When you are pregnant, feeling the baby kick for the first time is exciting and is a big deal. Sometimes it is really difficult to tell if the baby is kicking early on or if you are feeling other bodily functions. Here are 2 tips to help you know if you feel the baby or if it is something else.

Bloating and Gas

One thing that will occur during pregnancy is bloating and gas. Sometimes you may not be bloated when you have gas, but you may still have air bubbles moving around your intestines. The problem with this is that the air bubbles may be near your uterus, which can cause you to wonder if you are feeling the baby kick.

Most women feel the baby kick anywhere from 16 weeks on, but first time moms sometimes have a difficult time telling the difference. If you think you have felt the baby kick but are not sure, consider if you are having any gas at the moment.

Put your hand on your body where the movement is occurring, and you should be able to tell if there is a little tap or an air bubble sliding around.

Position of the Movement

Secondly, the position of the movement will tell you a lot too. Early on in pregnancy, your uterus is very low and will not rise above your belly during the first trimester. Once the baby starts to grow and get bigger, the baby will rise above your belly button.

As a good rule, if you feel movement at your naval or above it during the beginning of your second trimester, then this is probably not the baby. You should feel the baby a few inches or lower below your naval because the uterus is still in a low position. If the movement is higher, your organs are working and causing you to feel things that are not the baby's movement.

As a first time mom, you may not realize this because you have never felt the sensation before, so be aware of where the movement occurs.

The movement will be much easier to detect when the baby starts to double in size and has stronger muscles. Until you are toward the middle of your second trimester, do not expect any strong movements.

With the help of these 2 tips, you should be able to recognize and detect your baby's first few movements in life. Be patient, because once you start feeling the movement, it will only get more consistent until the end of pregnancy. Talk to your local women's clinic such as Women's Clinic of Johnson County, for more information.