Week 25 of Pregnancy: A Cauliflower, and the Week My Husband First Tried to Feel It
Key takeaways
- By week 25, the baby is about 34.6cm long, roughly the size of a cauliflower.
- A loud noise can already make the baby jump or kick — startling, but not harmful.
- It's genuinely common for a partner to try feeling movement from outside and not succeed for a while yet.
- Timing for a partner to feel movement varies a lot, sometimes not lining up with when you can feel it clearly yourself.
- There's no need to worry if this doesn't happen on any particular schedule — it's not a sign of anything.
Week 24 brought the gestational diabetes diagnosis and a viability milestone. Week 25 was quieter by comparison, but it did bring the start of something small and a little funny in hindsight.
What’s actually happening in your body
The baby is now around 34.6cm long, roughly the size of a cauliflower. A loud noise can already startle the baby into jumping or kicking — surprising, but not harmful, according to NHS guidance on week 25 of pregnancy.
What I actually felt
My husband tried to feel the baby move by resting his hand on my belly this week, but it didn’t actually work for him — it took quite a bit longer than either of us expected, closer to week 30, before he could reliably feel anything from the outside. At the time, it was a little disappointing for him, since I’d already been feeling movement clearly for weeks.
If your partner is trying and not succeeding yet, that’s genuinely normal. Movement needs to become forceful enough to be felt through the abdominal wall, and that timing doesn’t always line up neatly with when you yourself can feel it — sometimes it takes several more weeks.
Nutrition focus this week
No changes from earlier weeks beyond whatever guidance you’ve been given if you’ve had a gestational diabetes diagnosis. Otherwise, keep up with your prenatal vitamin and the general guidance in our foods and drinks to limit or avoid during pregnancy.
What to discuss with your doctor or midwife
Nothing specific is required this week. If you’ve had a recent gestational diabetes diagnosis, this is a good time to confirm your monitoring routine feels manageable, and to raise anything that’s unclear about it.
Frequently asked questions
Why can’t my partner feel the baby move yet, even though I can?
Movement needs to be strong enough to be felt through the abdominal wall from the outside, which often takes longer than when you first feel it internally. It can vary by several weeks from person to person.
Is it a bad sign if a partner still can’t feel anything by week 25?
Not at all. Timing varies significantly, and it’s common for this to happen later than expected — for us, it wasn’t until around week 30.
Can loud noises really startle the baby this early?
Yes — a sudden loud noise can cause a noticeable jump or kick at this stage, which can be surprising for you but isn’t harmful to the baby.
What size is the baby at week 25?
About 34.6cm long, roughly the size of a cauliflower.
References
- NHS — Your Pregnancy and Baby Guide, Week 25. nhs.uk
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