Baby Movements - what do they feel like?

[RobynScott]

I feel so stupid asking this but I really can't tell if I am feeling the baby yet or not.

I've heard that the early movements feel like bubbles or gas in your stomach - but how do I differentiate between baby and gas? Also, what do the early kicks feel like?

I'm just 18 weeks so I know it's still early - but I feel like I won't know what it is even when I do finally feel baby movement.

So, can anyone describe what it feels like (both early and later in pregnancy) so I know what to look out for / be excited about? (I'm also trying to not mistake round ligament pain for kicks / movement)

Thanks for taking the time to read / respond to my (somewhat stupid) question.

Signed,
clueless first time mom

[Sophia]

Early movement feels like something tickling you from inside. Kicks feel like something pushing you from inside. It doesn't feel like RLP at all, although when it gets cramped in there some hard kicks can be uncomfortable or even painful, but it's a different kind of pain than RLP.

[Scooter]

Early on it felt nothing like round ligament pain. For me it felt more like a muscle twitch or spasm. Just a fluttering feeling for a couple seconds like that.

Later on when she was bigger, it felt more like someone was hitting or kicking me. I have to say, I did not expect it to be painful! Babies get strong in there! :)

[Tonysweetie]

The first movements/kicks felt like popcorn popping in my stomach. Like gas bubbles w/o the uncomfy feeling.

Once he got big (I say around 23 weeks or so) the real kicks started where I could see them happening/feel them from the outside. It feels just like it sounds but it doesn't exactly hurt....well not yet.

[PinkMartini]

I didn't feel my DS moving until like week 23 or something. I've always had bad gas (TMI) so I doubt those gas feelings early on were him...

The first feelings I felt WERE like gas bubbles but a lot stronger. At the end of the pregnancy it actually HURT. Everyone I ever talked to said it never hurt them, but boy was my DS active in there. He would get stuck up under my ribs and it was SO uncomfortable... He was 22.5 in long when he was born, so he must've been pretty cramped in there

[kimthebride]

Not a silly question at all. :)

Early movements, I'd describe as moving from...a soft passing flutter to dancing popping bubbles to fish flapping to a tiny rolling of something in there & obvious flat-out kicking & hitting. Totally common to confuse gas with early movements.

Later on, you'll feel the pressure of a shape (a small fist, a long arm) drag across your belly. Instead of just kicks, you can feel the pressure of a limb pushing out against you (and see it form the outside eventualy). Then full-body movements like baby pushing one way with limbs and so his back pushes against the other.

For me, round ligament pain for me in both pregnancies has always been a fast sharp stab (literally, as if someone jammed an ice pick in me) between my hipbone and lower belly - and these can last 1-4 seconds. Totally different feeling!

Though I'd say around the 7th/8th month I'd get painful jabs and pushes that almost hurt as much as RLP, but it isn't in the same place.

[RobynScott]

Thanks for all the responses!

I've definitely had bubbles that I try to tell if they are gas or baby. And a few times I've had sort of a stabbing feeling (but not hard stab) near the middle of my belly down low - trying to tell if those are growing pains or baby movement. I may just be a little too hopeful! And I've felt lots of 'bubbles' - but again -don't know if they are baby or gas. Looking forward to my next appt to know that everything is ok!

Thanks again - and keep the responses coming - please :D

[MexicoBride'05]

I always thought I would have a hard time trying to figure out if I was feeling the baby or something else but I didn't.

It's almost like you just know it's the baby. It doesn't feel like gas or your tummy growling or anything like that.

I'm not sure if I've felt a big kick or not yet. It's hard to say since it's something we've never felt before! Or maybe again I will just know when I get a big kick!

I think as time goes on the movements will only get bigger and happen more often.

[StacieLady]

The first movement I ever felt just like a kernel of popcorn had popped just above my pubic bone.

Then a few weeks later, the movements felt just like gas rumbling through my belly, only they were only in the very center of my belly. (At least for me gas can be more to the sides and middle and all around.) ;)

The second major type of movement I felt was the baby stretching out. (I assume that is what it is) It isn't quick or sharp, but it feels like the baby is deliberately pushing with all his might on one part of my uterus, and I can feel that spot get hard and poke out a little from the outside. :)

After that you feel all sorts of things, of course I think my baby is very active! He flops around a lot!

[solongtogo]

actually most people feel it right around how far along you are, so I'll be willing to bet that's the baby you're feeling

[BusyBee]

Yes, popcorn popping - that's exactly how I decribed it with DD (forgot about that!). The first movements I felt were not painful at all, just unusual. After the first one that I recognized, I felt them every other day, and soon every day, just once or twice.

The first sharp movement with #2, I was sitting on the floor playing with DD, and thought she hit my belly with the corner of her book, but then I couldn't find the book.

FWIW, I first felt DD around 16 weeks (but I was under a lot of stress that day) and DC#2 after 18 weeks.

[Wrighty26]

At first it was like gas bubbles - although at the time I don't think I'd ever experienced gas bubbles -- it wasn't until AFTER the baby was born. It was bizarre -- I felt like I was feeling the baby, but nope the baby was in my arms!

It then turned into thumping, and finally dragging.

Around 20 weeks I also started having BH contrax. That's a whole other feeling all togeter. It's like someone is making a fist in your uterus -- or like someone is squeezing it. It wasn't painful (until the end), just annoying.

[Soulmate]

Mine was different than most people, but to me it felt like a little guppy wiggling in my uterus. It felt like a wet slippery wiggly feeling. The first time I knew that it definitely was the baby was when I was driving and the seatbelt/pants felt tight and I think it made him move against it.

Later on it just feels like baby moving with very definite pokes and jabs. Once DS moved just lightly against one side that it tickled so much it made me jump and squeal.

I had the same thing as Wrighty pp that it felt like DS was still moving inside but it was just gas.

[maplekitty]

Early movement I used to say felt like popcorn popping in my tummy. Then is felt like a little goldfish swimming around and rubbing up against the inside of your tummy.
Later on it will feel like actually kicks, & flip flops

[Ilovemygeek]

Early movement I used to say felt like popcorn popping in my tummy. Then is felt like a little goldfish swimming around and rubbing up against the inside of your tummy.
Later on it will feel like actually kicks, & flip flops

That was my experience as well.

[Tracie]

I think I had a totally unique experience! To me, it felt like that feeling when you're in a roller coaster and you go down a hill and you feel like you left your stomach at the top of the hill. It also felt like my stomach was churning, like when you're really sick to your stomach. I think he was doing somersaults in there!

[ShannonGH]

Felt like little muscle twitches to me. :)

[Bibay626]

I thought I was cramping up, but when I would sit still, it felt more like poking to me =)

[karlatta]

I'm 17 weeks, and the first feelings I got were like little popcorn kernels popping right in the center of my belly. Now it feels like a fish swimming around in my belly. I can often feel movement going from my right to my left - maybe my baby likes to move around in circles?

[emmjay]

I think I had a totally unique experience! To me, it felt like that feeling when you're in a roller coaster and you go down a hill and you feel like you left your stomach at the top of the hill. It also felt like my stomach was churning, like when you're really sick to your stomach. I think he was doing somersaults in there!
Mine were kind of like this too. It was like when you are doing something wrong and someone catches you, and your stomach drops and you get that "OMG I am so busted" feeling. :p

[MichelleRenee]

Around 16 weeks it felt like a butterfly fluttering in one spot.

Around 20 weeks it felt like little thumps here and there.

From around week 25 until the end it felt like a baby in my belly kicking and flailing as hard as he could. (there's really no other way to describe it. He would kick and my whole belly would move.) I miss it...