The first fetal movements can be heard at 18-20 weeks, but in multiparous women this moment occurs earlier. The movements largely depend on the mother's daily routine. Their number and intensity increase after eating food and during rest.
If the child doesn’t move much, then you need to lie down and rest and listen to him.
Movements may increase at night when the woman is sleeping. Excessively sudden and frequent movements, as well as a decrease in motor activity, indicate oxygen starvation of the fetus.
To understand that everything is fine with the child, you need to count the number of movements from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
To calculate, you need to take into account strong and weak tremors. Normally there should be more than 12 of them. The baby is constantly moving in the womb, only the woman may not feel weak movements. It may subside for 2-3 hours. At this time, the baby rests and gains strength.
A pregnant woman feels the greatest amount of movement during the period from the 28th to the 36th week.
Why does the baby begin to move less in the stomach?
If the number of movements is below 10 episodes per day, then you should consult a doctor. With oxygen starvation, the baby stops moving. In this case, a woman may not feel movements for more than 12 hours in a row. If no action is taken, the fetus will die.
The child does not move much for the following reasons:
- A pregnant woman is in a room where there is a lot of noise. The child becomes frightened by loud noises and becomes quiet.
- The baby sleeps a lot in his stomach.
- The woman leads an active lifestyle and plays sports. The mother's movements have a soothing effect on the fetus.
- The baby will be born soon. 2-3 weeks before birth, the baby calms down. The movements are noticeable, but they are not so active. It is difficult for the child to make turns and sudden movements, since in the last stages it reaches an impressive size and occupies the entire uterine cavity. It may seem to the mother that the fetus has frozen, but if you listen, you can hear movements.
Regardless of the intensity of movements, there should be at least 12 episodes per day.
Every expectant mother eagerly awaits the moment when she can feel the baby move. This is not surprising: after all, internal impulses contribute to the perception of the child as a full-fledged person, and not just pictures on the screen.
But tracking movements is important not only for your own joy, but also for drawing conclusions regarding the progress of pregnancy. For example, it is known that mothers expecting their first child give birth 20 weeks after the initial push. And those women who already have children can expect a new addition to the family in 22-23 weeks.
At what time do the first tremors appear?
It's hard to believe, but in fact, the baby begins to move in the stomach much earlier than you can feel it. It’s just that at first he is so small that the flapping of his arms and legs cannot be felt.
Mothers who are expecting their first child, most often feel tremors for the first time at 20-23 weeks. By this moment, the baby inside has already gained enough weight, becomes stronger, and he finally manages to “reach out” to his mother.
Women expecting a second or the third child, are more observant and sensitive to his movements, so they manage to track the kicks much earlier - around the 16th week.
There is another reason why a woman may feel movements prematurely - expecting twins. In this case, tremors occur at 15-16 weeks and are intense and widespread. It’s easy to confirm your guess using an ultrasound.
The duration of movement may also depend on the type of figure: thin mothers will feel movements inside earlier than women with more curvy figures.
Dynamics of child activity at different stages
Doctors note that the baby is most active at 6-7 months of pregnancy, then its movements become more orderly.
Before this, the kicks are felt weaker due to insufficient muscle strength of the child. They are more reminiscent of light touches, tickling or even rumbling in the stomach.
In the last month, the baby becomes so big that he cannot move freely in the uterus and do whatever he likes.
The period of activity is the most difficult for mom. If early tremors are perceived with emotion, then at this stage they can seriously interfere with a woman’s rest and sleep.
What affects a child's activity?
Active pregnant women are less bothered by kicks
The nature of the tremors and the “schedule” are purely individual for everyone.
The intensity of movements is also influenced by the baby’s temperament. As well as the amount of amniotic fluid, characteristics of the woman’s body, fetal presentation and much more.
But the mother herself can largely influence the baby’s activity. For example, women who lead an active life during pregnancy and do gymnastics are less concerned about tremors. The child is lulled by uniform movements, and he calms down.
But when the mother is motionless, the baby obviously tries to remind him of his existence and begins to push again. Therefore, you should be prepared for unplanned awakenings at night: the baby will not let you relax.
The child is trying to contact his mother, he feels her mood and responds to it.
A nervous state during pregnancy also affects the movements of the fetus. The more experiences you experience, the more active the tremors. This is why it is so important to avoid worries and worries during this period - all this is reflected in your baby.
