Why babies start practising their first steps inside womb

Those rhythmic rolls and sudden jabs felt during pregnancy are far more than random flutters. According to Dr Karan Rajan, a prominent UK-based surgeon, these movements are actually a baby's first dedicated workout routine.

Each kick helps strengthen developing muscles and builds "proprioception"—the essential ability to understand where one's body is in space.

“If you've ever felt your baby kick for the first time and thought, ‘Oh, there's actually someone in there’, that moment hits different,” Dr Rajan shared.

By the third trimester, a baby might move 200 times daily, practising everything from grasping to breathing. Perhaps most remarkably, from around 22 weeks, babies begin making coordinated stepping motions.

Dr Rajan explains, “From 22 weeks, babies make stepping motions in the womb, literally rehearsing how they're going to walk before they're born.”

These cyclical actions build the exact neuromuscular pathways required for those future first steps on solid ground.

The womb is also a sensory classroom; by 23 weeks, babies startle at loud noises and turn toward their mother's voice.

While some babies are gentle and others are "training for the Olympics," the surgeon stresses that the pattern of movement is what truly matters for safety.

“Keeping a rough baseline of their movement patterns can help to catch problems early,” he advised. A sudden, noticeable quietness could indicate fetal distress or cord issues.

Understanding this "martial arts session" at 2am as a vital developmental simulation helps parents appreciate the incredible work happening long before the nursery is occupied.