Many women have trouble feeling their babies' movements as early as 16 weeks. This is because the baby is still very small, and its movements are not yet strong enough to be felt outside the womb.
Experienced mothers may be able to feel their own baby's heartbeat as early as six weeks after conception — before they even know they're pregnant! However, most men won't be able to feel the baby kick for another two months or so.
By week 22 of pregnancy, most fathers can feel their little one moving around inside mom's belly with varying degrees of success — some dads are more sensitive than others!
Hannah Holt
What is it like to feel a baby move?
Women can experience the baby's kick the earliest before anyone else. The baby movement, in the beginning, is very subtle and is easily misjudged for gas bubbles and stomach gurgles. The general period for women to experience their baby's first movements is in the early duration of the second trimester, which is usually around 13 to 22 weeks. The early rolls and kicks are very gentle, and only a woman can feel them; they are so subtle that they cannot be experienced from the outside.
The movements need to get bigger and stronger for them to be felt from outside. The show a baby can put up is fantastic from somersaults, stretches, jabs, and kicks; many different baby movements can be felt and experienced by the woman and her partner; although the partner will have to wait a little longer to do so.
When can your husband feel baby kick?
Feeling the baby's presence even when he is not in this world is an out-of-the-world feeling. Getting to experience the first of the baby's movements makes the pregnancy even more special and heartfelt. You can enjoy this experience and observe your baby's movements with your partner and enjoy quality time together, discussing your baby and loving each other.
Your partner can feel the baby kicks as early as 20 weeks and as late as 30 weeks. This varies because every woman and every pregnancy is different. There are many factors that come into account to feel the baby's movement from outside.
What factors affect the baby's movement?
Many factors can affect the time of feeling the baby's movement from outside. Some of the factors that impact significantly on cushioning the baby's movements or allowing the kicks to be visible and experienced from outside are:
The women's physique
Every woman is different; while some are skinny and put on lots of weight during pregnancy, others can maintain their average weight with only a slight increase in weight, and that too due to the baby, and some are already chubby and gain more weight during pregnancy. If you are overweight, experiencing the baby's movement from outside can take some time compared to slimmer ones. The extra weight increases the fat layer over the abdomen, cushioning the movements.
Baby's position and size
If a baby is small, the consequent movements are also smaller and have less impact on the belly. As the baby grows, the movements become more frequent and visible from the outside. The position of the baby significantly impacts its movements. If the baby is facing outwards, towards the belly, the rolls and kicks can easily be observed and felt. But if the baby is facing inwards, hand and leg movements won't be much visible.
Placenta's location
The location of the placenta plays a significant role in the feeling to surface to the outside of the belly or not. Suppose you have an anterior placenta during your pregnancy.
In that case, it means the placenta is in front of the uterus, creating a barrier between the baby and the belly's interior wall. This will subside the baby's movement and make feeling it from the outside difficult.
FAQs:
Q: Can my partner feel the baby at 16 weeks?
A: 16 weeks is too early for the movements to become noticeable and from the outside, so at this stage, only you can experience very subtle movements, and your partner will have to wait for a little longer to experience this.
Q: When is the best time to observe and feel baby movements?
A: Babies are the most active during the night or when you have had a meal. So the best time to make your partner, husband, or any friend or relative feel the baby's movement is at this time. Softly place their hand on your belly and let them feel the baby. Gliding their hand with the baby, they can feel the baby move. A slight pressure can also be applied to feel the baby.
Q: Should you let everyone feel the baby's movement?
A: Many people enjoy experiencing the baby's movements, but many will not just feel right to do so. The pregnant woman may also be uncomfortable sharing these precious moments with everyone. So it varies from person to person.
Final Thoughts:
Experiencing your baby move is a joyous and precious moment. Every mother wants to share this unique moment with her partner. But for the partner to enjoy this moment, he needs the pregnancy to move further ahead. The husband or partner can feel the baby's movement as early as 20 weeks, at the end of the second trimester.
