Baby kicks are one of the most exciting moments of pregnancy. However, in a case when the woman is expecting a child for the first time, baby-kicks go unnoticed. It is important to pay attention to those little kicks that will become stronger as your baby grows and this is a way how your baby communicates with you. These cute kicks reaffirm and make you realize that you are growing a little human inside of you.
By the end of the first trimester, babies are able to stretch, yawn, kick, and hiccup. These movements are too small to be felt and are likely to feel more like butterfly flutters. It may feel like a wave or even a fish swimming.
As the baby grows he or she will get bigger and stronger and kicks will be experienced often. Some kicks may even be visible as your baby stretches and pushes out. Sometimes, it can seem like your baby’s movement is another heartbeat or maybe like a watch ticking inside. Chill, by now they have learned how to hiccup and would have started hiccupping, which is completely harmless.
Your baby is aware of the outside world and will respond directly to external sources through kicking. He may start responding to music, food, noise, and the sound of your voice.
When you feel something similar to a flutter or tickle sensation in your belly during pregnancy, it might be your baby, kicking you. Here are 4 must-know facts about baby kicks during pregnancy
#1 Your baby is not in distress!
The baby’s kicks usually indicate that your baby is developing well inside the womb. You can understand that the baby is active when they turn, tumble, roll, and kick inside the womb. Moreover, a swishing feeling or flutter can be experienced in the abdomen when the baby stretches out its limbs. These movements become more distinct towards the later stages of pregnancy.
#2 The baby reacts to the changes around him
When babies detect changes in their surrounding environment, they tend to kick in response to it. any changes like different noises or the food you eat can trigger a kick. It is during the 20th week that the fetus begins to hear low-pitched sounds and then slowly moves on to hearing high-pitched sounds as time passes. Such movements are a sign that your baby is perfectly normal.
The baby gets to taste various flavors of food that the mother eats through the amniotic fluid that the baby is surrounded by inside the womb. When the baby either likes or dislikes the fluid, the baby tends to kick in response. A well-balanced diet will help in all areas of your baby’s development; including brain development. A healthy baby will kick more often as he/ she continues to grow strong.
Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and keeping active. These simple daily routines will help to encourage movement (kicks) in your unborn child.
#3 Keep calm and hear him more
You will generally feel less movement when you are moving around. It is times when you sit and rest that the baby will respond with kicks.
Active periods for babies are usually between 9 pm and 1 am. This is when you are trying to fall asleep. When you lay on your side your baby’s movement is likely to increase, due to an increase in blood supply. When a mother chooses to lie on her back she will experience less movement, as the baby is restricted and is conserving oxygen. Not forget to mention the dreams that she gets when she’s fast asleep and her babies are fully active.
#4 Kicking patterns in pregnancy
If the baby’s kick reduces by 26 weeks, then you should consult a doctor immediately. Reduces kicks may indicate that the baby might be in distress. Drink a glass of cold water and take a long walk. In two hours if you feel less than 10 kicks, do consult your doctor. It might also be because of the reduction of oxygen supply to the baby or the dip in sugar levels of the mother.
If the baby’s movement reduces after 36 weeks, there’s no reason to worry at all.
Kicks may become less frequent, uncomfortable even painful at times as the baby struggles to stretch and turn.
A baby’s movement in the womb does not determine if the child is going to be an active toddler.
Don’t compare your experiences to previous pregnancies or to that of your friends. All babies are different and will have different kicking patterns.
