INFOGRAPHICPREGNANCY

What Is Quickening?

By Twill Care Editors
Reviewed by Alyssa Quimby, M.D.
December 19, 2023
quickening noun The first time you feel your baby move.

Quickening is the name for the first time you feel your baby move inside your belly.

We’ve heard quickening described as feeling like gas bubbles, butterfly wings, or even the flutter of eyelashes. It’s common to feel quickening around 18 to 20 weeks of pregnancy, but every pregnancy can be a bit different. Timing can partially depend on the location of your placenta.

Those first feelings of movement tend to be gentle. But you can expect the kicks, rolls, and jabs to get stronger as your pregnancy goes on.

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