In addition, the mother’s consumption of a number of foods, including sweets, affects the increase in activity. Whether this is connected with children’s innate love for sweets, with receiving an influx of energy, or with an attempt to protect the mother from excess calories is unknown - but the fact is a fact.
Why is it necessary to monitor your child's movements?
If the tremors are felt in the upper part of the abdomen, it lies head down; if in the lower part, the baby is in a breech position.
Of course, the movement of a child is a very individual process, and yet it has its own norms and deviations. Don't worry if the baby doesn't make itself known for several hours - he may simply be sleeping.
But if the immobility drags on, this is a reason to be wary. You need to try to motivate the baby through physical exercise and eating sweets.
If this does not help, you will definitely need to consult a gynecologist.
When should you see a doctor?
Minor movements should normally be regular; as a rule, the baby is “at the peak of activity” up to ten times a day.
If the movements are sluggish
If the movements are sluggish, or you have stopped feeling them altogether, this is a reason to consult a doctor.
This condition may be associated with serious diseases that need to be diagnosed urgently. Doctors prescribe ultrasound and CTG to identify the cause.
Most often it is hypoxia, which, in turn, is caused by various complications and diseases in both the mother and the fetus. Among them cardiovascular diseases, anemia, diabetes, abnormal position of the fetus in the uterus and more. With oxygen starvation, excessive activity is most often replaced by lethargy of tremors. If the diagnosis is confirmed, pregnancy should proceed under close medical supervision.
If the movements are intense
The same applies to too intense movements of the fetus, which cause pain and discomfort to the mother. Excessive mobility is not good for the child: he can get wrapped in the umbilical cord and harm himself.
It is normal to experience discomfort with kicks in later pregnancy. You can try to calm your naughty boy by lulling him to sleep.
But if the movements are violent, do not subside and cause severe pain, you should definitely consult a doctor.
Remember that through pushing your baby conveys information to you, this is the only way he can tell you that he is not feeling well and is missing something.
Yes, complications do happen, but don’t panic too much after every baby’s movement. Worrying will only increase his anxiety. It is better to monitor his “messages” and keep a pregnancy diary with joy and peace. Think how interesting it will be, many years later, for both you and the already matured inhabitant of your tummy to remember this first experience of communication.
For future parents, the first movements of the fetus in the womb are of great importance. They are first detected in the middle of pregnancy.
During the first pregnancy, the baby’s movements begin to be felt later than in the second and subsequent times. Sometimes women who have not yet given birth confuse this phenomenon with muscle spasms, gas formation, etc. Why does this happen? The abdominal wall stretches and becomes more sensitive.
When does a woman begin to feel fetal movements?
Most expectant mothers are interested in when the baby will start pushing. Most often, the first movements are noticed in the middle of the 4th - early 5th month. It is impossible to name an exact date, because it is individual. Sometimes the child begins to move earlier, sometimes a little later. Within the specified two weeks, the onset of movements is considered normal.
Evolution of sensations in the stomach of an expectant mother
As pregnancy progresses and the fetus develops, the nature and frequency of movements change accordingly. This must be monitored in order to consult a doctor in time if alarming signs are detected. It is necessary to inform the specialist when the baby began to move and how actively he does it.
The child does not just move chaotically all day, he performs various actions. During an ultrasound examination, they notice how the fetus swallows liquid, rotates its head, twists its arms, touches the umbilical cord, etc. If the child turns over, a change in the shape of the abdomen is observed.
The baby begins to rotate by the 8th month, choosing a constant position. Most often this is a head down position. The tremors are so obvious that the woman understands when the child is sleeping or awake, what position is comfortable for him, etc.
Closer to childbirth, the tremors are felt more on the right side if the baby is positioned upside down. They often cause discomfort, and to avoid it, you can lean forward or lie on your side. Also, in later stages, the head or buttocks are fixed at the entrance to the pelvis, the fetus moves less, because it is cramped. However, some babies begin to push harder.
How does the baby move just before birth?
In most cases, movements become less intense. This is due to two factors:
- The fruit is already large, but continues to develop. The uterus can stretch, but it is not dimensionless. Closer to childbirth, the fetus has little space, so it is constrained in its movements. Also, at the end of the gestation period, the uterus descends in such a way that the baby is fixed between the pelvic bones, which further limits it.
- Before birth, the fetus takes on a vertical position when it was previously in a horizontal position - it is upside down in the stomach. Most of the shocks occur in the upper part of the uterus, which is least sensitive.
