The Playbook

16 Weeks Pregnant: Waiting for the First Flutters

By the Guide to Fatherhood editorial team. Last reviewed . 2 min read.

Checked against guidance from organizations like the AAP, CDC, ACOG and NHS (linked below). This is general information, not medical advice. Read our medical disclaimer.

Trimester2
Sizean avocado
Length / weightabout 4.6 in (11.6 cm), about 3.5 oz (100 g)

The baby's movements are getting more coordinated, the heart pumps around 25 quarts of blood a day, and the eyes can make slow movements.

Your to-do list this week

  • Plan where the baby will sleep for the first six months. The AAP recommends room-sharing without bed-sharing, so measure for a bassinet or play yard in your bedroom.
  • Get her a pregnancy pillow or extra pillows. Back and side sleeping gets uncomfortable soon.
  • Start a nursery or baby corner list, but keep it simple. See the gear checklist.
  • Ask her to tell you the moment she feels a flutter. Then don't be offended that you can't feel it yet.
A conversation to have this week

"Where will the baby sleep, and where will we sleep?" Decide where the bassinet goes and how night feeds will work in your room.

The baby this week

About the size of an avocado, the baby is making more coordinated movements, and the eyes can move slowly behind closed lids. According to Mayo Clinic, the baby’s heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood a day. The NHS notes the baby’s movements are getting stronger, even if she can’t feel them yet.

How she may be feeling

Some people start to feel the first flutters this week, often described as bubbles, a goldfish swimming, or a muscle twitch. If she’s a first-time mom, it’s more common closer to 20 weeks. Either way, it’s normal not to feel anything yet.

She may also notice a growing appetite, backaches, and the beginning of the “pregnancy glow” (more blood flow) or acne (more hormones). It’s a lottery.

Plan the sleep space now

This is a good week to settle where the baby will sleep, because it shapes what you buy and how your bedroom works. The AAP recommends:

  • Room-sharing without bed-sharing, ideally for at least the first six months. The baby sleeps in your room, on their own surface.
  • A firm, flat sleep surface in a crib, bassinet or play yard that meets current safety standards.
  • Nothing else in the sleep space: no pillows, bumpers, blankets or toys.

Measure your bedroom. Decide which side the bassinet goes on (usually the side of whoever’s recovering, so she doesn’t have to get up as much in the early weeks). Plan where the night-feed chair or the diaper station goes.

Her sleep, too

Sleeping on her back gets uncomfortable as the uterus grows, and many providers suggest side sleeping in later pregnancy. A long body pillow or a couple of extra pillows (between knees, behind back) can make a big difference. Buying one is a small, very appreciated move.

Frequently asked questions

When will she feel the baby move?

Usually between about 16 and 22 weeks. People who've been pregnant before often notice movement earlier. Early movements feel like flutters or bubbles; they get stronger and more obvious over the following weeks.

When will I be able to feel the baby kick?

Partners can often feel kicks from the outside a few weeks after she first notices movement, commonly somewhere around 20 to 24 weeks.

Sources

  1. Fetal development: The 2nd trimester, Mayo Clinic
  2. A Parent's Guide to Safe Sleep, American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)
  3. Week 16: Your baby and your body, NHS

We link to the original source for every medical and safety claim. Guidance changes; if a source has been updated since our last review, the source wins. How we research.