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Sudden fetal movements during pregnancy. Fetal movement during pregnancy: terms and norm. Fetal movement during first pregnancy

Most women will be able to clearly feel the first movement of the fetus approximately in the second half of pregnancy.

In nulliparous women, this happens, as a rule, later than in those who are expecting a child for the second or third time. This is because women who have already given birth know what the sensations should be, and for the first time, pregnant women can mistake gas formation in the abdomen, intestinal motility or muscle contractions for fetal movements.

In addition, the anterior abdominal wall in women whose pregnancy is not the first is more sensitive and stretched. Also, thinner women may feel the first movements of the fetus a little earlier than full ones.

Thus, primiparas most often feel the first movements between 18th and 22nd weeks (the average term is the 20th week of pregnancy), and multiparous women feel fetal movements for approximately at 16 weeks.

When pregnant women feel the first tremors of their babies, they have a large number of questions about how often the baby should move, or what “intensity” of movements should be considered correct.

It should be noted here that the development of each baby is individual, and the pace of development is different for each, therefore, the norms regarding fetal movements are rather arbitrary and have a wide range of fluctuations.

The nature of fetal movements depending on the duration of pregnancy


 First trimester

During the first trimester of pregnancy, the growth of the unborn child is characterized by a particularly pronounced degree of intensity. Of course, at these stages, the expectant mother will not feel the first movements, since the embryo formed from a group of dividing cells is still very small. At this stage, the embryo is firmly attached to the wall of the uterus and is protected from harmful factors by the membranes, amniotic fluid and myometrium - the muscular wall of the uterus.

Starting from the 7th-8th weeks, with the help of ultrasound, the first movements of the limbs of the embryo can be observed. This happens due to a sufficient degree of maturity of the baby's nervous system to conduct a nerve impulse to the muscles. The movements of the embryo during this period are rather chaotic and not strong enough for the mother to feel them.

Second trimester

By the beginning of the 14th - 15th weeks of pregnancy, the size of the fetus is already much larger, and the limbs have differentiated. The movements of the baby became more active and intense. This period is characterized by the free "swimming" of the baby in the amniotic fluid. Despite the fact that on ultrasound you can see how the baby is repelled by the legs from the walls of the uterus, the pregnant woman cannot feel these “repulsions”, since they are still very weak.

By 18-20 weeks, the fetus grows noticeably, so its movements are now more noticeable to the mother. They represent the first light touch that pregnant women compare to the "flutter of butterflies."

As the fetus grows, you can feel its movements more clearly, and by about the 20th week, all pregnant women can clearly feel the first tremors of their baby.

During the second trimester, expectant mothers can feel the baby moving in various parts of the abdomen, since he has not yet taken a certain position in the uterus. At the same time, on ultrasound during this period of time, you can see how the future baby drinks amniotic fluid (at the same time, movements of the lower jaw can be seen on ultrasound), knocks with legs and arms, goes through the umbilical cord and turns the head.

With an increase in the gestational age, the tremors become stronger, and when the baby turns inside the uterus, you can notice from the outside changes in the shape of the abdomen. During this period of time, the expectant mother may even encounter what her baby is doing. "hiccup" movements, felt by her as a child's shudders at regular intervals. Their appearance is due to the intensive ingestion of amniotic fluid by the fetus and contractions of its diaphragm. It should be said that both the presence and absence of "hiccups" are variants of the norm.


third trimester

In the third trimester of pregnancy, the fetus freely rotates and turns over in the uterine cavity, and by the 30th - 32nd week it occupies a permanent position in the mother's womb - in most cases, this is the location of the fetus head down (the so-called head presentation of the fetus). When the baby is positioned with legs or buttocks down, his presentation is called pelvic.

If the baby has a head presentation, then the mother will feel his active movements in the region of the upper half of the abdomen, if it is pelvic, then the movements will be felt in the lower sections.

During the third trimester, a pregnant woman may notice that the baby has certain cycles of wakefulness and sleep. Also, the expectant mother already knows what position she needs to take for the greater convenience of the baby: when taking an uncomfortable position for the child, his movements will be more violent and intense.

Closer to the time of childbirth, more active movements are noted in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe location of the baby's limbs - more often in the right hypochondrium. The tremors can be so strong that they can cause pain in the mother (especially when lying down - compression of the umbilical vein causes a shortage of blood flow to the baby and the development of hypoxia).