The fetus retains constant motor activity, but the pregnant woman experiences completely different sensations in the second and third trimesters. In the second, the stomach “shakes” and you can see the baby’s foot or hand through the skin. Closer to childbirth, this can no longer be noticed.
Why might a child move little or stop doing so?
It is not always bad when the baby begins to move less or does not show physical activity at all. This may be due to physiological reasons. In other cases, it is worth thinking about the abnormal course of pregnancy. One way or another, when the fetus stops pushing, you need to consult a doctor for advice.
Physiological reasons
If the child calms down for a minute, do not immediately run to the hospital. Lack of movement for several hours is normal. Most likely, the baby is sleeping. This phenomenon is also explained by other factors: a change in the position of the fetus and restriction of its movements before birth.
If movements are not felt for more than 3 hours, you should try to rouse the baby - for example, eat sweets or drink sweet tea, lie on your left side for about an hour, take a walk, walk up the stairs. The child must respond to such actions.
As a rule, towards the end of pregnancy, a woman recognizes the baby’s sleep and wakefulness cycles, knows all his habits and preferences, so she is not particularly worried when he calms down. Excessive concern for movements in the abdomen, as well as an absolute lack of attention to this phenomenon, is not welcome.
Causes for concern
Sometimes the fetus does not move or moves less actively as a result of lack of oxygen. This can be indicated by the baby's calmness during the day, when the mother is awake and knows that he is usually awake at this time. In this case, you should consult a doctor. If it is not possible to see a gynecologist right away, you should call an ambulance.
Doctors will use a special device to listen to the fetal heartbeat, which is normally 120–160 beats per minute. If the overall indicators are normal, a cardiotocographic study is performed to evaluate the contractions of the baby’s heart, its general condition and identify hypoxia.
This examination takes about half an hour. If no motor reaction was detected during the test, the pregnant woman is asked to move actively, then the study is repeated.
If hypoxia is confirmed, treatment is prescribed, which depends on the severity of the pathology. In case of minor deviations, the pregnancy is constantly monitored, and various examinations are periodically carried out. If the symptoms of hypoxia are pronounced, urgent delivery is necessary. Depending on the condition of the pregnant woman, they resort to caesarean section or induction of labor.
How to properly check movements at home?
There are tests to help check your baby's activity at home. It is recommended to get a card, which you can take from a doctor or create yourself. Every day it records all the baby’s movements over a certain period of time.
The next method is called the “Sadowski technique”. After dinner, the pregnant woman needs to lie on her left side and count the number of movements, taking into account even subtle ones. In an hour, the fetus should move 10 times; if the number of movements is less, you need to count them for another hour. You should be concerned if in the evening after eating the child moves less than 10 times in 2 hours.
The baby's first kicks occur at 13 weeks of pregnancy, but they are so small that the mother does not notice it. Primiparas notice their first movements at 19-20 weeks, and mothers with experience at 17-18. Fetal movement is an indicator that the baby is developing, but the absence is alarming.
What determines the frequency of fetal movements?
The frequency of movements the baby makes depends on many factors. Conventionally, they can be divided into physiological and abnormal.
Physiological ones include:
- emerging character;
- desire to eat;
- mother staying in a stuffy room;
- presence of loud bass in the room. For example, when listening to high frequency music;
- the mother's position is comfortable or uncomfortable for the child.
Smooth, painless kicks are an indicator of the baby’s normal well-being. Their number depends on the length of motherhood.
From abnormal reasons:
- acute hypoxia;
- threat of premature labor;
- polyhydramnios;
- infection.
The tremors are rough and painful; in later stages, a pathological process can be suspected based on the baby’s violent behavior. However, you can determine the cause of activity or lull after consulting a doctor and.
In the first trimester, there are no tremors due to the baby’s small height and weight.
In the second trimester, starting from the 18th week, the first weak movements appear, intensifying as pregnancy progresses. From 24 weeks the baby is active.
At the end of the second trimester, the mother is able to control the movements of the fetus by stroking the belly and talking to the unborn child.
During the trimester, activity gradually fades away - the fetus grows, enlarges and it is difficult and tight for it to make movements, but they do not disappear completely.
The child has a clearly developed wakefulness and sleep pattern.
Norms and control over the child’s movements
From the 24th week of gestation, the average fetal kicks are 10-15 times a day.
Active movements appear in the afternoon, and often at night.
