Your baby's movements: what's normal and when to act

Feeling your baby move is one of the reassuring joys of pregnancy — and paying attention to those movements is also one of the most important things you can do for your baby’s wellbeing in the second half of pregnancy. This is a topic worth taking seriously, because a change in movements can be an early sign that a baby needs to be checked.

Most people first feel movements — often like flutters, bubbles or popcorn — somewhere between about 16 and 24 weeks (later in a first pregnancy, earlier if you’ve been pregnant before). Over the following weeks the movements become stronger and more frequent, and by the third trimester your baby settles into a pattern that’s unique to them: certain busy times and certain quiet times across the day.

The single most useful thing to understand is this: get to know your baby’s normal pattern, rather than counting to a set number of kicks. There’s no “right” number of movements, and different babies are differently active — what matters is what’s normal for yours.

An important myth to bust: babies do not move less towards the end of pregnancy. It’s often said that they “run out of room” and slow down, but this isn’t true — a healthy baby keeps moving right up to (and during) labour. Their movements might feel different as they grow bigger (more rolls and stretches than sharp kicks), but they shouldn’t reduce.

When to act. If you notice your baby’s movements have slowed down, stopped, or changed from their normal pattern, contact your midwife or maternity unit straight away — day or night. Don’t wait until the next day, don’t wait for your next appointment, and don’t rely on home tricks first. It is never a fuss or a waste of anyone’s time; your care team would far rather see you and reassure you than have you wait. Most of the time everything turns out fine, but getting checked promptly is what allows problems to be picked up early on the rare occasions they exist.

A few practical notes. Some things can make movements feel less noticeable — being busy and distracted, or the position of your placenta — so if you haven’t felt your baby for a while, it can help to sit or lie down quietly on your side and focus. But if you’re still not reassured, or the reduction is real, call. And if it happens more than once, keep calling each time; a previous reassuring check doesn’t mean the next episode should be ignored.

You don’t need a special app or device to do this well — your own awareness is the tool. When you go in, your care team will usually listen to your baby’s heartbeat, often monitor it for a while, and may do a scan, depending on how many weeks you are and what they find.

A little more on what to expect through the stages can help you tune in. In the second trimester, movements are often irregular and easy to miss, so there’s nothing to track yet — just enjoy them as they come. By around 28 weeks, most babies have settled into a more consistent daily rhythm, and that’s when knowing “normal for your baby” really matters. You might also feel regular, rhythmic little jolts that aren’t kicks — that’s your baby hiccupping, which is completely normal.

One important caution: don’t rely on home dopplers or kick-counting apps for reassurance. A home doppler can pick up a heartbeat and falsely reassure you even when a baby needs help, and no app replaces getting checked. If your baby’s movements have changed, the safe response is always the same — put the device and the app down, and phone your maternity unit. They have the monitoring to properly check your baby, and they want you to call.

Trust your instincts above everything. You know your baby better than anyone, and if something feels different or wrong, that feeling alone is reason enough to make the call.