Measuring fundal height
Listening to your baby
Your pregnancy records
Having your pregnant belly felt by your caregiver is a routine procedure that is part of every antenatal visit after about 12 weeks of pregnancy. The medical term for this is palpating, often referred to by caregivers as an abdominal palpation. The aim of regularly feeling your belly is to monitor the changing size of your uterus and the growth and position of your baby as the pregnancy progresses. The action of palpating does not hurt your baby because they are surrounded by a cushion of amniotic fluid.
NOTE: You should not need to undress to have your belly palpated but it may be helpful to wear clothes that allow your caregiver to access your belly readily, as this procedure is not usually done through clothing.
What your caregiver looks for each time they palpate your belly varies depending on how many weeks pregnant you are. The following is a guide to the information they try to obtain through an abdominal palpation during the different stages of pregnancy.
From conception to 12 weeks of pregnancy the uterus is contained within the bones of the pelvis and cannot be felt through the belly. After about 12 weeks, the uterus is large enough to be felt above the pelvis by your caregiver (and you), usually just being able to touch the very top of the uterus or fundus.
Some women having second+ babies find their uterus is a little more bulky from previous pregnancies, making it being able to be felt earlier, possibly after about 10 or 11 weeks. This is also the case if you are having twins or more. If you feel you are 12 weeks pregnant or more and your uterus cannot be felt by your caregiver, it may be that you are not as far pregnant as you first calculated, or perhaps it is a physical sign of a
missed miscarriage.
From 12 to 20 weeks of pregnancy your caregiver feels your belly as part of every routine pregnancy visit.