Sleep is 18 hours, and the duration of 1 sleep period is from 3 to 4 hours. At this time, the baby makes a minimum number of movements that the woman does not feel.
You can monitor the number of fetal movements yourself. There is a whole scheme for this.
- Keep a diary for notes;
- Starting at 28 weeks, perform a movement test.
The essence of the method is to count 10 fetal movements twice a day. From 9am to 9pm, and from 9pm to 9am. The test can be done daily.
Example, the first fetal activity is at 9.20, then at 11.40, 3 - at 12.15, etc. 10 movement - at 17.35 - 1 part of the test is over, the table indicates 2 times 9.20 and 17.35. The second part of the test is counting from 9 pm to 9 am.
According to this technique, constant monitoring of the baby’s activity is possible. An alarm signal is a complete absence of movement for 12 hours, or excessive activity.
The bigger the baby gets, the stronger its movements, and it feels like the baby is dancing in the womb.
Such frequent occurrences indicate a pathological course of pregnancy.
What to do if there is no movement, and why the baby does not move in the stomach
The absence of movements heard by the mother does not indicate that the baby is not active. Quite often, movements are recorded on ultrasound, but for some reason the mother does not feel them.
There are ways to “wake up” your baby: 
- Pat the belly with patting movements. If the pregnancy is over 28 weeks, the baby understands the warmth from touch and pushes to the place where the hand of mom or dad is located.
- You can enjoy the sweet hour with a chocolate bar or chocolates. The glucose present enters the baby's bloodstream and will cause his activity, but sometimes this method turns out to be ineffective.
- A glass of cold water should cause a change in internal temperature and provoke the baby to move.
- Play loud music that your child likes.
If it is not possible to induce fetal activity for two or more hours, you should go for a consultation with an obstetrician-gynecologist. He will be able to listen to the fetal heartbeat and measure its activity using a device for.
The most terrible reason for the absence of tremors is intrauterine fetal death.
Causes of fading
In subsequent trimesters
- Infectious processes, in particular sexually transmitted ones;
- Acute fetal hypoxia. These include: entanglement with the umbilical artery, oligohydramnios, polyhydramnios;
- with the development of severe;
- cardiac pathologies, especially those that poorly supply blood to the fetal heart muscle;
- genetic diseases;
- Endocrine disorders (,).
The main cause can be identified after ultrasound diagnostics and pathological examination of post-mortem biomaterial.
If the baby doesn’t move much in the womb, there are several reasons:
- Short term;
- Problems with the baby's health.
Symptoms
- complete absence of fetal movements throughout the day;
- pain in the lower abdomen;
- frequent urge to go to the toilet;
- the appearance of bloody discharge;
- feeling of nausea with bouts of vomiting;
- rise in temperature;
- soreness of the mammary glands.
Pregnancy after death
It is possible to become pregnant and give birth after a frozen pregnancy. However, the process of pregnancy planning should be entrusted to a doctor.
First of all, it is necessary to identify the cause of intrauterine fetal death.
The result is clarified in a histological examination of the specimen and a pathological autopsy. Only after the cause has been established should treatment begin.
It is important to note that recurrent miscarriages increase the risk of repeat fetal failure by 38%.
After ST, you should not rush to get pregnant. It is necessary to undergo a full examination, restore hormonal levels, and undergo treatment if necessary.
In the recovery stage, she needs physical and moral support.
The optimal period for repeat pregnancy is 24 months, but it can decrease or increase.
This depends on the gestational age when the pregnancy was terminated and the reasons for its termination.
By the way the baby moves in the stomach, you can determine his well-being. Tremors are a physiological norm, because during the process of embryonic development, the skeletal muscles and nervous system begin to function in the fetus. To maintain normal muscle function, he begins to actively move. In addition to the natural need, movements occur as a reaction to external and internal stimuli.
First movements
The embryo begins to move at 7-8 weeks, but during this period of intrauterine development it is characterized by its small size. Therefore, his activity goes unnoticed.
The tremors become more noticeable at 16-20 weeks of pregnancy if the woman is hypersensitive or thin.
In 74% of cases, women feel a slight movement of the baby at the 23rd week of embryonic development. In the early stages, movements are rare, they appear 1-2 times in 24-72 hours.
Why is the baby pushing?
