Baby kicks

kacdanz · January 2015

I'm about 16 weeks and thought I might've felt the baby kick today! I was overwhelmed with excitement but then I thought how can I be so sure? So my question is will I know for sure, for sure when it happens like I won't have to question it? Or will I be playing the guessing game until I'm further along?

HaruhiChan · January 2015

I felt my first real kick at 16 weeks too, but it was a random one that left me wondering. Once I felt it again a week or so later, I knew very well what I felt. It felt much stronger and more direct than a gas bubble. Felt like I got a strong poke from the inside.

Kicks are the best feeling in the world. They're worth all the morning sickness and other horrid symptoms I've had lol

Some may feel like a very strong muscle twitch too.

It's hard to say because they can feel different to different women.

blu-eyedwife · January 2015

You won't feel a "kick" at 16 weeks. The baby is too small to make the contact with your uterus necessary for the nerves to send the signal to your brain.

You will however feel smaller "weird" movements of the baby displacing the fluid in the uterus. This is what people describe as bubbles, swirls, flutters, etc. This will only happen during gross (large) body movements, such as if the baby rolls over or moves his/her entire body as opposed to a single limb.

louloutte87 · January 2015

There's a definite difference between the first fluttering movements and the proper kicks. You'll realise this when you get walloped and it shocks you

just enjoy the funny feelings for now and wait and see!

HaruhiChan · January 2015

To blu-eyedwife, Sooo you aren't sensitive enough to feel a "kick" but you can feel fluid moving? Please explain. I am confused as the logic behind this.

blu-eyedwife · January 2015

HaruhiChan said:

To blu-eyedwife, Sooo you aren't sensitive enough to feel a "kick" but you can feel fluid moving? Please explain. I am confused as the logic behind this.

Think about the ocean, and those waves. One drop of water may not feel like much, but an entire ocean smashing against you is going to be felt more powerfully. The entire fetus at 16 weeks is 4 inches long and less than a quarter of a lb. So the arm/leg whatever you're talking about is going to be miniscule and practically weightless. Meanwhile you have almost a cup of fluid in your uterus. So the movement of that is going to be more perceptible.

HaruhiChan · January 2015

Ah, but you'd only feel the fluid move if there was an air gap, but the sac is completely fluid, no room for the fluid to be displaced enough to create impact to be felt. Think of a water balloon. A full water balloon with no air trapped will not create any impact against the sides to be felt. But fill it half water half air, and you will feel the water sloshing around.

Do you have any source that backs up your claims?

And I'm sure the hard poke I felt was not water, it was confirmed via anatomy scan ultrasound a week later that it was indeed my baby kicking. It also greatly depends on other factors. Baby position (my kicks were to my bladder and cervix since baby is breech for me), your weight, activity level of baby, etc.

My sources:

My own experience
My friend's experience who felt movement early too
https://www.m.webmd.com/baby/fetal-movement-feeling-baby-kick
https://americanpregnancy.org/while-pregnant/first-fetal-movement/
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/mobileart.asp?articlekey=159786&page=2

natalie115 · January 2015

@kacdanz‌ I'm assuming your a FTM so chances are you'll be playing the guessing game for a little while longer just because you've never felt "for sure" baby movement before. This is my second baby and I have felt movement, but sometimes still wonder if that's what I'm feeling for sure. Don't worry pretty soon there will be no denying it's the baby.

blu-eyedwife · January 2015

HaruhiChan said:
Ah, but you'd only feel the fluid move if there was an air gap, but the sac is completely fluid, no room for the fluid to be displaced enough to create impact to be felt. Think of a water balloon. A full water balloon with no air trapped will not create any impact against the sides to be felt. But fill it half water half air, and you will feel the water sloshing around.

Do you have any source that backs up your claims?

And I'm sure the hard poke I felt was not water, it was confirmed via anatomy scan ultrasound a week later that it was indeed my baby kicking. It also greatly depends on other factors. Baby position (my kicks were to my bladder and cervix since baby is breech for me), your weight, activity level of baby, etc.

My sources:

My own experience
My friend's experience who felt movement early too
https://www.m.webmd.com/baby/fetal-movement-feeling-baby-kick
https://americanpregnancy.org/while-pregnant/first-fetal-movement/
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/mobileart.asp?articlekey=159786&page=2

You're either really funny or a really bad reader. Each of your cited sources confirms what I said. You'll notice they each say baby movement first, kicking comes after. Feeling "movement" occurs early because as the baby moves you're feeling the displacement of liquid. So you're feeling movement x but you are not feeling kicks. Every link you posted says you will feel sharp jabs and kicks later. None of them say you will feel kicks at 16 weeks.

And if you're looking for sources you may want to read Gupta's Comprehensive Textbook of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the study by Kiselevsky et al. entitled "maternal and ultrasound measurement of elicited fetal movement," the study by Schmidt entitled "Maternal perception of fetal movement and real-time ultrasound finding," and/or Lecanuet's "fetal development, a psychobiological perspective. "

HaruhiChan · January 2015

But a sharp jab is what I've felt at 16 weeks, my A/S was at 17 wks and showed the baby kicking and confirmed the same feeling I was feeling. A sharp jab is not fluid moving.

