Why You Feel Baby Movements Near Your Ribs

Feeling your baby moving near your ribs is usually a normal part of pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester. As your uterus grows upward and your baby becomes larger and stronger, kicks, stretches and rolls can be felt high in your abdomen, close to or underneath your ribs.

Where you feel movement often relates to your baby's position. If your baby is head-down, their feet and knees may be near your upper abdomen, making kicks around the ribs common. If your baby is bottom-down or lying sideways, you may notice pressure or movement in different places. Movement location alone cannot reliably confirm your baby's position.

Why movements can feel so high

Your uterus begins deep within your pelvis but expands upward as pregnancy progresses. By later pregnancy, it reaches close to your rib cage. Your baby can therefore touch, push or kick areas that may once have seemed surprisingly high.

Common reasons for feeling movement near your ribs include:

• Your baby's feet are high: A head-down baby may kick upward toward one or both sides of your rib cage.
• Your baby is stretching: Straightening their legs or arching their back can create a firm pushing sensation beneath the ribs.
• Your baby is rolling: A turn or whole-body movement may feel like a sweeping sensation across the upper abdomen.
• There is less room: As your baby grows, movements may feel more like wriggles, pushes and stretches than sharp kicks, but they should continue to follow their usual pattern.
• Your posture changes what you notice: Sitting, reclining or bending forward can bring your abdomen closer to your ribs, making movements feel more prominent.

What do movements near the ribs feel like?

Parents describe these movements in many ways. You might feel tapping, fluttering, jabbing, rolling or sustained pressure. A foot pushing outward can create a firm lump that changes or disappears as your baby moves. Hiccups are usually more rhythmic and repetitive than kicks.

Movements can occasionally feel uncomfortable or briefly painful, especially when a foot presses under a rib. Your abdominal wall and ribs are also under increasing strain as your uterus expands. Even so, severe, persistent or worsening pain should not automatically be attributed to the baby.

Does movement location reveal the baby's position?

It may offer clues, but it cannot provide a definite answer. Strong kicks high under the ribs may occur when your baby is head-down, while kicks lower in the abdomen can occur with a bottom-down baby. A baby lying across the uterus may produce movement on both sides.

You may also feel smoother, broader pressure from your baby's back or bottom and smaller, sharper movements from hands, elbows, knees and feet. However, babies change position, and sensations vary depending on the placenta's location, your baby's size and your own body.

Your midwife or doctor can assess your baby's position by feeling your abdomen. If confirmation is clinically important, they may recommend an ultrasound. Speak with your maternity team rather than relying only on where you feel kicks.

Can the placenta affect where movements are felt?

Yes. An anterior placenta sits at the front of the uterus and can cushion some movements at the front of your abdomen. You may notice movement more strongly at the sides, low down or near the ribs. A placenta in another location can create a different pattern.

The placenta's position does not mean you should expect reduced movement overall once you know your baby's usual pattern. If movements become weaker, less frequent or otherwise different from normal for your baby, contact your maternity unit promptly.

How to ease uncomfortable rib kicks

If movements near your ribs are uncomfortable, gentle changes may create more space or encourage your baby to shift. You can try:

• Changing position, such as standing if you have been sitting
• Sitting upright rather than slumping forward
• Gently stretching your arms upward or leaning slightly away from the uncomfortable side
• Lying on your side with pillows supporting your abdomen and back
• Wearing a well-fitting, non-restrictive bra and loose clothing
• Using gentle warmth on your back or side, avoiding high heat directly over your abdomen

Respond gently to your body and stop if a movement or position causes pain, dizziness or breathlessness. Do not press firmly on your abdomen in an attempt to move your baby.

Understanding your baby's usual movement pattern

Every baby has an individual pattern of activity and rest. Your baby may be more noticeable at certain times, including when you become still and have fewer distractions. The important point is to become familiar with what is usual for your baby rather than comparing movement with someone else's pregnancy.

Babies should continue moving throughout late pregnancy and during labour. Movements may feel different as space becomes tighter, but they should not simply stop or become markedly less frequent because your due date is approaching.

Follow the movement advice given by your own maternity service, as recommendations can vary by location and individual circumstances. Do not use a home Doppler, phone app or handheld monitor to decide whether your baby is well. Hearing a heartbeat does not rule out a problem.

For more practical guidance, visit our pregnancy hub and read our information about understanding baby movements.

When to seek help

Contact your midwife, maternal health nurse, GP or maternity assessment unit immediately if your baby is moving less than usual, movements feel weaker, the pattern has changed, or you cannot feel movement. Do not wait until the next day or your next appointment, even if you have already been checked before. Your maternity team would rather assess you promptly.

Seek urgent medical assessment if discomfort near your ribs is severe, persistent or worsening, especially if it is on the right side. Also seek help if it occurs with:

• Severe headache, blurred vision, flashing lights or sudden swelling
• Vaginal bleeding or fluid leaking from the vagina
• Regular painful contractions before 37 weeks
• Fever, repeated vomiting or feeling seriously unwell
• Chest pain, fainting or significant difficulty breathing
• Severe abdominal pain, tenderness or pain after a fall or injury

Call emergency services for severe breathing difficulty, chest pain, collapse, heavy bleeding or intense continuous abdominal pain. If you are uncertain, contact your maternity team for advice rather than trying to identify the cause at home.

The reassuring picture

In most cases, movement near the ribs means your growing baby has feet, knees, elbows or their bottom in the upper part of your uterus. The sensations may be surprising or uncomfortable, but they are often a normal sign of an active baby.

Notice the pattern that is usual for your baby, use gentle position changes for comfort and mention ongoing rib discomfort at your next appointment. Most importantly, trust your awareness of your baby's movements. A clear change deserves prompt assessment, regardless of where in your abdomen you usually feel activity.