However, when bending forward, the shocks become smaller in strength, which can be explained by the improvement in blood flow in this position and the supply of more oxygen to the fetus.

Before the immediate moment of childbirth, the motor activity of the fetus becomes less. This can be explained by the large size of the fetus by the end of pregnancy and the smaller amount of space for performing "active" movements.

However, some future mothers, on the contrary, may experience an increase in the motor activity of the fetus, which can be explained by a more “violent reaction” of the baby in response to the restriction of free space for movements.

Normal frequency of fetal movements


 The motor activity of the fetus can serve as a kind of "sensor" of the course of pregnancy. For example, depending on the intensity and frequency of movements, it is possible to determine whether the pregnancy proceeds safely or not.

Until the 26th week of pregnancy, due to the small size of the fetus, a woman most often notes large periods of time between episodes of movements, the average duration can last up to a day. This is due not so much to the reduced motor activity of the baby, but to its weakness, as well as the mother’s lack of skill and experience in recognizing the movements of her child due to the short period.

Starting from the 26th - 28th weeks of pregnancy, the average rate of fetal movements is frequency 10 times over 2 - 3 hours.

Obstetricians and gynecologists have developed a special movement frequency calendar fetus. Throughout the day, a woman should count the number of movements of her baby with a constant fixation of the time of every tenth movement.

When the child “calms down”, the woman should relax, take a comfortable position, you can eat something (it was noticed that eating is a kind of “stimulator” of the fetal motor activity). For 2 hours it is necessary to monitor the frequency of the baby's movements: if it is 7-10 times, there is no reason to worry. If there are still no movements, then you need to walk slowly, you can go down and up the stairs, then lie down. If even after this the fetus is not activated, and the movements do not resume, then within the next 2-3 hours you need to see a doctor.

You should also consult a doctor if the pregnant woman has noticed less physical activity of the child in recent days. This may serve as an unfavorable prognostic sign of fetal development.

By the beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy, women in most cases know the nature and frequency of movements quite well. Rapid and too active stirring, in equal measure, as well as a decrease in motor activity in comparison with previous movements, is an alarming sign for most women.

However, very often an increase in the baby's motor activity is not a sign of pathology, but of the uncomfortable position of the expectant mother, which impedes the flow of blood, and with it oxygen, to the fetus. That is, in the position of a woman sitting, deviating strongly backward, or lying on her back, the pregnant uterus squashes the blood vessels that provide blood flow to the placenta and uterus. The baby, feeling a lack of oxygen, begins to move in a more active mode. After a change in body position, for example, after bending forward, the fetus will move with normal activity, as blood flow is restored.

Causes for concern


 The main cause for concern is the decrease / disappearance of the child's motor activity in comparison with previous indicators.

This testifies in favor of hypoxia (lack of oxygen) of the fetus. In the absence of movements during the last 6 hours, you should immediately contact an obstetrician - gynecologist either at an outpatient appointment, or in the absence of such an opportunity - by calling an ambulance team.

When conducting an examination, the doctor should first of all, with the help of obstetric stethoscope listen to the fetal heart rate: the norm per minute is from 120 to 160 beats.

After a normal auscultation, even if the fetal heart rate is within the normal range, a procedure such as CTG - cardiotocographic examination of the fetus. This technique allows you to assess the heart rate of the fetus and, depending on this, its functional state in order to check the absence or presence of hypoxia in the baby.

The very technique of the procedure involves attaching a special sensor to the anterior abdominal wall - approximately at the projection site of the fetal heart. This sensor is able to determine the curve that reflects the fetal heartbeat. In parallel, the pregnant woman, using a special button, fixes the time when she feels the fetal movements: this is displayed on the fetal heart rate graph using special marks.

In a normal pregnancy, fetal movements and heart rate increase "synchronously" - due to the so-called "motor-cardiac reflex" that appears after 30-32 weeks of pregnancy. In connection with these physiological features, CTG for up to 30-32 weeks of pregnancy is not sufficiently informative.

The average duration of CTG is about 30 minutes. In the absence of registered increases in heart rate during this period of time that occur in response to movements, the pregnant woman should engage in moderate physical activity, for example, walk around the room. After that, another recording is made.