Regardless, "movement" mentioned in all the links is vague.

Agree to disagree here from me. All the same, I still question the "fluid movement feeling" answer

FreddyisReady · January 2015

I played the guessing game until it became really obvious around 20 weeks.

vintagemom42 · January 2015

I felt movement at 16 weeks. Not a kick...I know what those are now, lol.... but a distinct pulsing .... like a little finger poking from the inside. .. it will make u doubt at first.... but you will see once is more frequent.

traceyade11 · January 2015

Ooh that's nice, I am 22weeks now n I felt my baby first flutters at 16weeks n then kicks at 18weeks but now they r really strong kicks.

tigerlily25 · January 2015

I am a FTM and noticed obvious movement at 18 weeks. Before that it could be described as flutters, bubbles, or something familiar to gas.

pbnugget · January 2015

blu-eyedwife said:

HaruhiChan said:
Ah, but you'd only feel the fluid move if there was an air gap, but the sac is completely fluid, no room for the fluid to be displaced enough to create impact to be felt. Think of a water balloon. A full water balloon with no air trapped will not create any impact against the sides to be felt. But fill it half water half air, and you will feel the water sloshing around.

Do you have any source that backs up your claims?

And I'm sure the hard poke I felt was not water, it was confirmed via anatomy scan ultrasound a week later that it was indeed my baby kicking. It also greatly depends on other factors. Baby position (my kicks were to my bladder and cervix since baby is breech for me), your weight, activity level of baby, etc.

My sources:

My own experience
My friend's experience who felt movement early too
https://www.m.webmd.com/baby/fetal-movement-feeling-baby-kick
https://americanpregnancy.org/while-pregnant/first-fetal-movement/
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/mobileart.asp?articlekey=159786&page=2

You're either really funny or a really bad reader. Each of your cited sources confirms what I said. You'll notice they each say baby movement first, kicking comes after. Feeling "movement" occurs early because as the baby moves you're feeling the displacement of liquid. So you're feeling movement x but you are not feeling kicks. Every link you posted says you will feel sharp jabs and kicks later. None of them say you will feel kicks at 16 weeks.

And if you're looking for sources you may want to read Gupta's Comprehensive Textbook of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the study by Kiselevsky et al. entitled "maternal and ultrasound measurement of elicited fetal movement," the study by Schmidt entitled "Maternal perception of fetal movement and real-time ultrasound finding," and/or Lecanuet's "fetal development, a psychobiological perspective. "

for the record @blu-eyedwife‌ is right and in more cases than not you won't feel actual jabs until week 18-21 on average. You will feel flutters so movement, not jabs. Ironically, as indicated by the articles listed above.
Furthermore, @HaruhiChan‌, it's a little much for me that you asked her to cite her sources while using anecdotal evidence i.e. the experience of yourself or your friend as scientific fact. Or Web MD. Come on...

HaruhiChan · January 2015

Whatever you like

I have better things to do with my day than argue with people on the Internet.

lilboudjie · January 2015

This was just all a reminder of why I am rarely come to these boards... asking people to cite things! lol. CRAY CRAY

qtjo5 · January 2015

I am 16 weeks and don't feel anything :-(

blu-eyedwife · January 2015

qtjo5 said:

I am 16 weeks and don't feel anything :-(

And this is totally normal. That's why misinformation given by posters can be so very dangerous.

It is 100% normal and okay not to feel movement this early, as I said before, the baby is so very small at 16 weeks, and they're too light to make enough contact with the uterus wall for the nerves to pick up. I'm sure as the baby gets larger you'll be feeling all sorts of movement!

tiggyt · January 2015

I felt the first fetal movement around 15-16 weeks as well. I'm thin and my placenta's in the back (learned this later at the anatomy scan), so that explains the early feelings. But when I told my doctor at a 17 week appointment that I thought I felt it, she was like, "New sensation in the abdomen you haven't felt before - probably the baby moving." Then, that same appointment, she went to check for the heart beat, I pointed to the spot where I felt him move and was like, "Try right there," and sure enough, that was the heart beat. So yes, you could definitely be feeling movement this early!

usapilar · January 2015

I started feeling little flutters at around 16 weeks but it was very random. It wasn't until now at 22 wks that the "flutters" intensified to some degree but it's still very light I can't see it thru my belly or anything.It is the most wonderful feeling EVER and I hope baby starts kicking more and more so daddy can finally feel it HE is very anxious and excited. BE PATIENT (easier said then done) but soon you will be getting your belly kicked by that little one and OMG It feel so good!!!

tealbee · January 2015

I'm 18 weeks and still not completely sure iv felt anything

this is all so new to me.

nicunursetomommy · January 2015

I didn't know for sure that I felt a kick until 22 weeks. I was playing the guessing game for awhile, but when you feel it you will know, trust me. It's liked you're being poked from the inside. You may even see your belly move too. The first time I felt a kick I actually saw part of my belly twitch. Since then, it is easy to distinguish.

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