Congratulations on the welcoming news of your pregnancy! It's finally time for you to start taking care of yourself and growing a healthy baby. One of the most exciting things about being pregnant is feeling your baby move inside you. Nothing beats that warm fuzzy feeling when you feel those little kicks and jabs, it's like having a tiny gymnast in training. But what exactly are we feeling? Let's explore what this phenomenon is all about!
What are 'baby bumps'?
Baby bumps refer to the movement felt by expectant mothers as their babies grow and develop in utero (1) . A mother can actually feel her baby moving around inside her uterus starting from week 16 -24 up until delivery. The term "quickening" often refers to the first time mothers notice these movements (2).
Quickening
Quickening was used during medieval times to refer specifically to fetal movement defined as "life". It comes from an obsolete verb quiken, or quicken which means “to come alive”. Nowadays, with our modern technology, expectant moms have more precise ways to observe their developing fetuses such as ultrasounds done regularly throughout pregnancy periods.
When Does This Happen?
Feeling your baby move for the first time is one experience every parent-to-be looks forward to, but timing varies between moms-to-be (3). In general though there are three stages where 'baby bumps' occur:
- Stage one (weeks four-eight): During this stage organs growth occurs constantly (4b)
- Stage two (weeks eight - twelve): This period commences approximately within weeks 8 through 12 post-conception where limbs elongate anatomically [long sentence removed]
- Stage Three (Weeks seventeen-twenty-four): By this point many women will likely be able sense their babies’ movements, and for others it could take a few weeks longer.
What Does It Feel Like?
The sensations that come with these movements cannot easily be adequately described despite each mom-to-be relating their own personal 'baby bump' stories (5). Combined sensations including flutterlike feelings to constant nudges are often described as making mothers feel like they have a tiny alien within them! But it could also easily be just subtle flowing movements (6) .
However, as the pregnancy continues moms become more sensitive to movement. Later on in pregnancy which is about midway through the second trimester - this might typically include feeling sudden jolts such as hiccups or even waves rolling around inside one’s abdomen - all an integral part of birthing life.
Can Anything Hinder "Baby Bumps" From Occurring?
Felt bumping sensations would mean nothing if there was an issue ,"why bother?" so let's say hello to some possible issues causing limited fetal activity:
- Excessive Sleep: According to doctors if pregnant women sleep too much they may limit fetal activity patterns.
- Maternal Anxiety: Moms who are anxious during pregnancy produce Adrenaline and cortisol hormones that constrict blood flow along with baby's very own heartbeat [long sentence removed]
- Chronic Illnesses: Illnesses like Hypertension may hinder normal functioning of fetal development leading risk associated factors for developing conditions such improper brain formation or cardiovascular system complications (7) .
How Often Should You Expect Your Baby To Move?
Is your bundle of joy constantly bouncing off the walls? Or do you find yourself waiting days before sensing any sort of sensation inside?
### Active Days Active little gymnasts kicking up dust/gas/bubbles by turning somersaults are typical phenomenon daily between breakfast and lunchtime lasting anywhere from thirty-minutes right until roughly midnight extending well past 2:00 A.M. However, newborns aren't all chaos and mayhem as they're known to sleep almost around the clock some days (8).
Concerning Signs
If nine hours go by without any sensations kids might not be in trouble but common steps could include sugary drinks or even playing music where mothers can place their ears right against belly skin to monitor activity due to its faint whispers - should neither of these remedies help then it’s often advised reaching out for professional evaluation concerning baby's health status (9) .
Interpreting Your Baby's Movements
As mentioned earlier, what you feel with responses from your baby are unique mom-to-mom experiences. There is no single “normal” pattern however there are tools available at times such apps guiding moms towards understanding baby movements which helps detect early warning signs applicable during pregnancy aiding worthwhile conversation/consultation with medical professionals (10) . Such apps help track specific patterns scenarios involve reducing infant mindfulness amongst others.
However one approach generally employed although based on individual preferences would largely aim at pinpointing whenever precise movements occur- moments throughout the day noticeably active - thus instead of always waiting in vain for kicks or punches keep track of timing jotted down somewhere! This way doctors/nurses were better equipped when interpreting if infants missed performing significant movements while inside womb.
How Unique Are These Kicks?
Your little bundle isn’t just regular every time they give off a poke!
Fetal Hiccups:
Some bumpers find frequent rhythmic beats identical to hiccups indicating repeatable stomach contractions signifying normal development milestones successful fetal breathing regimens!
### Flash Dances: Movements women describe equivalent starry constellations within uterus each flutter-like movement different from previous ones dancing around more than anything else hinting perhaps lots o’ energy left over right into infancy months later on postpartum stages
The 'Running Man'
Started getting kicked so hard it seems as though your tiny acrobat is practicing some sort of routine? Don't worry, many descriptive parents suggest some babies display flawless dance routines or even be in line to compete in the next Olympics long before they exit the womb (11) .
What Does It All Mean?
Feeling baby kicks have been known to offer more insight on a child's wellness either previously born children with abnormalities that seemed absent later diagnosed through simple yet consistent monitoring tools. Standard measurements while pregnant include ultrasound tests throughout every trimester stages plus also prenatal check-ups determining fetal growth and development evident by noting any significant movements happening (12).
No matter what happens when feeling those bumps mothers can smile knowing that their little ball of joy inside tumbles around daily day or night regardless of how chaotic-looking - may seem much bigger than imagined!