In the absence of myocardial complexes, an doppler study. Its main purpose is to measure the blood flow velocity in the umbilical vessels and determine the presence or absence of hypoxia.

If during the examination signs of fetal hypoxia were found, then the subsequent obstetric tactics depend on the severity of hypoxia.

In the case of minor and unexpressed signs of hypoxia, a pregnant woman is shown to be further monitored by a doctor, conducting cardiotocographic and Doppler studies with an assessment of the results in dynamics, including the appointment of drugs that stimulate blood circulation and oxygen delivery to the fetus.

In the case of an increase in the symptoms of hypoxia, immediate delivery is indicated, because to date, there is no adequate medical treatment aimed at eliminating the hypoxia of the baby. Immediate delivery is performed by caesarean section; delivery through the natural birth canal is also possible, which depends on the general condition of the mother, concomitant pathology, the readiness of the birth canal and the duration of pregnancy.

Thus, every expectant mother should listen to the frequency, strength and dynamics of fetal movement. If she has any doubts about the well-being of the fetus, she should not delay a visit to the doctor in order to prevent possible negative outcomes of pregnancy in a timely manner.

Of course, for the entire period of pregnancy, the most expected and most desired is the feeling when the first movements of the fetus begin to be felt under the heart. This feeling is awaited not only by future mothers, but also by future dads, with trepidation and impatience.

For a gynecologist who leads a pregnancy, it is also important to know when a woman will feel the first movement of her unborn child. According to this date, the doctor will navigate himself, and orient the pregnant woman to the date of birth. It will be compared with ultrasound data.

At the first birth and pregnancy, the first movement is usually felt at the twentieth week. That is, exactly twenty weeks after the first stirring, childbirth should occur. And if the pregnancy is the second or third, then the first sensation of stirring appears a couple of weeks earlier, therefore, the birth will have to occur a couple of weeks later, in twenty-two weeks.

In fact, the fetus in the mother's womb begins its own as early as the eighth week of pregnancy, but they are so weak, because the fetus is still very small, that the woman cannot yet feel them. And only over time, when the baby is gaining strength, his gymnastic exercises begin to manifest themselves stronger and stronger.

How to know that this is a stir?

The first sensation of fetal movement can be very easy to recognize, but it can be very difficult to recognize. Expectant mothers, as a rule, find words to describe with great difficulty. Some describe it in an extremely romantic and lofty way: “It’s like a butterfly crouching in the palm of its hand flaps its wings.” Others are extremely prosaic and mundane: "a feeling of gurgling in the stomach."

In any case, no matter what a young mother feels at the first stirring of her unborn baby, it will remain in her memory forever, as the most pleasant and most tender feeling that can be in general in her position. And some future mothers, it is after this event that they begin to feel like real mothers.

It happens that the baby in the womb behaves so actively that the mother begins to look forward to when these movements end, since they begin to bring not only discomfort, but also unbearable pain.

What determines the mobility of the child in the womb?

Since, according to numerous studies of scientists, it is already known that the character of a child is formed already in the womb, this is also the answer to the question posed. The nature of the movements and mobility of the baby directly depends on his character. True, this does not always correspond to each other. Sometimes the mobility inside the womb of a child depends on his well-being, development and health.

From here arises a new responsibility for the expectant mother, to learn to understand her child now, to know why he moves this way and not otherwise, to analyze all his movements. And it is important to fix any deviations from the norm during this period.

The rate of movement during pregnancy

The motor activity of the baby can depend on many different factors:

  • from the time of day (very often, babies in the womb are very active at night or in the evening);
  • from the state of the psyche of a pregnant woman (under stress or when a woman is in a state of fear, the child may lie low or, on the contrary, begin vigorous activity);
  • from physical exertion of the mother (the child, as a rule, is activated when the woman is at rest);
  • from the nutrition of a woman during pregnancy (when the mother feels hungry, the fetus is activated, the baby can also be active immediately after eating, especially after sweets);
  • from surrounding sounds (strong sounds can intensify the child's movements, or vice versa - the child can hide at annoying loud sounds);
  • from the position of the mother (if the expectant mother is in an uncomfortable position for a long time, the movements of the child may increase and become painful).

As such, the norm of movements per day does not exist. On average, a woman can feel 10 to 15 pushes per hour when she is awake. But, the complete absence of movements for three to four hours in a row is also considered the norm. Most likely, during these hours the child sleeps.

