Quickening is when a pregnant person starts to feel their baby's movement in their uterus (womb). It feels like flutters, bubbles or tiny pulses. Quickening happens around 16 to 20 weeks in pregnancy, but some people may feel it sooner or later. Appointments 216.444.6601.
The term quickening comes from the root word quick, an archaic synonym for “living.” (Think “the quick and the dead.”) The concept goes back at least to Aristotle, who believed that male fetuses take on human characteristics after 40 days in the womb, and female fetuses after about 80 days.
Why Does Quickening Happen? You may feel like your baby is restless inside your tummy, rolling and jumping and stretching all around –– and you would be right! Quickening is your body's direct response to your baby's movements. As your little one grows, they'll try out new muscles and move around in your womb.
Quickening, the point at which a pregnant woman can first feel the movements of the growing embryo or fetus, has long been considered a pivotal moment in pregnancy.
These early fetal movements felt in utero are known as quickening. And while baby kicks are what often come to mind, quickening in pregnancy actually encompasses all types of baby movement—flutters, punches, stretches and rolls.
It varies. You should generally feel some movement by 20 to 24 weeks in pregnancy. Talk to your midwife or obstetrician to get an idea of what you can expect for those early fetal movements.
How Often Will Baby Move? “After quickening first starts, you might not feel fetal movements every day,” says Rose. However, rest assured that your baby is still moving—you just may not feel their kicks.
Example Sentences
His pulse quickened at the thought of seeing her again. The approach of the deadline quickened our sense of urgency. The drama quickened when police arrived at the scene.
The Bottom Line
By definition, quickening is when you feel your baby move for the first time, though they'll move around your uterus before you can feel them! Once quickening occurs, you'll start feeling your baby move more and more as they grow bigger and more active.
At the end of the third trimester, the baby settles, or drops lower, into the mother's pelvis. This is known as dropping or lightening.
They can feel pain at 22 weeks, and at 26 weeks they can move in response to a hand being rubbed on the mother's belly.
Is it painful? If you've never experienced it before, you might be wondering if you can expect to feel any pain alongside quickening. Dr. Celestine explains that, no, quickening shouldn't hurt in any way.
Opinion varies as to how to count your baby's movements, but the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends noting the time it takes for your baby to make 10 movements. You should feel at least 10 movements within a 2-hour period.
Just like newborns, fetuses spend most of their time sleeping. Indeed, throughout much of the pregnancy, your baby sleeps 90 to 95% of the day. Some of these hours are spent in deep sleep, some in REM sleep, and some in an indeterminate state—a result of their immature brain.
Depending on your stage of pregnancy, your body type, and even the time of day, sometimes your belly will feel soft and other times it will feel tight and hard. The reality is, there's no normal to compare yourself with. Pregnant bellies come in all shapes, sizes, and firmness.
32 weeks to 35 weeks
This may be the most exciting time for feeling your baby move, as at 32 weeks your baby's movements will be at their peak. Afterwards, the frequency of your baby's movements will stay roughly the same until you give birth (Jakes et al 2018, RCOG 2011, 2019).
Fetal movements typically increase when the mother is hungry, reflecting lowered blood sugar levels in the mother and fetus. This is similar to the increased activity of most animals when they are seeking food, followed by a period of quietness when they are fed.
At first, these small movements feel like fluttering or "butterflies." Some women say that they feel like gas bubbles. These first flutters are sometimes called "quickening." Hiccups. Around 21 to 24 weeks, you may start to feel some jerky movements inside your belly.
The feeling of baby flutters can vary among women. Some common descriptions include: feeling like gas pains but without passing any gas. feeling as though there are butterflies in the stomach.
For many, it'll happen sometime between weeks 24 and 28, Twogood says, but that range can be as wide as 20 to 30 weeks. Generally, however, most loved ones can feel baby kick from the outside in the third trimester, adds Cynthia Flynn, MD, a Florida-based ob-gyn with JustAnswer.
Can quickening come and go? It's normal to feel your first quickening and then feel disappointed when you don't notice it again for a few days. As the baby develops and grows stronger, the movements and kicks will become more regular and reliable but they'll never be constant.
It is very common for it to feel like a stitch or stomach discomfort. Alternatively, the pain can also feel short and sharp, a similar feeling to being pinched.
At first, these small movements feel like fluttering or "butterflies." Or they may feel like gas bubbles. These first flutters are sometimes called "quickening." Hiccups. Around 21 to 24 weeks, you may start to feel some jerky movements inside your belly.
Most women can first share their baby's movements with their partner between weeks 20 and 24 of pregnancy, which is partway through the second trimester.