Which term would the nurse use to describe the first fetal movements that a pregnant client feels?

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  • When will I feel my baby moving?
  • What will my baby’s movement feel like?
  • How often should I feel my baby moving?
  • Should I track my baby’s movement?
  • What should I do if my baby stops moving?
  • What do I do if I have recurring concerns about my baby’s movements?
  • Related information on Australian websites

An exciting landmark of pregnancy is when you first feel the sensation of your baby move. These movements are a sign that your baby is healthy and well.

Every baby is unique, it is important for you to get to know your baby’s individual movement pattern. At any point, if you are concerned about your babies movement pattern, please contact your midwife or doctor immediately. Do not wait until the next day.

When will I feel my baby moving?

You will start to feel your baby moving between 16 and 24 weeks of pregnancy. The location of your placenta will not affect this sensation. It is more common for women having their second or subsequent pregnancies to feel their baby move earlier.

If you have not felt your baby move by 24 weeks, you should contact your doctor or midwife.

What will my baby’s movement feel like?

The type of movement you feel will depend on what your baby is doing and their stage of growth and development. Each baby is different, with some more active than others.

The first sensations you feel may be a fluttering (like 'butterflies in your tummy'), swishing, rolling or tumbling sensation or a tiny kick. These early sensations are often called ‘quickening’. As your pregnancy progresses, the movements will become more distinct, and you will more easily feel their kicks, jabbing and elbowing.

How often should I feel my baby moving?

There is no set number of movements you should feel. As you start to feel your baby's movements more consistently, usually by 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy, you will get to know what a normal pattern of movement is for you and your baby. You should then consistently feel your baby's movements right up until they are born and even during labour.

Babies tend to move more at certain times of day – they may be more active while you sleep, and sleep while you’re awake. Usually, unborn babies sleep for 20-40 minutes cycles (occasionally up to 90 minutes), and they don’t move when they’re asleep.

Should I track my baby’s movement?

There are no set number of movements a baby should have, so counting kicks or recording on a chart is no longer recommended.

It is important to make time regularly each day to notice your babies’ movements. If you are busy or not paying attention it can be easy to miss this very important signal from your baby. If you are busy or working, it may be helpful to set reminders for yourself to check in with your baby.

Common myths about baby movements


  • It is not true that babies move less towards the end of pregnancy.

  • Having something to eat or drink does not help stimulate your baby to move.

What should I do if my baby stops moving?

If you haven't felt any movement from your baby by 24 weeks, see your doctor or midwife.

At any stage of your pregnancy, if you are concerned about your baby's movements, contact your midwife or doctor immediately. Do not wait until the next day. A slowing down of movement may be a sign that your baby is unwell.

Your doctor or midwife will invite you into the hospital and check your baby’s heart rate using a CTG Machine. In some instances, you may also have an ultrasound.

What do I do if I have recurring concerns about my baby’s movements?

Remember you are the one who knows your baby’s movements best. It is important that whenever you are concerned about your baby’s movements to contact your doctor or midwife.

Contact your doctor or midwife again even if you have already seen them about your baby’s movements previously.

Which term would the nurse use to describe the first fetal movements that a pregnant client feels?

During the second trimester, prenatal care includes routine lab tests and measurements of your baby's growth. You might consider prenatal testing, too.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

The goal of prenatal care is to ensure that you and your baby remain healthy during your entire pregnancy. Ideally, prenatal care starts as soon as you think you're pregnant. Your health care provider might schedule prenatal care appointments about every four weeks throughout the second trimester.

Here's what to expect at your second trimester prenatal appointments.