What do fetal movements indicate?

Inside the womb of the future mother, a new life develops, and it manifests itself in a completely natural way, through movement. Whether your child is in a good or bad mood, a position that is comfortable for him or not - a developing baby tells his parents about all this with the help of pushes.

Often. For him, there is no inconvenience or danger in this. But the expectant mother will feel his hiccups through rhythmic shocks inside her. And such sensations can appear periodically several times a day.

From the twenty-first week of pregnancy, as a rule, the baby begins to demand the attention of the mother. At this age, he already distinguishes and recognizes the voices of mom and dad, reacts to loud sounds, pleasant melodies, light, mom's mood.

Approximately five hundred different movements are performed by a child in the womb in one day. Of course, all of them will not be heard and understood, since the level of sensitivity also depends on many factors. For example, on the amount of amniotic fluid, the thickness of the abdominal wall, the position of the child himself, and so on.

From about the thirty-second week of pregnancy, shocks can determine the position of the child. With breech presentation, tremors will be felt in the lower abdomen. With the head - above the navel.

With the approach of childbirth, the baby is also preparing for the birth, his tremors become less frequent. But, it is important to know if all movements subside and do not appear for more than twelve hours - this is a serious reason to contact a specialist.

Also, a consultation with a gynecologist is necessary with active and painful tremors, or vice versa, with an extremely lethargic behavior of the child.

Such movements are direct evidence of poor health of the child. This condition can be caused (oxygen starvation). The causes of hypoxia can be maternal diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, anemia, fetal developmental pathologies, and others. The diagnosis can only be confirmed or refuted by a doctor with the help of cardiotocography, as well as listening to heart tones.

Cardiotocography is a research method that during pregnancy is considered the most informative in assessing the condition of the fetus. The baby's heartbeat is recorded for an hour. The normal heart rate is considered to be between 120 and 160 beats/min. This is a variable frequency, but not monotonic. If severe hypoxia occurs, the baby's heart will beat at ninety beats per minute. And in this case, an immediate caesarean section is done if the gestational age is already more than thirty weeks.

Many gynecologists who manage pregnancy recommend that a woman do home testing of fetal movements starting from the twenty-eighth week. The test is carried out from nine in the morning to nine in the evening, by counting the movements. On a special card, the time of the tenth perturbation is recorded daily. And if the immobility of the child is found, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

The doctor's recommendations, therefore, may be as follows: a change in the position of the mother's body to calm the baby, or the use of something sweet, in the case when the child needs to be stirred up. Dessert, or rather, a portion of carbohydrates makes the baby activate his movements.

But, the main task of the mother was and remains to maintain her good mood.

Fetal movements cause many positive emotions in expectant mothers. When and how does a woman feel fetal movements? In what cases can the “behavior” of the fetus become an alarm, and when is there no reason for concern?

The fetus begins to make its first movements as early as 7-8 weeks of pregnancy. It was at this point that the first muscles and nerve fibers were formed. Now signals from the nervous system can already cause muscle contractions. But the expectant mother does not feel these movements inside herself, because the fetus is still too small and it still does not reach the walls of the uterus.
Gradually, the baby grows and, making movements, begins to touch the walls of the uterus. The expectant mother can already feel his movements. Women who are expecting their first child begin to feel fetal movements from about 20 weeks of pregnancy, and multiparous - from 18 weeks. The difference of 2 weeks is due to the fact that experienced mothers know exactly what they should feel.

The evolution of sensations

First trimester
Pregnant women often perceive the first movements of the fetus as an increase in intestinal motility. Some describe them as fluttering butterflies, others - "as if the fish are swimming in the stomach." In the first weeks after their appearance, fetal movements may not be felt every day.

Second trimester
In the second trimester, pregnant women feel “shocks” of the fetus in different parts of the abdomen, as the baby is actively moving in the uterine cavity. As the fetus grows, light “shocks” are replaced by quite noticeable “kicks”.

third trimester
In the third trimester (by the 32-34th week), the fetus occupies a certain position in the uterus, which will not change until childbirth. If he lay down with his head down, then the pregnant woman will feel “kicks” in the upper abdomen, and if with the pelvic end down, then in the lower.

