Changes or Decreases in Fetal Movement

After all the first trimester fatigue (and nausea, and constipation, and frequent need to pee), the joyful feeling of your baby’s first movements and kicks comes as a welcome relief in the second trimester.

But what might initially seem like a sport (let's start counting kicks ... and, go!) can sometimes become a stressor as you wonder what fetal movement should feel like — and whether any changes you're noticing are normal.

Learn more about what to expect from your baby's movements, including how they evolve and change as your little one grows in utero and how to recognize your baby's movement patterns over time. Plus learn to spot signs that it's time to check in with your practitioner or go to the hospital maternity ward to have your baby monitored. Trusted SourceAmerican College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsSpecial Tests for Monitoring Fetal Well-BeingSee All Sources ^[1]

When should I start to feel fetal movement?

You should first feel your baby move around week 18 of pregnancy to 22 weeks pregnant, Trusted SourceKaiser PermanenteCounting KicksSee All Sources ^[2] though it can happen anytime between 14 weeks and 26 weeks. A baby’s movements in utero can feel like kicks, flutters, swishes, rolls or all of the above. 

How often should my baby move in utero? 

There's no set number of movements you should feel each day, as every baby is different. You should feel movement every day in the third trimester, beginning around week 28 and continuing through the end of your pregnancy. 

It’s important to get to know what’s normal for your baby, which typically becomes clearer between week 24 and week 28 of pregnancy.

You'll begin counting kicks daily during week 28 until your baby is born. Trusted SourceCleveland ClinicKick CountsSee All Sources ^[3] Fetal movements should not slow down or speed up significantly from day to day or as pregnancy progresses, though there will be more regular sleep and wake cycles that are established in the third trimester.

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Changes in fetal movement throughout pregnancy

Fetal movements vary from person to person and baby to baby. Some babies constantly test the limits of their cozy confines, while others sit back and relax until their debuts.

All babies in utero move every day, and parents need to become familiar with what to expect in the womb when the third trimester starts.

Some changes and evolutions in fetal movement as your pregnancy progresses are normal, while others are cause for concern. So how do you tell the difference?

In the second trimester

When you feel those first flutters of fetal movement (usually around month 5 or around weeks 18 to 22 of pregnancy, though it can be earlier or later), they might seem like butterflies, twitches, nudges or even hunger pangs. 

Once you can feel them, the movements will grow increasingly acrobatic and his punches more powerful as his muscles get stronger. Your little gymnast is also still small enough to turn somersaults with abandon in your uterus.

By the time you're 6 months pregnant, leg movements become more frequent and seemingly choreographed. You might notice more regular pitter-patters of those little feet, although a more clear pattern may not establish itself until late in the second trimester or early in the third.

In the third trimester

At 7 months pregnant, your baby continues to toss and turn, though it may feel different now that he's getting bigger and stronger. Those punches, kicks, jabs and rolls, while comforting, can be so powerful they sting a bit (or at least give you a jolt). 

As your baby packs on the pounds in month 8, that formerly spacious apartment called your womb becomes more like a snug closet. But this is to be expected, and your uterus keeps expanding to accommodate your growing tenant (who doesn't ever "run out of room" while he's in there with you).

You should continue to feel movements every day, which may be akin to wriggling and turning with some jabs of elbows and knees thrown in for good measure. By this point, you'll know your baby's unique daily movement patterns.

By month 9, at nearly full weight and length, your little one is not so little anymore and will soon make an appearance in the world (and your arms). Those kicks may feel less like rapid-fire pummels of the feet and more like larger lurches and bigger movements (as baby turns over, for example).

Starting around week 28, your doctor or midwife will tell you to count your baby’s kicks every day until you give birth. It’s usually a good idea to plan a kick count once in the morning and once again in the evening (and even more frequently in month 9).

You’re looking to count 10 fetal movements of any kind (kicks, swishes, rolls, etc.) and record the time it takes to get to that number. If you don't feel 10 movements in one to two hours tops (or in the usual amount of time it takes to count to 10), make a call to your doctor or head to the hospital maternity ward just to be sure all is well.

If there's a noticeable decrease or increase in your baby's normal kick patterns, get yourself checked out right away by your practitioner or at the hospital.

Reasons for normal changes and decreases in fetal movement

Once you’ve felt your baby’s first kicks, you'll get to know the pattern that's normal for your little one in utero. Fetal movement will evolve throughout pregnancy for a whole lot of different reasons (but just remember that any noticeable increase or decrease in fetal movement in a given day warrants a call to the doctor and/or a trip to the hospital to get checked out), including:

You’ve been super active

Have you been out and about all day? The gentle rocking motion of moms’ daily movements tend to lull babies to sleep. You may also just be too busy to notice any jiggles going on in there. 

You just had sex

While some babies become quite active after sex, others get lulled to sleep by the rhythmic uterine contractions that go with orgasm. Both responses are completely normal. As long as your practitioner hasn’t told you otherwise, sex during pregnancy is completely safe.

