The first fetal movement

Although every baby is different when it comes to fetal movement, and there's a wide range of what's normal, it helps to take a peek into your baby's world during pregnancy to understand what's going on in there, and what to expect when.
Fetal movement is a sign of fetal well-being. A sick baby doesn't move that much—he or she uses all energy just to keep growing. Movements will change over time, however, and a woman who thinks all is well based on consistency will be worried. After about 18 weeks or so (sometimes earlier, sometimes later), a woman will feel little flutterings in her lower abdomen, like little "butterflies." The old term for this is "quickening." As the baby gets bigger, these movements get stronger and more organized, and the discrete kicks and jabs are felt. After about 32-34 weeks, when there's less room for the baby, the movements are often squirming-like movements, which happen just as often, but this change in the quality of the movement will give a woman worries. Whether you feel the movement toward your back, front, or side is unimportant.

You probably won't feel your baby kick until sometime between 16 and 22 weeks, even though he started moving at 7 or 8 weeks, and you may have already witnessed his acrobatics if you've had an ultrasound.

Veteran moms tend to notice those first subtle kicks – also known as "quickening" – earlier than first-time moms. (A woman who's been pregnant before can more easily distinguish her baby's kicks from other belly rumblings, such as gas.)

Your build may also have something to do with when you'll be able to tell a left jab from a hunger pang. Thinner women tend to feel movement earlier and more often than women who carry more weight.

Women have described the sensation as being like popcorn popping, a goldfish swimming around, or butterflies fluttering. You'll probably chalk up those first gentle taps or swishes in your belly to gas or hunger pains, but once you start feeling them more regularly, you'll recognize the difference. You're more likely to feel these early movements when you're sitting or lying quietly.

If you're still worried, you still can tell well-being by the actual number of movements, not so much the types of movements. A very reassuring test is the "baby-count" method: Lay down on your left side twenty minutes after eating and see how long it takes the baby to move 10 times. If it takes longer than four hours, say the text books, call your doctor. In my practice, I say if this method takes longer than one hour, I want to know. And usually, the baby will push 10 moves in less than twenty minutes!

At first the kicks you notice will be few and far between. In fact, you may feel several movements one day and then none the next. Although your baby is moving and kicking regularly, many of his jerks and jolts aren't yet strong enough for you to feel. But later in the second trimester, those reassuring kicks will become stronger and more regular.

Here's one common approach: Choose a time of day when your baby tends to be active. (Ideally, you'll want to do the counts at roughly the same time each day.) Sit quietly or lie on your side so you won't get distracted. Time how long it takes for you to feel ten distinct movements – kicks, punches, and whole body movements all count. If you don't feel ten movements in two hours, stop counting and call your midwife or doctor.