Around week 16 some people feel the very first movements: a flutter, a bubble, a tap. Plenty don't feel anything for a few weeks yet.
Your baby this week
- Stronger
- The muscles of the back and neck are stronger, so your baby holds their head up more.
- Eyes
- The eyes can make small movements behind the closed lids.
- Growing fast
- Your baby is roughly doubling in weight over the next few weeks.
What you might notice
- First flutters, more likely now if you've been pregnant before.
- Backache, as your posture shifts. Sleeping on your side with a pillow can help.
- Feeling more like yourself, with more energy than in the first trimester.
- Breathlessness on stairs, from your body's increased blood volume.
Call your midwife, doctor or maternity unit today if
- You have bleeding, or fluid leaking from your vagina
- You have tummy pain that doesn't go away, or regular tightenings
- You're being sick so often you can't keep fluids down
- You have a fever, or it burns or stings when you pee
Any time of day or night. You will never be a nuisance for calling.
Coming up
A routine checkup. Often blood pressure, urine and earlier results. What happens at each visit.
Your anatomy scan.
Questions to bring to your next appointment
- Are my blood pressure and urine results where you'd expect?
- When should I expect to feel movement if I haven't yet?
- Is there anything I should plan for before my anatomy scan?
For your partner
Once movements are stronger you'll be able to feel them too. For now, ask to be told when they happen. It's a nice thing to share.
NUGA follows you week by week
Enter your due date once and NUGA knows you're at week 16. The day before each appointment, it gathers what you've noted and the questions to bring.
Download on theApp StoreAvailable nowSources
This page draws on public guidance from:
General information, not medical advice. Every pregnancy is different, and your midwife or doctor knows yours. Last updated October 2026.