothers should keep track of their baby’s movements to ensure all is well. You do not have to do this constantly. You can fix a certain time of the day, when you dedicate a few moments to simply observing the movements of your baby. Make a journal if required, and observe how long it takes for you to record a certain number of kicks. Although there may be variations over the day, this should help you associate a pattern to determine when your baby is active and when he sleeps or rests.
5. Baby Kicks Can Get More Pronounced at Night
One of the questions that many pregnant women ask doctors is why do babies kick in the womb at night? In fact, many mothers lose sleep due to the continuous activity of the babies at night. The reason for this is that your baby tends to be alert and active when you are resting and there isn’t much chaos around. It is also because you may not notice the baby’s movements during the day, when you yourself are rather active. However, the movements tend to be more pronounced during the night when your body is resting.
6. Baby Kicks Don’t Indicate Hyperactivity
As your pregnancy nears full-term, you may also wonder – was the baby kicking too much during pregnancy? Although you may be concerned that your unborn child is hyperactive and if it is a sign to worry, it is rarely the case. It just means that your baby is fine and active, and if anything, it is a good sign.
7. Baby Kicks Get Affected by The Mother’s Diet
Baby movements are also related to the things you consume. You may observe that your baby becomes excited and shows active movement following a meal. This is because of the sudden surge of energy from the food you consume. Stimulants like caffeine can also cause bursts of activity for your baby. If you think your baby is being too active for your own benefit, consider cutting down on sugary stuff and caffeinated drinks, and you should be able to see a positive difference. If baby makes sleep time disturbing for you, try to stand up and walk around for a short while. This may coax him to relax and settle down, and allow you to sleep better.
8. Track Your Baby’s Kicks After Consuming a Meal
The initial feeling of baby kicks is often comparable to bubbles popping or butterflies fluttering in your stomach, rather than evident kicks. You can identify if it is actually your baby by observing the pattern and keeping watch for when it occurs. Since babies prefer to increase their activity levels after their jolt of energy from a meal, it is a good idea to spend some time observing the activity after you finish a meal. You should be able to identify it then.
9. Baby Kicks May Be Felt Sooner in Second Pregnancy
Many second-time mothers wonder – when does baby start kicking in second pregnancy? The fact is that these mothers usually find it easier than first-timers to identify baby movements. Since your body adjusts to this consecutive pregnancy better, it is also likely that you feel your baby movements earlier than in your first pregnancy. However, this will also depend on the activity levels of your baby.
10. Your Partner Will Be Able to Feel the Baby Kicking in Third Trimester
What begins as fluttering movements in your stomach will soon quicken and become obvious signs that your baby is in action. As your pregnancy progresses into the third trimester, the baby’s movements may even be visible from the outside. It won’t be that long before someone who places their hand on your stomach can feel the kicks of your baby.
An important indicator of the baby’s health, kicks are not only the first communication you have with your baby but also a parameter you should track. An even pattern is a reassurance that the baby is doing well. If you find any changes to the regular pattern, it may be a good idea to talk to your doctor about it.