A pregnant woman needs to remember the day she felt the first movements
fetus, and inform the doctor. This date will be entered into the exchange card. Now
the doctor will be able to calculate the expected date of delivery: during the first pregnancy
20 weeks are added to the date of the first movements, and 22 weeks are added to the date of the second movement.

Before childbirth

2-3 weeks before delivery, the fetus begins to move not as actively as before. This is due to the fact that the uterus tightly covers a noticeably grown baby and there is very little space for movements.

Movement frequency

Baby Activity Guidelines
Fetal movements reflect his condition. Watching them, the expectant mother can understand how her unborn child feels.
Up to 26 weeks, a pregnant woman may notice that the intervals between fetal movements are quite large (up to a day). This does not mean that all this time the baby does not move, just the woman does not notice some of his movements yet. From 26-28 weeks, the fetus should normally move 3 times within 10 minutes, 5 times within 30 minutes and 10 times within an hour.

Note to expectant mother
Normally, the baby may not move for 3 hours in a row. Most likely, at this time he just sleeps. In the evening and at night, the pregnant woman feels that the fetus is “pushing” more often than during the day. This is not entirely true. During the day, the expectant mother may simply not pay attention to the movements of the fetus, as she is busy with work or other things.

Excessive activity
Sometimes the fetus moves too actively, even causing pain to the expectant mother. This is how he announces his troubles. The cause of discomfort may be loud sounds around or the uncomfortable position of the pregnant woman. It is enough for a woman to move into silence or change her position, and the fetus calms down.
Often, violent movements occur when the pregnant woman lies on her back or sits, leaning back strongly. In such positions, the enlarged heavy uterus compresses the vessels that are behind it. In this case, less blood is supplied to the fetus, and with it, oxygen. The expectant mother needs to turn on her side (preferably on the left) or sit down, leaning forward a little. The blood flow is restored, and the fetal movements become less active.

Calm before the storm

No cause for concern
It also happens that the pregnant woman does not feel the movements of the fetus at all, or they occur too rarely. If the fetus does not "push" within 3 hours, there is no cause for concern. He's probably just sleeping. If, after this time, the “kicks” are still not felt, it is worth taking action. It is recommended to eat something sweet (candy, cookies), drink sweet tea, lie down on your left side for an hour, walk, go up or down the stairs. If after these actions the fetal movements are restored, everything is in order.

There is cause for concern
If “home” measures do not help and more than 6 hours have passed since the last “shocks” of the baby, you should immediately consult a doctor. Most often, the fetus begins to move less often when little oxygen is supplied to it for some time. This leads to chronic fetal hypoxia. The doctor will be able to find the cause of the disease and prescribe treatment.

Health care
To determine the condition of the fetus, the doctor conducts the following examination:

  • auscultation - using a special tube (obstetric stethoscope) listens to the fetal heartbeat. Normally, it is about 120-160 beats per minute.
  • cardiotocography (CTG) - a study in which the fetal heartbeat and uterine contractions are determined. Normally, when the fetus moves, its heart rate increases. Recording is done within 30-40 minutes, and if necessary, longer.
  • Doppler ultrasound - examine the blood flow velocity in the vessels that supply the uterus, as well as in the vessels of the placenta and fetal arteries. This helps to determine if the blood flow is disturbed.

Fetal hypoxia: how to avoid?

After the examination, the doctor draws conclusions whether there is fetal hypoxia, how severe it is and what to do next. There are two options: the first is the appointment of drugs that will improve the condition of the fetus, and the second, if the fetus suffers very much, is a caesarean section.

Expert: Galina Filippova, general practitioner, candidate of medical sciences
Irina Isaeva, obstetrician-gynecologist

The material uses photographs owned by shutterstock.com

The first sensations of the movements (movements) of the child are like a long-awaited greeting for the mother. Like: "I grew up, let's talk." Everyone dreams of feeling this greeting as soon as possible. The stirring of the baby lets us know not only that he is cramped, that he has grown enough and can touch the walls of the uterus. This is now a special language in which he will communicate with his mother until the very birth. That is why it is so important for the expectant mother to know and understand what certain changes in the behavior of her child may be talking about.