Review the basics

Your health care provider will check your blood pressure and weight at every visit. Share any concerns you have. Then it's time for your baby to take center stage. Your health care provider might:

  • Track your baby's growth. By measuring the distance from the pubic bone to the top of your uterus (fundal height), your health care provider can gauge your baby's growth. After 20 weeks of pregnancy, this measurement in centimeters often matches the number of weeks you've been pregnant, plus or minus 2 centimeters.
  • Listen to your baby's heartbeat. At second trimester visits, you might hear your baby's heartbeat using a Doppler instrument. The Doppler instrument detects motion and conveys it as sound.
  • Assess fetal movement. Tell your health care provider when you begin noticing flutters or kicks. Keep in mind that mothers notice these movements at different times, and movement at this time in pregnancy is typically unpredictable. You'll likely notice flutters for the first time around 18 to 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Also, talk to your health care provider about any vaccinations you might need.

Consider prenatal testing

During the second trimester, you might be offered various prenatal screenings or tests:

  • Genetic tests. Blood tests might be offered to screen for genetic or chromosomal conditions, such as spina bifida or Down syndrome. If your results are concerning, your doctor will recommend a diagnostic test, typically an amniocentesis. During amniocentesis, a sample of the fluid that surrounds and protects a baby during pregnancy is removed from the uterus for testing.
  • Fetal ultrasound. Fetal ultrasound is an imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of a baby in the uterus. A detailed ultrasound can help your health care provider evaluate fetal anatomy. Fetal ultrasound also might give you an opportunity to find out the baby's sex.
  • Blood tests. Blood tests might be offered between week 24 to 28 of pregnancy to check your blood count and iron levels and screen for diabetes that can develop during pregnancy (gestational diabetes). If you have Rh negative blood — an inherited trait that refers to a specific protein found on the surface of red blood cells — you might need a blood test to check for Rh antibodies. These antibodies can develop if your baby has Rh positive blood and your Rh negative blood mixes with your baby's blood. Without treatment, the antibodies could cross the placenta and attack the baby's red blood cells — particularly in a subsequent pregnancy with a baby who has Rh positive blood.

Keep your health care provider informed

The second trimester often brings a renewed sense of well-being. Morning sickness typically begins to ease. You begin to feel the baby move. Your belly becomes more noticeable. There's a lot happening.

Tell your health care provider what's on your mind, even if it seems silly or unimportant. Nothing is too trivial when it comes to your health — or your baby's health.

Aug. 04, 2022

  1. Lockwood CJ, et al. Prenatal care: Initial assessment. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed July 9, 2018.
  2. Prenatal care and tests. Office on Women's Health. http://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/you-are-pregnant/prenatal-care-tests.html. Accessed July 9, 2018.
  3. Cunningham FG, et al., eds. Prenatal care. In: Williams Obstetrics. 25th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Education; 2018. https:// accessmedicine.mhmedical.com. Accessed July 9, 2018.
  4. Lockwood CJ, et al. Prenatal care: Second and third trimesters. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed July 9, 2018.
  5. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Committee on Practice Bulletins — Obstetrics. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 101: Ultrasonography in pregnancy. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2009;113:451. Reaffirmed 2014.

See more In-depth

See also

  1. Second trimester pregnancy
  2. Fetal development 2nd trimester
  3. Fundal height and fetal growth
  4. Pregnancy due date calculator
  5. Pregnancy exercises
  6. Pregnancy stretches

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Which term would the nurse use to describe the first fetal movements that a pregnant client feels 1 lightening 2 quickening 3 engagement 4 Ballottement?

Answer D. Quickening is the first fetal movement felt by the mother makes the woman realize that she is truly pregnant.

What is normal fetal heart rate?

Your healthcare provider may do fetal heart monitoring during late pregnancy and labor. The average fetal heart rate is between 110 and 160 beats per minute. It can vary by 5 to 25 beats per minute. The fetal heart rate may change as your baby responds to conditions in your uterus.

When can you palpate uterus in pregnancy?

At approximately 12 weeks gestation the uterus becomes large enough to be palpable just above the pubic symphysis. At 16 weeks gestation, the fundus of the uterus can be palpated at the midpoint between the umbilicus and the pubic symphysis.

What week is cardiac activity present?

Cardiovascular development in a human embryo occurs between 3 and 6 weeks after ovulation. Cardiac function is the first sign of independent cardiac activity that can be explored with non-invasive techniques such as Doppler ultrasound (5).