If you are pregnant for the first time, you have probably never experienced anything like this—someone physically kicking you from within. This is why these fears frequently surface. You don’t even get used to it, really.
Even though we say this often, the fact remains that every pregnancy is indeed unique. Your previous pregnancy will not be the same as this one. You will not experience the same thing your friend or mother did.
Pregnancy is a period when you overthink everything. And there is nothing wrong with being absolutely careful. Your baby starts to move around the fifth month of pregnancy, you notice it a little earlier if this is not your first pregnancy. If you are worried that your baby might be kicking too much or too often, you are not alone in these concerns.
Why is the baby kicking?
Before you go ahead and start questioning the frequency or intensity of the kicks that you get from your baby, it is important to understand why your baby kicks at all. Fetal movements happen from around seven weeks of pregnancy but they are more apparent around 20 weeks. Your baby is simply moving around and experiencing different things while they grow. Around the same time that they start moving, they experience different things like the sensation of touch. The sensation of touch begins in one area and spreads out later throughout the pregnancy. To feel things around themselves, the baby moves and starts grabbing at things. Your baby is not actively kicking you: they are just moving around and exploring their environment.
Your baby responds to different kinds of stimuli – when you touch your belly, you notice that the frequency of quickening might increase. You can appreciate this during the later stages of pregnancy when all the parts of your baby are capable of appreciating the sensation of touch. They also begin to appreciate light and sound and sometimes these factors might trigger more movement in them. Moving around is completely normal for your baby.
Why Does it Feel Like the Baby is Moving Too Much?
The simple answer to the question is that you have never felt anything like this before so you have nothing to compare it to. As your pregnancy progresses, the movements of the baby become more apparent and the sensation starts to feel more pressure rising. This is simply because your baby is growing within the space of the uterus and they are moving around more and more every day. They are exploring new things and they are getting bigger.
Sometimes, you feel like the baby is moving a bit more than usual. One such time is shortly after you have eaten a meal. The space in the abdomen reduces as your stomach expands to contain the food. This will cause your baby to fidget and move around more than usual. You will notice that your baby is always a bit more active after you are just done with a meal.
During the later stages of your pregnancy, the kicking actually becomes a lot more apparent. You will notice that the baby feels a lot stronger and is way more responsive than earlier. They move around a lot to communicate with the environment and with you. You can trigger movement by introducing different stimuli that you know will work on them.
Is it Normal for a Baby to Move Too Much?
You should understand that the baby is not moving too much because there is no such thing. An active baby is a sign of a very healthy pregnancy and it is a very good thing that your baby is moving a lot. There is nothing to worry about.
Doctors recommend that you should look for at least one active hour a day or count at least 10 fetal movements every hour. Ultimately the only cause of worry should be if your baby is not moving as much as they should be moving or if you suddenly notice a decrease in the frequency of the movements. A significant decrease in the movement must be taken seriously and you should alert your doctor immediately. Make sure that you count at least one active hour a day. If this is not happening, there could be something going wrong that needs immediate medical attention.