In the second trimester of pregnancy, intense fetal movement is observed. The embryo turns over freely or extends its limbs. The tremors and their pace are individual for each fetus. The baby in the tummy takes a more comfortable position, so the woman feels the movements inside herself.
Ultrasound examinations revealed that the child was swallowing amniotic fluid. On an ultrasound, the expectant mother can see the movements of the embryo's arms and legs, grasping reflexes with the umbilical cord and head turns. In 25% of cases, a child may push after eating sweet food. In addition, movements appear in response to irritation:
- from loud sounds;
- votes;
- sources of light and noise.
Strong movement begins when there is a hormonal imbalance or emotional shock to the mother.
Babies need movement too
To maintain skeletal muscle tone, a person must constantly move. This happens at the level of reflexes. A similar situation is observed in the embryo. Prototypes of muscles - somites - appear at the 4th week of pregnancy. By the end of the 8th week, the nervous system is finally formed, which begins to stimulate muscle contraction and set it in motion.
Reflexes develop by 9-10 weeks, when the baby actively swallows amniotic fluid. From the 18th week, a grasping reflex appears when the embryo holds on to the umbilical cord.
At the same time, a motor reaction to stimuli appears, which is necessary for the mother to assess the well-being of the fetus.
How and what to do to make the child move
An embryo is a future person whose body increases physical activity after eating food. In particular, the intensity of movements increases when eating high-carbohydrate foods: desserts, baked goods, candies and other foods high in sugar.
When eating sweets, the plasma concentration of glucose increases in the mother's blood, which, after passing through the umbilical cord, begins to circulate in the embryo. Its cells actively consume energy, and its excess amount manifests itself in the form of tremors. Therefore, sweet foods help provoke movement.
In some cases, the baby moves while the mother is resting. At rest, the amniotic fluid does not create vibrations that could put the embryo to sleep. In such a situation, the fetus is pushed. If the baby in the stomach does not move, he may also be sleeping.
Intrauterine movements can be recorded during walking or when the mother is in a good mood. It is important to remember that the mother’s hormones enter the fetus’s body through the blood. Therefore, high dopamine levels can affect the intensity of his movements.
Temperature changes can make the embryo move in its tummy during sleep or increase its physical activity. To do this, you need to direct a stream of cold water onto your stomach for 5 seconds.
The influence of the environment on fetal behavior
The child reflexively reacts to changes in the world around him. Movements are provoked by the following factors:
- touching the belly of the expectant mother;
- light stimuli;
- emotional state of a woman;
- sound;
- smells;
- bright light.
From 24 weeks, tremors can be felt if you put your hand on the belly of a pregnant woman. The embryo reacts to the first touch with calm. If you do not remove your hand, the fetus will adapt to the new sensations and continue to move.
Often the baby pushes the uterus hard in response to a strong noise or unpleasant odor.
This behavior is provoked by irritation - the fetus gives a signal to the mother about danger.
Hormonal imbalances also cause a negative reaction in the child.
The influence of odors
Strong odors can increase fetal activity in the uterus. The most irritating effects are caused by chlorine, acetone and other strong odors of synthetic compounds. When the mother inhales, volatile substances pass through the lungs into the blood, which passes to the embryo. Toxic components provoke an inadequate reaction of the child, who warns the mother about the intoxication of the body. She must get rid of the unpleasant odor in order to protect the body of the unborn baby from the negative effects of toxic compounds. The latter can provoke the development of intrauterine anomalies.
A similar reaction can be observed when a pregnant woman smokes. Salts of heavy metals, when released into the blood, reduce the level of hemoglobin, which is why the child begins to hit the walls of the uterus.
Your baby will start moving before you feel it.
The first movements begin at the 8th week of pregnancy, when impulses begin to be transmitted through the nerves to contract and maintain the tone of the skeletal muscles. The rudiments of muscles and nervous tissue must create movement for the normal functioning of other organs and systems. Activity is necessary for normal blood supply to tissues. With increased physical activity, intracellular metabolic processes intensify, and the rate of tissue differentiation and growth increases.
Under conditions of physical inactivity, normal fetal development is impossible, because in the absence of movement, metabolism is disrupted and circulatory disorders occur. Low mobility causes muscle tissue atrophy and provokes the development of nervous system abnormalities.
