Track fetal movement once it's established
Once you regularly feel your baby move, a change in normal movement patterns is worth contacting your provider about. Trust your instincts — if something feels different, call.
How your baby is developing
Your baby is now about 25 cm (crown to heel) and weighs around 300 grams. The body is covered in a protective coating called vernix caseosa, and fine hair called lanugo covers the skin.
Your baby is swallowing amniotic fluid and the digestive system is practicing. Taste buds are forming, and the baby can hear sounds from outside the womb. Sleep and wake cycles are beginning to develop.
- Hearing is developed — baby can hear your voice
- Movements becoming more coordinated
- Vernix covering the skin for protection
- Sleep and wake cycles forming
The anatomy scan
The anatomy scan (also called the 20-week scan or mid-pregnancy scan) checks your baby's growth and development in detail. Sonographers look at the brain, heart, spine, limbs, kidneys, and other organs, and confirm the position of the placenta.
If you want to find out the sex of your baby, this scan is typically when that's possible — but tell your sonographer in advance if you'd prefer not to know.
Feeling your baby move
Many people feel fetal movement for the first time between weeks 16 and 25. First-time parents often feel it later than those who have been pregnant before. It can feel like bubbles, flutters, or gentle tapping at first.
Once you start feeling regular movement, it becomes an important sign of your baby's wellbeing. Ask your provider when they'd like you to start paying attention to movement patterns.
Tips for this stage
Your baby can hear you
From around week 18, your baby's hearing develops enough to pick up sounds from outside the womb. Talking, reading aloud, or playing calm music near your belly is something many parents enjoy from this point.
Sleeping position
From around 20 weeks, sleeping on your side is generally recommended rather than on your back for extended periods. Left side is often suggested. A pregnancy pillow can make this more comfortable.