Feeling your baby move

Your baby's movements are one of the best signs that they are well. Get to know your baby's own pattern — and never wait if it changes.

When will I feel my baby?

Most mothers first feel movements between 16 and 24 weeks. Early movements feel like flutters, bubbles or a gentle tapping. In a first pregnancy they are often noticed a little later, closer to 20 weeks.

What is normal?

Movements increase until about 32 weeks and then stay roughly the same until your baby is born. Your baby has sleep periods, usually 20 to 40 minutes long and rarely more than 90 minutes. There is no "normal" number of kicks — what matters is your own baby's usual pattern.

Myth: babies move less near the due date because there is less space.

Fact: the kind of movement may change, but your baby should keep moving just as often until labour starts.

When to go to hospital

If your baby is moving less than usual, or you feel no movements at all, go to your nearest hospital maternity unit straight away — day or night. Do not wait until the next day or your next clinic visit.

Do not use a home heartbeat monitor to reassure yourself. Hearing a heartbeat does not show that your baby is well.

What happens at the hospital?

A midwife or doctor will listen to your baby's heartbeat and may monitor it for a while with a CTG machine. Sometimes a scan is arranged to check your baby's growth and the fluid around them. Coming in is always the right decision.