Norms of the first sensations of a baby moving

The embryo begins to move from the 7-8th week of pregnancy, when, in the process of the formation of the nervous system, a chaotic contraction of individual muscle fibers occurs. At 10-12 weeks, the fetus (and it is correct to call it that from the 9th week of life) actively moves in the fetal bladder. But the fetus is so small (at 15-16 weeks of pregnancy your baby weighs only about 100 g), and there is still so much free space in the uterus that it is simply impossible for a woman to feel these movements.

Previously, there was such an opinion that if you add another 20 weeks from the time when the baby begins to move, then you will find out the due date. Yes, there is such a way to calculate the date of birth among gynecologists, but it is not informative enough. So it makes no sense to use only them. There are more accurate ways to determine when your baby will be born. Therefore, consider fetal movement simply as a physiological phenomenon and a kind of indicator of well-being. In fact, having felt it, the expectant mother calms down and realizes that the baby is alive, developing, and everything is in order with him.

A woman who is preparing to become a mother for the first time feels the first stirring of a child a little later than a multiparous woman. This happens around 18-20 weeks of gestation. Women who have already experienced the joy of motherhood can hear such a greeting from their baby at 16-18 weeks of pregnancy. But these terms are average. Everything is individual, there may be slight deviations from the terms I have named.

But it is important to understand that small deviations are possible. If a woman before the 24th week of pregnancy did not hear the movement of the fetus, then you should not panic, but you need to show concern. She should tell her gynecologist about this. If the doctor deems it necessary, he will send her to an extraordinary ultrasound. As a rule, if the second screening ultrasound, which is performed at about 20-22 weeks of pregnancy, did not show abnormalities, then there is no cause for concern. Your gynecologist will explain all this to you at the appointment.

The peak activity of fetal movements occurs just in the period from the 24th to the 32nd week of pregnancy. The activity of a growing baby during this period is an integral indicator of a normal pregnancy.

Why is everything so individual with the first sensations?

It all depends on the individual sensitivity of the woman (“height of the pain threshold”). And also from the constitution (body and weight features) of the expectant mother, the weight of the child, the placenta attachment, the position of the fetus. Corpulent (chubby, in other words) mothers, as a rule, feel the movement of their baby later than thin women.

It has been noticed that active, busy working women can hear the baby move a little later. Due to their employment, such women listen less to their feelings and are not inclined to an in-depth analysis of minimal changes and sensations. That is, a busy mother may simply not notice the first cautious movements.

It can be not only busyness or inattention. With the position of the child, when his legs and arms are directed towards the sacrum of the mother, his pushes will fall on the back wall of the uterus. And for the mother, they will be less noticeable.

Each woman has her own, individual description of her feelings of the first stirring. Some have poetic and romantic descriptions: "a butterfly flutters." Others simply and concisely: "something gurgled." For some, this is comparable to the peristaltic wave of the intestines (our intestines are constantly moving in waves). More often than not, this is confused. For some, this is like pushing a fish against the wall of an aquarium. Someone compares the first movements with the touch of the wings of a butterfly. Someone feels "trembling", "tickling" from the inside.

Perhaps your sensations will not be similar to any of the above, will become new in the description of these touches. Share them in the comments to this article.

At first, the baby's movements will be rare, not even daily, barely perceptible, spilled, without a clear localization. As the fetus grows and space in the uterus shrinks, the tremors become more frequent and stronger. By about 20-22 weeks, they become more tangible, clear. Even dad can feel them when he puts his hand on mom's stomach. By the movements of the baby, by the 26th week of pregnancy, the mother can already understand whether the baby is pushing her arms or legs, bending or unbending them, or he turned and touched the wall of the uterus sideways and back.

What does the different intensity of movements of the baby indicate?

By the 20th week of pregnancy, the number of fetal movements reaches 200 per day, and by the 25th week - already 600 movements. Of course, a woman does not feel all these movements. It is considered normal when at 26 weeks of pregnancy a woman feels 10-15 fetal movements per hour.

By 32 weeks, the intensity of movements decreases to about 400 movements per day. During this period, the height and weight of the child does not allow him to roll over and move as freely as before. It is during this period that the baby takes the final position with his head down, which is called head presentation. There are exceptions when the child did not roll over and remained in the position with the legs down. This is a breech presentation.

In the head position of the fetus, the mother will feel the main movements of the fetus in the upper abdomen, and in the pelvic position - in the lower abdomen. Thus, a woman herself can determine in what position her child is in the uterus.

