What does quickening feel like?
Andrew Patterson
Published Apr 18, 2026
Quickening is when a pregnant person starts to feel their baby's movement in their uterus (womb). It feels like flutters, bubbles or tiny pulses. Quickening happens around 16 to 20 weeks in pregnancy, but some people may feel it sooner or later.
How do you tell if you are feeling the quickening movements of your baby?
The first sensations you feel may be a fluttering (like 'butterflies in your tummy'), swishing, rolling or tumbling sensation or a tiny kick. These early sensations are often called 'quickening'.Where in your belly do you feel quickening?
You'll feel your baby kick differently as your pregnancy progresses, with fluttery movements below the belly button earlier in pregnancy and stronger movement that can range from up in your ribs to down in your pelvic region later in pregnancy.What do the first baby flutters feel like?
Fluttering, butterflies, or bubblesSometime between 18 and 22 weeks of pregnancy, you will start to feel your baby move. At first, these small movements feel like fluttering or "butterflies." Some women say that they feel like gas bubbles. These first flutters are sometimes called "quickening."