When the baby starts pushing
For the first time, you can feel the tremors of the embryo at 17-18 weeks of pregnancy. At the initial stage, it is felt inside the abdomen. A woman may confuse the tremors with abdominal cramps or peristalsis of the digestive tract. Starting from the 5th month of intrauterine development, the fetus moves more actively. Pregnant women feel strong kicks or blows from the unborn child. If a woman notices this feeling ahead of schedule, this is normal. This phenomenon is typical for girls with thin or sensitive uterine endothelium.
It was as if a fish swam by. During the first pregnancy, fetal movements are felt later
During their first pregnancy, young women do not know how the baby moves in the stomach and often confuse the movements with intestinal motility or stomach cramps.
Strong tremors are observed at 18-20 weeks. During a second pregnancy, the woman already knows what sensations she should experience and notes them at 16-17 weeks.
From the 24th week, the fetus already communicates with the mother through movements
Intrauterine movements indicate normal well-being of the embryo. From 18 to 20 weeks, its activity is low and does not appear every day. It is recommended to record kicks from the beginning of the 6th month of pregnancy, when the fetus can move its limbs or move in the uterine cavity. The child moves chaotically in response to external stimuli or the emotional state of the mother. With the help of tremors, the fetus informs the pregnant woman about its health. The frequency of movements may vary depending on the behavior or emotions of the fetus.
If the baby kicks, that's good
If a child kicks in the stomach, this indicates his good health and normal intrauterine development. High activity is observed from 24 to 32 weeks. With the help of pushes, the child communicates his mood or its changes.
If there are no movements, the baby can just sleep
At week 24, the mother notes 10-15 movements of the embryo in 60-80 minutes. If the embryo calms down for 3-4 hours, young women wonder why the baby is quiet. If this happens once a day, then you should not worry. The fetus should fall asleep for 4 hours to relax the muscles and slow down the rate of metabolic processes in the developing body. This time is necessary to normalize cellular metabolism and remove unnecessary substances.
What determines the frequency of fetal movements?
The baby in the placenta is constantly moving, making up to 200 kicks at 20 weeks of pregnancy. In the period from 28 to 32 weeks, their number increases to 600. After this time, the activity of the embryo gradually decreases, which is associated with its growth and reduction of free space in the uterus. After 7 months of intrauterine development, the baby pushes up to 8-10 times per hour of wakefulness.
The child is most active from 7 pm to 4 am. The sleep period in 85% of cases occurs from 4 to 9 am.
The frequency of movements for each embryo is strictly individual. It depends on the woman’s diet, her activity, exercise and hormonal levels. The room in which the pregnant woman is located plays an important role. Sources of light and noise can irritate the embryo, which increases its activity as a sign of dissatisfaction.
How to properly check movements at home. 2 special tests
In the third trimester of pregnancy, a woman should keep a calendar of fetal movements. In it, the expectant mother records the number of kicks over a period of time. To assess the activity of the embryo, there are 2 tests:
- Count to 10. In this case, on a special form you need to mark the number of embryo movements every day. A woman should count her kicks for 12 hours. If the number of movements during this period is less than 10, she needs to see a doctor.
- Sadowski's method. After the evening meal, the pregnant woman should lie on her left side and count the movements of the embryo. Normally, he should push the uterus about 10 times in 60 minutes. If the number of movements is less than normal, counting continues for the next hour. In the evening, due to an increase in serum glucose levels, fetal activity increases 3-4 times, so during this period pathologies can be diagnosed in time.
Fetal movements may be slightly painful
If the baby moves a lot in the stomach, the expectant mother may feel pain. In such a situation, the pregnant woman is recommended to change her body position. If the pain does not go away for a long time and the child remains active, you should immediately consult a doctor. The symptom may indicate oligohydramnios or hypoxia.
In the third trimester, mothers feel pain in the hypochondrium, which is within the physiological norm. The uterus rises high during pregnancy, so the baby reaches this area and can strongly push the placenta in this area.
Smart kid. Why are fetal movements too active?
If the child moves very much, you need to calm down. An inadequate reaction of the embryo is observed when there is a sharp change in the psycho-emotional state of a woman. In addition, from the 20th week, when the cartilage tissue of the hearing aid begins to harden, this reaction is typical in response to loud sounds.
What to do if your baby pushes a lot
If your child is pushing in his stomach, you should talk to him. It is easier to detect fetal movements in a calm environment. When the mother's body is in motion, the activity of the embryo decreases. This is caused by fluctuations in the amniotic fluid, which calms the unborn baby. Therefore, if there are strong and painful tremors, it is recommended to go for a walk or turn on soft music in the room.
