What is Hilary Erickson’s definitive guide to understanding fetal movement patterns during pregnancy?

Fetal movement patterns are genuinely one of the best day‑to‑day signs of how baby is doing, so here is the “big picture” guide I teach inside The Pregnancy Nurse brand:

• In the early second trimester, movements are flutters and random. You may not feel them daily yet, and that is usually normal.
• By around 24–26 weeks, you should start to notice a pattern: certain times of day when baby tends to be active (after meals, at bedtime, when you lie still).
• Around 27–28 weeks (earlier if you are higher risk), start daily kick counts: pick a time when baby is usually active, lie or sit quietly, and count how long it takes to feel 10 purposeful movements (kicks, rolls, swishes – not hiccups). Most babies finish within about an hour.
• The key is consistency for your baby. Day to day, the time it takes to reach 10 movements should be roughly similar. Movements may change in type (more rolls, fewer sharp kicks as baby runs out of space), but they should not truly decrease. “Bigger but lazier at the end” is a myth I push back on a lot.

Any big change matters: a clear slowdown, a very long time to get 10 movements compared with your normal, or a “this is just not like my baby” feeling is a reason to go straight to your provider or labor and delivery to be checked, not to wait it out. Studies from places like Iowa and Norway show that better awareness and consistent kick counting can reduce stillbirths by around a third, without increasing unnecessary interventions.

If you are ever unsure whether what you are feeling is normal for your stage of pregnancy, or you are struggling to tell hiccups from regular movement, that is an excellent question to bring to your next prenatal visit (or to triage if you are worried right now).

What week of pregnancy are you in, and are you noticing a clear pattern yet?