The child still in utero sensitively reacts to the emotional background and mood of the mother. If the mother is nervous, this will also affect the condition of the child. Most often, the reaction is manifested by the excitement of the baby. The child will also react to the prolonged hunger of the mother with excessive activity. And thus tell mom that it's time to eat. To the physical activity of the mother, as a rule, babies react with fading.

The activity of the child also depends on the time of day. Peak daily activity of the child falls on the period from seven in the evening to four in the morning. And the least activity of the fetus is observed in the morning (from four to nine in the morning).

That is, children begin to interfere with their mother's sleep at night even before birth. And, in fact, we can say that this is forever. After all, children are forever. And even if the child is born and will no longer move in the womb, then the mother will not stop worrying about him. And anxiety often keeps you awake at night, even when the kids are big...

Also, babies in the womb react sharply to a prolonged uncomfortable posture of their mother. Almost all pregnant women are surprised that in the position of the mother lying on her back, the baby begins to push harder. There is a scientific explanation for this: in this position, the very heavy uterus tilts back and interferes with the full blood filling of the vessels that feed the uterus and pelvic organs. The child eventually experiences a lack of oxygen. Activating, he tries in this way to tell his mother about his inconvenience.

Different intensity of fetal movements can tell the mother and gynecologist about many changes in the baby's condition. The movements of the baby should not be painful for the mother. If the baby pushes too actively or it causes pain to the mother, this may indicate a pathological course of pregnancy. In this case, it is worth contacting a gynecologist.

It is required to explain that with an acute lack of oxygen (acute hypoxia), the child is activated. The active movements of the child lead to an improvement in blood flow in the vessels of the placenta. Therefore, a child with a large volume of blood will receive more oxygen. Thus, the child tries to communicate about the existing problem or cope with it on his own. An example is given above, where we are talking about the position of the mother lying on her back.

It is worth noting that with chronic hypoxia, the child, on the contrary, becomes less active. Therefore, a formidable sign is the change of active movements to a sharp fading (reduction) of them. That's what mothers should pay attention to in order to timely visit a doctor and diagnose the pathological course of pregnancy. Such phenomena can be observed with low hemoglobin in the mother.

Also, the amount of amniotic fluid in the fetal bladder can affect the change in the sensations of the mother. With oligohydramnios, fetal movements are usually more active, often painful for the expectant mother. With polyhydramnios, fetal movements change to less intense and rare.

Both polyhydramnios and oligohydramnios are a pathology of pregnancy and are manifested mainly by fetal hypoxia. Changes in the nature of fetal movement may be associated with other disorders. And the severity of these changes depends on the severity of the pathology.

The only thing that is required of a pregnant woman is to carefully observe the movements of the child and listen to herself in order to inform the doctor about the changes in time. That is why gynecologists are always interested in a pregnant woman if she feels the baby move and how often. For them, this information is very important.

How and why does the expectant mother need to control the movements of the baby?

To calculate fetal movements in the third trimester of pregnancy (from 28 weeks), there are special methods that, on the recommendation of a gynecologist, the mother conducts on her own.

Pearson's technique consists in counting movements for 12 hours (mandatory from 9.00 to 21.00). This method does not require preparation, but during the procedure, a woman needs to minimize physical activity as much as possible. In a special form or table, a woman enters data on the beginning of the test, the time of the first movement and every 10th subsequent movement of the baby.

The result is considered normal, in which less than an hour passes between the first and tenth stirring. It is worth noting that, of course, periods of activity will be replaced by periods of calm. Since the child can simply sleep for 3-4 hours. But if the period of calm movement lasts more than 6 hours, this is a cause for concern and an urgent visit to the doctor.

Another variation of the 12-hour stir test is the Cardiff method. Unlike the first technique described above, a woman can choose any 12-hour period. At the same time, 10 fetal movements are also evaluated. If a woman has noted 10 movements in less than 12 hours, then there is no reason to worry. Don't be surprised by these numbers. In such an assessment of the results, the peculiarity of the fetal regimen is taken into account (wakefulness in the evening and night hours, periods of sleep in the morning hours), and that the woman chooses any 12-hour period herself.

The activity of the fetus after eating increases. This moment is taken as the basis of the Sadowski technique. According to this method, the calculation of fetal movements is carried out after dinner (from 19.00 to 23.00). After eating, the woman should take a comfortable position (it is recommended on the left side) and count the movements of the fetus. The ideal result would be when a woman counts 10 movements per hour. The result, when a woman counted 10 fetal movements in more than two hours, is worrisome.

