One of the most eagerly awaited moments in any pregnancy is that moment when you feel baby’s first kicks. There is a wide range of when you might feel baby start kicking. Sixteen weeks is on the early end of the spectrum, and most women feel at least a little kicking by the twenty second week of pregnancy. There are a few variables that can influence when you will be able to feel baby’s first flutters.
Experience can have a big impact on when you are able to notice and acknowledge your baby’s movements. Women who are pregnant for the second time are likely to feel movement earlier than they did the first time. However, it still may take some time because when you are chasing your firstborn around you may not be able to pause and reflect on whether that feeling in your belly was in fact a kick or just a muscle twitch or something else.
In case you are wondering what baby’s first kicks feel like, many women compare the feeling to having butterflies in your stomach. Enjoy the light flutters while you can, because as baby grows you will be feeling more actual kicking along with elbow jabs and even the occasional fist to the ribs. Later on in your pregnancy, you will even be able to feel it if your baby gets a case of the hiccups.
As baby grows, his or her pattern of movement will become more regular. If you feel that something is amiss, don’t hesitate to let your prenatal care provider know about it. They can help you sort out what kinds of lapses in movement are normal and which are not. Your prenatal care provider will instruct you on whether and how to count baby’s kicks, and whether you need to go in for any sort of monitoring. I often found that in those moments of panic when I was unable to remember when I had last felt baby move, drinking a glass of juice would elicit some movement. Perhaps it was the combination of the sugar and the cold that got them kicking. Both of my boys were particularly fond of grape juice for some reason. Of course, check with your doctor to see whether drinking juice is what they would suggest that you do before trying it for yourself.