Your baby is still too small to feel consistently

Throughout your second trimester, it can be hard to feel some of your baby's kicks and rolls. Your baby may seem to be an acrobat one minute and in hibernation the next. You may go hours or even a couple of days without noticing fetal movement. 

Since your baby’s still quite small, it’s easy to miss movements (especially if he’s facing inward instead of outward). In fact, since babies are often most active at night, you might sleep right through most of the action.

Concerned? Call your doctor and/or go to the maternity ward to get checked. You can try some quick baby kick tricks while you're waiting to be seen to try to get him to perk up in there — but if they don't work (they're not foolproof), be sure to get in touch with your practitioner or on-call doctor.

Your baby has gotten bigger and the movements feel different

What began as butterfly-like flutters (which you could barely distinguish from gas or tummy butterflies sometimes) really started packing a punch as the weeks passed.

By the third trimester, however, your baby's grown a lot bigger. There's still room for movement because your uterus has stretched too, but not the kind of kicks and pokes you're used to. Instead, you'll probably feel more twists, wiggles, stretches, and turns, though what they feel like can vary from pregnancy to pregnancy.

Your baby’s sleeping

By the time you're in your third trimester, your baby in utero will have regular periods of sleeping and being awake. Fetuses, like newborns, have interludes of deep sleep (and it's too bad they don't always occur when you're sleeping). 

In fact, your baby may be more likely to be up when you're trying to catch some winks and sleepy when you're active. This means that there'll be times during the day when there's a lull and other times when he's kicking happily in there.

You just want to be sure you feel movement every day, especially during the third trimester and the ninth month (and also during labor) because baby kicks shouldn't subside or slow down as pregnancy progresses. Hiccups don't count!

Your baby’s head is engaged in your pelvis

Once your baby "drops", you may feel larger rolls — along with every move of baby’s head on the cervix, which may feel like sharp electric twinges down there. But you'll still feel baby moving every day when all is well.

Reasons for a very active baby in the womb

In the second trimester (and even in the very beginning of the third), your baby is small enough to dance, somersault and kick box (all before lunch). The good news is that an active baby usually signals a healthy baby. It's his way of exercising and building those muscles and bones. A very active baby in the womb also doesn’t mean that he’ll be hyper (or an Olympic athlete) once he makes his grand entrance. 

However, babies shouldn't suddenly increase their movements, as that can signal something is wrong, especially in the last part of pregnancy. If you feel a marked increase in fetal movement, call your doctor and get checked right away.

Do not use handheld monitors, at-home Dopplers, or phone apps to check your baby’s heartbeat. They're not accurate or reliable like the ones used in doctors' offices and hospitals.

When to worry about fetal movement

In the majority of cases, changes in how your baby moves are par for the pregnancy course, and a temporary quiet period may mean your baby is sleeping. But if you notice any significant increase or decrease in fetal movement from day to day or any other change in your baby's normal movement patterns, it can signal a more serious issue. 

In rare cases, a sudden noticeable decrease in fetal activity can be due to:

• Low amniotic fluid. About 4 percent of expecting women experience oligohydramnios, or low amniotic fluid — usually late in the third trimester. While most people with this condition don’t have any noticeable symptoms and have completely healthy pregnancies, some might notice a sudden and significant drop in fetal activity. Call your doctor and/or go to the hospital maternity ward where you can be monitored. There's a chance you'll need to deliver your baby early. 
• Too much amniotic fluid. Around 1 percent of pregnancies are diagnosed with hydramnios, or too much amniotic fluid. It’s more common in moms who are carrying multiples or who have poorly controlled diabetes. Sometimes, the extra cushion can make it harder to feel fetal movements. It can also create discomfort in the abdomen or chest due to an especially large uterus. While most cases don’t cause symptoms, if hydramnios is more severe, your doctor and/or the practitioneres at the hospital will need to monitor you.
• Fetal distress. A baby’s oxygen supply can get disturbed before or during labor, causing a significant and abrupt slowdown of movement. (Your water may also break and be stained with meconium, or baby’s first poop.) Sustained oxygen deprivation usually requires immediate delivery, usually via C-section. 

Because these conditions require monitoring and possible treatment to ensure your baby’s health and safety, it’s essential to call your doctor right away if you don't feel 10 movements within two hours during the third trimester or in the normal amount of time it takes to count 10 of your baby's movements. 

Your doctor will likely want to get a better look at what’s going on inside with a fetal nonstress test or biophysical profile, which check your baby’s movements and heart rate to ensure your little one is doing okay. 

Otherwise, as long as you feel regular movement and your kick counts are consistent, it's less important what type of movement you experience. So kick back and enjoy the ride. Pretty soon those baby movements that are keeping you up at night will become even more real as your baby stretches and kicks in your arms.