Feeling your baby move

[ImAWildAndAnUntamedThing]

I'll be 16 weeks tomorrow and hoping to start feeling movements in the next couple of weeks. It's my first baby so a couple of questions.

When did you feel it?
Where did you feel it? ie low down near belly button etc
How did you know it was baby and not just wind? What did it feel like?

Any info would be appreciated so I know what to look out for!

[Sheldonella]

Hi. I felt mine first around 15 weeks (now 16+4). It is always quite low down on the left and feels like little pokes. I wasn't convinced it was the baby but I described it to my midwife and she says it is!

[DuckWaddle]

I felt movements at around 16 weeks. At the start it kind of felt like tiny bubbles bursting!

[ImAWildAndAnUntamedThing]

Ooh thanks. My babys on my left hand side so will have to focus there for bubbles!

[StateofConfusion]

With dc1 I was 18wks, it was low down around my bikini line and a deffinate fluttering, dc2 it was around 16/17wks more of a popping feeling low in my tummy. Dc3 I was 12wks and it was definate pops and swishes, the movements aren't always as you'd imagine when people say kicks, I'm 27wks now with dc3 and its more pushing, and pops than kicks all the time, although I get those, right in the bladder!

[PeshwariNaan]

I think it's different for everyone.

I started feeling something definite at 19 weeks (first baby) but nothing consistent until 21 weeks. Very down low and felt like muscle twinges or a heart palpitation. The feelings have gradually got stronger - sometimes they vibrate my whole abdomen if baby's very active! I'm 24 weeks now. The kicks are also all over my abdomen now.

[minipie]

about 22 weeks I think, I have anterior placenta so it was quite late (and it's my first so didn't know what to look out for)

[Sastra]

In hindsight I felt it at 15 weeks, but I ken for definite at 17. I would say that it felt like a tiny muscle spasm, like the ones you sometimes get in your eye lid! But more like a flicker or twitch (I.e., momentary).

I felt it a couple of inches above my bikini line.

[isambardo]

I felt mine at 19 weeks, quite low on the left. It was like a muscle twitch, never had 'bubbles' which is what I was waiting for.

My husband felt it a day after I first did which I think is rare!

[Discolite]

I felt mine at about 14 and a half weeks (so a week and a half ago!). I agree with Isambardo, to me it feels like tiny muscle spasms, sometimes a bit fluttery. I can only feel it when I'm lying down and nice and still though!

What are people's experiences of when it changes from these subtle movements into proper kicks?

[noblegiraffe]

I could feel the baby from about 12 weeks. I sleep on my front and having pressure on there helped. I could only feel big movements then like the baby turning over, it just felt weird. Then about 14-15 weeks was definitely feeling little movements. I knew it wasn't wind as it was in the wrong place!

[Tattoopixie]

I am 21 weeks and felt her kick for the first time 2 nights ago, it was low down on the right. My partner managed to feel it too. I am a first timer and have an anterior placenta so that's probably why it was later.

[happyhow]

I'm a first timer and felt it at 19 weeks. Took me until 20 weeks to realise what was happening though! I felt it quite low down and it was a bit like little thumps near my bikini line, almost like it was kicking on my cervix and near the back. The nearest thing I got to the bubbles bursting thing was one big feeling which felt like a bubble coming from underwater and breaking on the surface and getting the ripple effect in the surface. I was expecting it to be like popping but I never got that. Now that I'm feeling it constantly (now 25 weeks) it feels like when you put your tongue in your cheek. Baby was really active the other night and I could see my whole tummy moving which was really cool.

[whatsoever]

17 weeks for the bubbling feeling, high up on my bump. Then 21 weeks for a proper kick over on the left - now all over the place!

[RockabillyKitty]

I didn't feel a proper kick till around week 20 but I'd been having little "flutters" before that, from about week 17/18 I'd say - felt like wind passing through the lower belly on the left or right, but then no farts (sorry TMI!) so I wasn't 100% sure. But then when he really kicked in wk 20 (after a Sunday roast!) he definitely made his presence known! There was no mistaking it, I grabbed my hubbie's hand and he felt the next one, we were in hysterics.