Hi victoriaw, I don't think there is a set time for feeling the baby move, When you read the parenting magazines, they often say around 18 weeks. Some do feel it then, some don't. Often you cant tell if its the baby moving or wind!
If you are concerned, have a talk with your midwife. To put your mind at rest.
with a first baby it acan be between 16 and 22 weeks I think.
Have you had a 12 week scan? was anything said about the placenta at all? sometimes if the placenta is on the front wall of uterus then this softens any movement or kicking by baby so its near impossible to feel anything early on.
Early kicks are so faint. I could only feel them from abou 18 weeks and then only when in bath. It was so gentle that it felt like a tiny drop of water hitting my stomach and i couldnt see any movement.
If its your first it will be later, partly cos you may have felt bubs and not realised.
I felt my first at 21 weeks, my second at 20 weeks and my third at 11 weeks!
The first thing you will actually feel will be little flutters.......like you have butterflies.......you wont feel much more than this til later on when the baby is bigger.
I had felt these little flutters but had no idea it was baby until the midwife asked if I had felt any!
1st 2 at 10 weeks believe it or not. this one at 14 weeks every couple of days until 18 weeks then regular thumping around. Now it's a cross between a gymnast and a disco dancer!
I am nearly 19 weeks to and I have only just started to feel the baby. As others have said it is very faint and needs tuning in to. The way I found mine was spending a very relaxed day lying on bed and not moving ( I did read the whole harry potter book) I find I can only feel Eggbert if I am lying flat on my back with no distractions. Give it a go for a few hours this weekend ( I am assuming this is your first, otherwise you haven't a hope in hell of lying down for a few hours) and see if you feel something maybe like a little bubble popping in your lower abdomen.
Remember as well the baby might still be much lower down than you think. i have a bump in my middle but the midwife heard the heart beat right down by my pubic bone.
Which ever way, you have another couple of weeks to feel it move as I have also heard it can be up to 22 weeks, and I am sure once it starts kicking you will be looking for some respite.
Oooh on anther note, I had a dream last night that a little hand pushed through my stomach wall and squeezed my fingers. Scared the beejesus out of me as for about half an hour in the morning I was not convinced it was dream!
spanner is it really possible to feel it that early?
The reason I ask is because I said to my boyfriend the other night I had had a couple of flutters that day and the previous day........both in exactly the same area. I said they feel like the first movements but cant be as I am only 9 weeks gone!
Psychick I know no-one would believe you could feel anything that soon but I definately did and it was every couple of days. I was a lot thinner though so dont know if that make much difference. Like I said though I didnt feel anything until 14 weeks with this one, now it wont stop.