What is the first fetal movement called?

Moment in pregnancy when the pregnant woman starts to feel movement in the uterus

For other uses, see Quickening (disambiguation).

In pregnancy terms, quickening is the moment in pregnancy when the pregnant woman starts to feel the fetus' movement in the uterus.[1]

Medical facts

The first natural sensation of quickening may feel like a light tapping or fluttering. These sensations eventually become stronger and more regular as the pregnancy progresses. Sometimes, the first movements are mis-attributed to gas or hunger pangs.[2]

A woman's uterine muscles, rather than her abdominal muscles, are first to sense fetal motion. Therefore, her body weight usually does not have a substantial effect on when movements are initially perceived. Women who have previously given birth have more relaxed uterine muscles which are more sensitive to fetal motion during subsequent pregnancies. For them fetal motion can sometimes be felt as early as 14 weeks.[3]

Usually, quickening occurs naturally at about the middle of a pregnancy. A woman pregnant for the first time (i.e., a primigravida woman) typically feels fetal movements at about 20–21 weeks, whereas a woman who has given birth at least once will typically feel movements around 18 weeks.[4]

Legal history

See also: History of abortion law debate

The word quick originally meant "alive". Historically, quickening has sometimes been considered to be the beginning of the possession of "individual life" by the fetus. British legal scholar William Blackstone explained the subject of quickening in the eighteenth century, relative to feticide and abortion:

Life... begins in contemplation of law as soon as an infant is able to stir in the mother's womb. For if a woman is quick with child, and by a potion, or otherwise, killeth it in her womb; or if any one beat her, whereby the child dieth in her body, and she is delivered of a dead child; this, though not murder, was by the ancient law homicide or manslaughter. But at present it is not looked upon in quite so atrocious a light, though it remains a very heinous misdemeanor.[5]

Nevertheless, quickening was only one of several standards that were used historically to determine when the right to life attaches to a fetus. According to the "ancient law" mentioned by Blackstone, another standard was formation of the fetus, which occurs weeks before quickening. Henry de Bracton explained the ancient law, about five hundred years before Blackstone:

If one strikes a pregnant woman or gives her poison in order to procure an abortion, if the fetus is already formed or quickened, especially if it is quickened, he commits homicide.[6]

In England in the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries, a woman convicted of a capital crime could claim a delay in her execution if she were pregnant; a woman who did so was said to "plead the belly". The law held that no women could be granted a second reprieve from the original sentence on the ground of subsequent pregnancy, even if the fetus had quickened.[7] In Ireland on 16 March 1831 Baron Pennefather in Limerick stated that pregnancy was not alone sufficient for a delay but there had to be quickening.[8]

See also

• Abortion in the United States § History

Notes

1. ^ Quickening in Farlex dictionary, in turn citing The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. copyright 2000
2. ^ Harms, Roger. Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy, page 480 (HarperCollins 2004). Retrieved 2007-02-15.
3. ^ Van Der Ziel, Cornelia & Tourville, Jacqueline.  Big, Beautiful & Pregnant: Expert Advice and Comforting Wisdom for the Expecting Plus-size Woman (Marlowe 2006). Retrieved 2007-02-15.
4. ^ Levene, Malcolm et al. Essentials of Neonatal Medicine (Blackwell 2000), page 8. Retrieved 2007-02-15.
5. ^ Blackstone, William (1979) [1765]. "Amendment IX, Document 1". Commentaries on the Laws of England. Vol. 5. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 388.
6. ^ Henry de Bracton (1968) [c. 1250]. "The crime of homicide and the divisions into which it falls". In Woodbine, George E. (ed.). On the Laws and Customs of England. Vol. 2. Translated by Thorne, Samuel Edmund. p. 341. OCLC 1872.
7. ^ Defoe, Daniel (1722). Moll Flanders. Archived from the original on 2006-10-20.
8. ^ Limerick Evening Post and Clare Sentinel, 18 March 1831.

