Natural Birth and Baby Care.com

Have Not Felt Any Movement Yet!

Is there anything I can do to make my unborn baby move?

Answer:

There's a big chance your baby is moving a lot - you just can't feel him or her yet :)

Since you didn't mention how far along you are, it's a little hard to answer your question.

If you're early in your pregnancy, it's normal not to feel your baby. Most mothers start to feel their baby's move around the halfway mark of pregnancy. Before then, babies are very active but they're so small and their bodies are so light that you don't feel their movements.

If you're getting later in your pregnancy - say you're nearing the end of the second trimester or you're in the third trimester, you should check with your doctor or midwife. Most women have felt their babies move by that point. Even if you haven't, your baby may be OK. Your own body makeup has some influence on when you can feel your child.

If you've been feeling a baby move and suddenly movement stops, you should eat something and change what you're doing (so if you were moving around, lie still). If baby still doesn't move, call your doctor or midwife.

Remember, any time you're concerned you can call your doctor or midwife - but most of the time things are OK. It's normal to start feeling your baby around the middle of your pregnancy. There's not much you can do to encourage the feeling before that - your baby just needs to get bigger and heavier. Soon your little kicker will be keeping you up at night ;)