Getting to Know Your Baby’s Movements and Responding to Changes

Call your maternity team immediately if your baby moves less than usual, stops moving, or has a change in their usual movement pattern. Do not wait until tomorrow, even at night.

Feeling your baby move can become a familiar part of pregnancy. The aim is to recognize what is usual for your baby and to ask for help when something changes. You do not need a perfect description or a completed movement chart before calling.

When first movements may begin

Many people first notice movement between 16 and 24 weeks. In a first pregnancy, it may be after 20 weeks. Early sensations can feel like a gentle flutter or swirling, with clearer kicks and rolls becoming noticeable as pregnancy progresses.

If you have never felt your baby move by 24 weeks, tell your midwife. They can check the heartbeat and decide whether further assessment is needed. Do not use this milestone as a reason to ignore a concerning change in movements you have already been feeling.

An anterior placenta may make sensations less easy to notice, but a change must not simply be attributed to placental position. Explain your own experience rather than comparing it with another pregnancy.

Learn your baby’s usual pattern

There is no universal daily number that defines normal movement for every baby. Routine counting to a fixed target is not recommended in general UK guidance. If your own clinician gives you a specific monitoring plan, ask how to use it and when to call; it should not delay contact about a concern.

Movements generally increase until around 32 weeks and then remain at about the same frequency. Their character can change, but babies should not move less simply because birth is approaching. You should continue to feel movement up to and during labour.

Notice the activity that is familiar during your day. You can describe when movements usually stand out and what is different now without needing to time or label every sensation.

Avoid home reassurance tests

A home Doppler cannot establish that your baby is well, even if you hear a heartbeat. Our home fetal Doppler guide explains why listening is not a substitute for assessment.

Do not delay a call while trying to make your baby move with food or a drink. A reassuring scan earlier in the day does not remove the need to report a later concern either.

Make the call and understand the next step

Tell the maternity team your pregnancy stage, what has changed and whether movement has stopped. Follow their advice about coming in. The assessment depends on your stage and circumstances and may include a heartbeat check, heart rate monitoring and, when indicated, a scan.

The growth scan guide explains one investigation that may be offered. Ask what the assessment found and what to do after going home.

If you notice another reduction or change, contact the team again immediately, even if previous checks were reassuring. Save the service’s daytime and out of hours numbers so that making another call is straightforward.