Question

A pregnant client asks the nurse in the clinic when she will be able to begin to feel the fetus move. The nurse responds by telling the mother that fetal movements will be noted between which weeks of gestation?

1. 6 and 8
2. 8 and 10
3. 10 and 12
4. 14 and 18

Answer 1

Fetal movements, or quickening, are typically felt between 14 and 18 weeks of gestation, during the second trimester. The movements become more noticeable as the fetus grows and the mother may begin to feel them around the 16-20 week mark.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a pregnant client asks the nurse when she will be able to begin to feel the fetus move, the most accurate response is that fetal movements, commonly known as quickening, will be noted between 14 and 18 weeks of gestation. This period is during the second trimester when the fetus grows to about 30 cm (12 inches) in length, becomes active, and has more powerful limb movements. The pregnant person can feel these movements as the structures and organs of the fetus continue to develop and the placenta has taken over critical functions from the corpus luteum.

Fetal movements may be felt earlier in some cases but they are more commonly noticed during the 16-20 week period. The developing fetus is quite active during this time, and with increased muscle development and bone ossification, movements become more notable to the mother.