What baby activity should cause concern?
The child can move very actively. If intense movements suddenly stop, it is necessary to immediately exclude the possibility of embryo hypoxia. Oxygen starvation can lead to fetal death.
If the unborn child feels that the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood entering him decreases and oxygen stops flowing, he begins to push hard for a long time. Mothers need to pay attention to this. If the situation is not corrected, the child may lose consciousness or die. As a result, the tremors stop abruptly.
At what rate of baby's movements should you contact a doctor?
At the end of the 6th month of embryonic development, the intensity of fetal movements may decrease for a long period. From 26 to 28 weeks of pregnancy, the expectant mother can feel up to 10 kicks in 3 hours. In some cases, a fetal activity calendar should be kept, which will help record fetal movements. This is necessary in order to diagnose the pathological process in time and seek medical help. Women with Rh-conflict, people with chronic diseases and injuries are at risk.
If an active child has stopped moving for a long period, it is necessary to walk or eat a confectionery product.
If there is no reaction, it is recommended to consult your doctor. If the movements cause pain, the child may be in an awkward position and cannot change his position. In this case, in order to reduce the risk of developing oxygen starvation of the fetus, it is necessary to change the position so that the vessels are not compressed.
How is oxygen starvation of the fetus expressed?
Increased activity of the embryo for a long time indicates its oxygen starvation. However, strong tremors are not the only symptom. Increased frequency and intensification of movements is observed only at the initial stage of hypoxia. If the serum hemoglobin level does not rise for an extended period, the frequency and activity of movements weaken and stop. Therefore, a pregnant woman should immediately seek help from a doctor if she feels less than 10 kicks per day or weak movements of the embryo after 30 weeks.
Increased fetal activity after prolonged sleep warns of hypoxia. To accurately determine the condition of the embryo, cardiotocography and ultrasound are performed, the speed of blood flow in the fetal aorta and its cerebral circulation are measured.
How to find out that hypoxia has begun
In stationary conditions, the following instrumental methods allow you to monitor the movements and condition of the fetus:
- Ultrasound screening;
- auscultation of the fetal heartbeat using an obstetric stethoscope;
- cardiotocography (CTG);
- Doppler and blood flow measurement using electrodes.
Women with bad habits or Rh conflict with the fetus are at risk. A pregnant woman should seek advice from an obstetrician-gynecologist if she does not notice embryo movements within 24-48 hours. After taking a history, the doctor listens to the fetal heartbeat using a stethoscope. Normally, the child should react to the touch of a cold device with a push, but under conditions of hypoxia no movement is observed.
If the fetal heartbeat is normal, the doctor will recommend that the mother walk more in the fresh air and not sit for a long time in an uncomfortable position.
To prevent oxygen starvation, a pregnant woman should balance her diet and breathe deeply.
If there are pathological noises or a low pulse rate, the gynecologist prescribes an ultrasound. An ultrasound examination will allow you to find out the exact size of the fetus, assess the formation of internal organs and systems, and detect movements. During the procedure, the doctor determines the amount of amniotic fluid and the condition of the placenta in order to exclude detachment of the placenta and oligohydramnios. If hypoxia is suspected, the doctor focuses on the thickness of the placenta, the position of the umbilical cord and the size of the fetus.
Doppler or Doppler ultrasound is necessary to assess the blood circulation between the mother and the embryo. During an instrumental examination, it is possible to timely detect entanglement or compression of the umbilical cord by a child. With Doppler ultrasound, information is recorded on a disk, while Doppler ultrasound does not allow recording the results obtained. The latter technique is used only as an emergency diagnostic measure.
Cardiotocography must be performed after 33 weeks of pregnancy. The device's sensors allow you to detect the baby's breathing, heartbeat and movements. The resulting tape with the results visually resembles an ECG curve. During the study, the doctor determines how the increase in uterine tone affects the breathing of the embryo.
As the tone increases, the uterus begins to contract intensively, and the pregnant girl feels severe cramps. She is tormented by severe nagging pain. Frequent contractile movements can lead to oxygen starvation of the embryo and fetoplacental insufficiency. With an increase in the tone of the smooth muscles of the uterus, the woman’s anxiety increases and the activity of the fetus increases. The embryo feels the compression of the contracting uterus and feels a decrease in free space.
