How much should baby move?

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Every baby acts and behaves differently, but there are a few consistencies in everyone's pregnancy. The movement of the baby while it is inside the womb can differ in every pregnancy, but once the mother has had more than one child she becomes used to the little signs the baby gives. First mothers tend to notice the little fluttering first movements a little later. This is because they are unaware that the strange feeling is actually the baby moving. It has been said that these first movements can feel a little like a butterfly fluttering around inside.

Fifteen to Twenty Weeks

The very first movements of the baby are felt between fifteen and twenty weeks. If the mother has not felt any movement by twenty-two weeks it may simply be that she has grown accustomed to the strange feelings of pregnancy and is not noticing, or it could be a signal of something more serious. Either way it is advisable to speak to the midwife or doctor concerning this issue.

Twenty to Twenty Four Weeks

As the pregnancy continues and the baby grows and gets stronger the movement will become much stronger and feel more like kicking. It can be quite uncomfortable at times, but at the same time it is quite a comfort. Between twenty weeks and twenty-four the baby is usually very active because there is plenty of room to move about inside the womb.

Twenty Four to Twenty Eight Weeks

Between twenty-four and twenty-eight weeks the baby might start hiccupping and the mother might notice jumpy movements from the baby. She may also notice the baby responding to loud or sudden noises, as the baby's hearing will be developing.

Twenty Nine to Thirty Six Weeks

By twenty-nine weeks the baby will have grown significantly and there will be less movement simply because there is less room. By thirty-six weeks the head should be down and there may be a few kicks to the ribs being felt. These will be very noticeable as the baby will be fairly strong by this point. If the mother has weaker abdominal muscles because she has had a child before, the baby will move around more freely and may not settle into the correct position until the final day of pregnancy.

Time of Day

Every baby is different and only the mother will be aware of the differences in movement at certain times of the day. The baby will be both sleeping and moving at different times, so even if it is a very active baby there will be some rest periods for the mother.

Counting Foetal Movements

There are some techniques for counting the foetal movements of the baby. This was quite popular a few years ago, but is less popular now with growing recognition that every child is different and there can be many reasons why one baby might be less active than another. However, it can be quite reassuring for some women and many choose to chart the number of kicks and movements in a set amount of hours. This can be recorded during a set period of time, such as in the morning. It can also be centred on specifically active time, such as after dinner. The recommended movement rate is about 10 for these time periods, but it differs significantly with every mother.

If You Are Worried

Although the counting method can cause unnecessary worry to the mother, if there is suspicion of something wrong with the baby due to a lack of movement it is essential that a midwife or doctor is seen immediately. A good method to test the movement of the baby is for the mother to lie on her side and drink some fluid and wait quietly. This will make noticing the baby's movement a great deal easier, especially if there are no distractions.

Once again, the movement of each individual baby will differ greatly in each pregnancy, but after a mother has had her first child she will tend to notice the initial movement earlier. She may also be able to recognise signs that the baby is not well or is moving less than should be expected. As with all things, it is practice that makes perfect and experienced mothers become adept at noticing developments during pregnancy.

How much should baby move?

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