In this case, the gynecologist will definitely prescribe an additional examination for the woman (cardiotocography (CTG), ultrasound with dopplerometry). These methods will help to finally find out if the baby has a lack of oxygen and what causes changes in the activity of the fetus.

Many mothers ask the question: “Are these grandmother’s methods needed today, when there are such accurate instrumental methods for assessing the condition of the fetus?” The advantage of these "grandmother's" methods is that they do not require special preparation for a pregnant woman and costs, are accessible and understandable to every urban or rural woman, do not have side effects and, most importantly, allow you to quickly learn about the existing problem and start a full examination in a timely manner. After all, do not forget that fetal hypoxia leads to intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR).

During pregnancy, a woman needs to remember that the lives of two people depend on her attentiveness to herself. And her special responsible attitude to this stage of life will avoid many health problems in the future.

The fetus begins to move actively already at 7-8 weeks pregnant. But the expectant mother does not yet feel this, because the fetus is still too small and moves freely inside the uterus.

However, by the middle of pregnancy, its mass already reaches a significant size and shocks against the walls of the uterus become noticeable to the mother. This usually happens at 18-23 weeks.

More often the first movement of the fetus during pregnancy, women feel in a calm state in the evenings before bed.

Some compare this exciting moment to the fluttering of a butterfly or a swimming fish. Well, others describe their feelings more prosaically: it looks like the passage of gases through the intestines.

In the future, the baby grows up more and more, and his movements become more regular and noticeable to the mother. At 27-30 weeks they will already be able to listen and feel, putting a hand or ear to the tummy, the future dad and other close relatives.

It is often from this moment that many parents begin to solemnly call the belly a child and actively communicate with him. After all, now the baby with his movements can respond to the sounds of voices and music.

It can respond with a light kick at the place where the mother’s hand touches the stomach, or it can shrink in fear if the hand is someone else’s and unfamiliar. Almost all pussies express their dissatisfaction with active kicks if the mother has taken an uncomfortable position for them.

This usually happens if the woman is sitting with her legs crossed, or lying on her back or stomach. In such positions, the access of oxygen to the fetus is limited and, of course, he does not like it.

Most often, active movements of the fetus during pregnancy occur during periods of mother's calmness.

When a pregnant woman sits, lies or tries to sleep, the child often begins to "warm up". And vice versa, when mommy moves and is busy with something, the baby, lulled by her movements, sleeps peacefully.

One to two weeks before delivery fetal movements are noticeably reduced and this is normal. The baby, having taken the right position, begins to prepare for his first life test - childbirth.

During the first pregnancy

Women who are expecting their first child, as a rule, are more reverent about any changes in their body associated with pregnancy. And carefully "listen" to their tummy in anticipation of the first movements.

And often they begin to worry about their absence by the 20th week. Especially if others are actively interested: how is the baby, pushing?

However, if the observing gynecologist claims that everything is in order: the baby is growing, the heartbeat is good, then you should not worry. For primiparous women the first perceptible movement of the fetus may be the norm only by the 23rd week.

The reason may be:

  • female physique: thin mothers usually feel the movement of the fetus earlier than plump ones;
  • woman activity: if the expectant mother is always on the move and active, then she may simply not notice the movements (or take them for prostate) until they are weak.

The following method can help you feel your baby. Drink a glass of milk or eat something delicious and lie quietly on your back, carefully "listening" to your tummy. After a hearty portion of food and in such a mother's position, the baby usually announces itself by stirring.

The fetus grows very quickly and soon its movements will become distinct and understandable for the mother and she will not confuse them with anything.

During the second pregnancy

Usually, a woman who has already given birth knows how the movements of the fetus should feel, and her uterus is more elastic and sensitive. Therefore, during the second pregnancy, the first “moved” can be seen at an earlier date. In some cases, as early as 14-15 weeks.

It is believed that a woman who is expecting her second child begins to feel his first movements on average two weeks earlier than she did with her first child.

With third pregnancy

Many mothers with many children note that with each pregnancy they begin to feel the first “move” everything before. For example, I felt the first-born at 20 weeks, the second at 18, and the third already at 15-16 weeks.