Despite the alarming symptoms, increased embryonic activity does not 100% indicate that the child is struggling with hypoxia. Each fetus develops an individual sleep and wakefulness pattern. You should consult a doctor only when the embryo’s sleep period has passed or strong, uncharacteristic changes in its behavior are observed. As a preventative measure, expectant mothers are advised to take walks in the fresh air to maintain high hemoglobin levels, maintain a positive mood and avoid stressful situations.
Little astronaut is always on the move
If your baby is constantly moving, you should not see a doctor. Normally, the embryo should move up to 600 times a day during the 7th to 8th month of pregnancy.
After 28 weeks of intrauterine development, a pregnant woman understands when her baby is asleep and when she is awake. In an hour he makes an average of 4-8 movements.
How does a baby move just before birth?
Before labor, from 32 to 36 weeks, the following changes are observed:
- the child reduces activity;
- the kicking stops, the embryo prepares for birth, contractions begin;
- During uterine contractions, the fetus actively moves, but these sensations are overshadowed by severe pain.
To track the dynamics of movements and assess the heart rate of the embryo, doctors connect a CTG machine.
Norms and control over the child’s movements
A woman may not feel fetal movements for up to 3-4 hours, which normally means the fetus is asleep. If this period has passed, the pregnant woman can stimulate the activity of the embryo. To do this, you need to direct cold water to your stomach or hold your breath. In the latter case, the level of hemoglobin in the blood will drop and the child will begin to move, becoming concerned about the sudden changes.
To determine whether the embryo is moving within normal limits, the timing of the tremors should be recorded and each movement should be monitored. It is necessary to record the time of every 10th fetal movement, which should occur over the last 2-3 hours.
Why may a child move little or stop doing so?
If a pregnant woman feels less than 10 kicks per day, or the baby does not move for about 3-4 hours, you should consult a doctor. In most cases, a sharp decrease in activity indicates the development of fetal hypoxia, in which embryonic movements may be absent for 12 hours. If the pathology is not detected in time, the fetus freezes.
Physiological reasons
A child may reduce activity for the following reasons:
- the woman is in a noisy room, loud sounds can frighten the embryo;
- the fetus is in a state of sleep;
- a pregnant woman goes in for sports - with active movements, vibrations of the amniotic fluid are created, and the child may fall asleep;
- childbirth is approaching.
2-3 weeks before birth, the embryo reduces physical activity. At the same time, there are movements.
Starting from week 28, the fetus increases in size, occupying free space inside the placenta. It becomes difficult for him to move and roll over. The cramped space limits his activity.
Symptoms
The alarming clinical picture begins with the appearance of sharp and severe pain in the lower abdomen after 12-24 hours from the moment the fetus freezes. The pain syndrome is caused by increased peristalsis of the uterus, which seeks to get rid of the dead embryo. Other symptoms include:
- increased body temperature above +39°C;
- weakness;
- pale skin;
- increased sweating;
- uterine bleeding;
- thready pulse and drop in blood pressure;
- at a later date, the breasts return to their natural size.
If your general health worsens, you should consult your doctor for a diagnosis.
Diagnostics
Cardiotocography and ultrasound with Doppler measurements allow hypoxia to be diagnosed in a timely manner. CTG helps to count the number of heartbeats of the embryo and record them in the form of a graph. Cardiotocography additionally determines the tone of the uterus. The procedure lasts about 20-40 minutes, during which the woman presses a button when she feels the embryo kicking.
To clarify the diagnosis, the doctor performs Doppler sonography, with the help of which he establishes the speed of blood flow in the arterial vessels of the uterus and umbilical cord. Ultrasound allows you to evaluate the movements of the embryo, the volume of amniotic fluid, and the muscle tone of the uterus. If the data obtained indicates a serious condition of the child, the doctor decides to initiate premature labor or hospitalize the woman.
Causes for concern
The first cause for alarm is the absence of tremors for 2-3 hours. If movement does not resume after 6 hours, you must call an ambulance. The baby should move at least 10 times in 3 hours before the 26th week of pregnancy. At later stages, up to 12 shocks per day can be considered normal activity. If the movements do not correspond to the norm, it is necessary to undergo an instrumental examination.
What to do if there is no movement
If there is no movement of the embryo, you cannot solve the problem yourself with the help of drugs or folk remedies.
It is not recommended to stay home if your health worsens. If the expectant mother becomes ill or does not feel fetal kicks for more than 6 hours, urgent hospitalization and examination using ultrasound and CTG are required.
