I was FINALLY pregnant with my son after going through tough infertility treatments! I was ecstatic and scared at the same time. Knowing that anything could go wrong any time, I was always holding my breath. Although I am not very religious, I found myself saying out quite prayers all the time and hoping that the baby will do alright. I was so paranoid that even my Ob-Gyn was probably getting sick of all the questions I had, and she kept reassuring me that once I felt the baby move, I will feel much relaxed as it will tell me that the baby is doing fine!
So now I was anxiously waiting for the time to come when I would feel the baby move, and trust me it was no easy wait! Different websites and books told me different time frames when you begin to feel the baby’s movement, known as “quickening”. Some say around the 16th week, others state that not until the 25th week. But all pregnancies are different and every mother feels it at a different time.
So finally in the middle of the 17th week, I am lying on the couch watching TV when I feel as if there are tiny butterflies, fluttering around in my belly. At first, I think maybe it’s just one of the hunger pangs I keep feeling, but then I realize that it is actually the little one moving around! The joy I felt at that moment was beyond anything I had thought of. I was so excited that I called my husband at work to tell him that I had finally felt the little munchkin move.
So if you are a first time mom you might not feel the baby move until 16th, 17th week or maybe even the 24th week, but for second or third time moms, it is easier to pick up on the cue and they can feel the baby’s movement as early as the 13th week.