External links

• First Fetal Movement: Quickening, American Pregnancy Association.
• Fetal movement: Feeling your baby kick, babycenter.com.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quickening&oldid=1121966167"

Feeling your baby move for the first time could be one of the most special moments of your pregnancy journey.

If this is your first pregnancy, you might be wondering when you’ll start to experience those first baby flutters called quickening; when you’ll start to feel more pronounced fetal movement like kicks; and whether you need to track your baby’s movements. Read on to find out all this and more.

What Is Quickening During Pregnancy?

Sometime around your fifth month of pregnancy you may start to feel your baby’s movement for the first time — this is what’s called quickening. Moms who have been pregnant before might experience quickening a little earlier, perhaps as early as 16 weeks.

Be patient if you haven’t felt anything yet. Every pregnancy is unique and you may just have to wait a little longer. For example, first-time moms might experience quickening a little later, perhaps at around 18 weeks, or even several weeks later.

Although your baby has been moving for some time now, around the fifth month is when your baby’s muscles begin to develop and your little one will start exercising them, which is why you’re more likely to feel your baby move as you near the middle of your pregnancy.

As the weeks go by, you will start to feel your baby’s movement in much more pronounced ways. We'll provide more detail below on how fetal movement progresses throughout your pregnancy.

To read more about your baby’s week-to-week development, check out our Pregnancy Calendar.

What Does Quickening Feel Like?

Quickening can feel like butterflies fluttering in your stomach, or even like a growling tummy.

If you’ve been pregnant before, you might be familiar with the fluttery feeling and so you might be aware of quickening a little earlier, perhaps closer to 16 weeks of pregnancy.

If this is your first pregnancy, you may not know what sensations to look out for, and you might not realize that you’re experiencing quickening until a little later — perhaps not until around 18 weeks or even several weeks later. This is just one example of how a second pregnancy can feel different from your first.

Toward the end of your second trimester you might start to feel your baby being much more active. It’s no longer the fluttery feeling of quickening; instead, you might feel every jab, punch, kick, and even hiccup in a much more energetic way.

When those initial baby flutters turn to kicks, it’ll be a bonding moment that you might like to share with your partner and family members. You can invite them to place their hand on your tummy so they can feel your little one move, too.

Toward the end of your pregnancy, your baby’s movements may start to feel different once more. This time, it’s because there is less room in your uterus. So, although your baby is moving the same amount as before, it might feel different to you now.

Fetal Movement Counts

At some point in your pregnancy your healthcare provider may ask you to start counting your baby’s movements, perhaps by tracking how long it takes to feel 10 kicks, for example.

Feeling your baby’s movement on a regular day-to-day basis can be a reassuring sign that everything is fine. Kick counting may be recommended if you haven’t been feeling regular movement.

How to Count Fetal Movement

Your healthcare provider will tell you how she would like you to count kicks and when to start tracking your baby’s fetal movement. Here are two possible ways to count kicks:

• Lie on your side and count how long it takes for your baby to make 10 movements. If it takes your baby under two hours, it’s a reassuring sign that everything is OK. If it takes longer than two hours for your baby to make 10 moves, tell your healthcare provider.

• Count how many movements your baby makes in one hour. You can do this about three times per week. If the result is similar over the span of three days, or sometimes higher than the previous count, it’s a reassuring sign that everything is OK.

A good time to do kick counts is when your baby is most likely to be active, such as after you’ve eaten.

You may discover that your baby isn’t equally active from one day to the next. It doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong — your baby could be sleeping or resting. However, if you’re ever unsure or worried, check with your provider.

Now you know how to recognize the signs of quickening, all you have to do is wait patiently for it to happen — if it hasn’t already, that is! Feeling movement is a reassuring reminder that your little one is growing and getting stronger every day. If you’re ever unsure about what you are or aren’t feeling, turn to your provider for advice.

Once your baby’s moves become stronger, you might also enjoy having your partner or loved ones place a hand on your belly to feel those little kicks and jabs. Sharing this experience will make the impending arrival of your baby seem all the more real.