When you’re pregnant, it’s easy to become obsessive about baby kicks. They’re exciting when they happen – and terrifying when there’s any sort of change in their pattern or frequency. While the baby is moving from the beginning of the pregnancy, you likely won’t feel it (and see it through your stomach!) until after about 20 weeks (sometimes as much as 24 weeks) if it’s your first pregnancy or after about 16 weeks if you have been pregnant before. You can, however, see your baby moving on an ultrasound very early on.
“The mother must be attentive to the baby’s movement,” says Dr. Ariel Revel, MD, OBGYN and the medical affairs manager at Kadimastem. “What’s most important is feeling the movement in the third trimester, as this is an indicator of the baby’s health. A decrease in movement is an alarm indicator.” In the third trimester, Dr. Revel says mothers should feel their baby moving at least three times a day. “If not, we suggest the mother drink something sweet and lie on her side. If there is still no movement after 30 minutes, then refer to your doctor. The baby should be moving regardless of his or her position in the womb.”
Even though babies tend to be most active when you’re eating or drinking something sweet and at night, nobody knows your baby and his or her patterns as well as you do, so if anything changes make sure to call your doctor.
