From time immemorial, expectant mothers listened with anxiety, joy and hope to the movements of their unborn baby. And today, despite the wide choice modern methods studies of the intrauterine state of the fetus, movement remains the main indicator of the child’s well-being, confirming his viability.
When and why does the baby move?
In order to better understand the “language” of fetal movement, we need to remember some stages of the baby’s development in the mother’s womb, scientifically the stages of embryogenesis.
In the human embryo, the first heartbeats appear on the 21st day of development. Elements of skeletal muscle begin to develop due to early contractile activity. Rhythmic contractile activity of primary muscle fibers is observed even before they begin to fold nervous system embryo.
At the end of the embryonic period (end) and the beginning of the fetal period (from the 8th week of pregnancy), the fetal nervous system begins to develop, which is responsible for motor activity. That is, by this moment there is already muscle tissue, there are nerve fibers that “send” impulses to the muscles, ensuring their contraction.
Motor reflexes caused by excitation of nerve endings are established from the end. The first reflexes in response to irritation of the perioral zone (near the mouth) - the mandibular (buccal) and maxillary (maxillary) branches of the trigeminal nerve occur in the fetus at 7.5 weeks of pregnancy. Reflexes appear caused by irritation of areas of the skin to which the spinal nerves go.
It is important to know:
What does it mean to compensate for magnesium deficiency?
Since this macronutrient is involved in the formation of a genetically healthy fetus, taking magnesium supplements from the first weeks of pregnancy helps prevent random genetic abnormalities, which cause more than 85% of early pregnancy losses 1.
Thus, magnesium deficiency must be replenished at any stage of pregnancy, but the element is especially necessary in the first trimester, when the formation and development of the fetus occurs 2.1 Dicke G.B. The role of magnesium in physiological pregnancy: contraversions and evidence // Medical Council, 2016. No. 19. S100-107.
2 Serov V.N. et al. Obstetrics and gynecology. 2014;6:33-40
In a word, the baby begins to move in the uterus quite early. True, these movements are not yet coordinated and conscious, and the relative size of the embryo is such that the embryo floats freely in the amniotic fluid and rarely touches the wall of the uterus so that the mother can feel it. However, already from bumping into the wall of the uterus, the baby can change the trajectory of movement. The fetus can swallow amniotic fluid, and this is a complex motor process. In the fetus, motor activity appears in response to sounds (primarily to the mother’s voice, to changes in its intonation). The fetus begins to squint. B - moves the umbilical cord with his hands, clenches and unclenches his fingers, touches his face and even covers his face with his hands when there are sharp, loud and unpleasant sounds.
In order for the fetal brain to develop and function normally, a variety of stimuli and a sufficient level of their intensity are necessary. The perception of specific sensations has already been formed, and now the baby learns to respond to them with movement.
In the first trimester, the child has already formed ideas about comfort. They help the baby navigate what the intensity of various external stimuli should be. The fetus discovers that by moving, it can regulate the intensity of stimulation (for example, move away from loud sounds); it becomes the “creator” of its own life.
The main task of the fetus is to develop. To do this, he needs food and a lot of incentives. If there is not enough nutrition and oxygen, the fetus begins to move more actively and thereby massage the placenta in order to receive a sufficient portion of blood during uterine contractions, and with it nutrition and oxygen. Or, let’s say, the mother lies on her back, thereby squeezing the largest vessels of the body (the inferior vena cava and the bifurcation of the aorta). The fetus will immediately respond with violent movements and force the mother to change her body position, so pregnant women are recommended to lie only on their side. If the fetus presses against the loops of the umbilical cord, it also begins to actively move and changes its position.
How does mom feel?
What does the baby’s unusual “behavior” mean?
If there is a deviation from the normal rhythm, frequency and nature of movements, listening to heart sounds, ultrasound, and CTG are necessary.
What kind of intrauterine suffering? we're talking about, when we talk about disorders of fetal motor activity? Most often, intrauterine fetal suffering is caused by hypoxia (oxygen starvation). The causes of hypoxia are: complications of pregnancy, various diseases(anemia, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, etc.), bleeding, fetal-placental insufficiency, prolapse from the uterine cavity and pressing of the fallen umbilical cord loops by the fetal head, fetal diseases (
What does a woman feel when her baby moves for the first time and how can she recognize this moment? Undoubtedly, all expectant mothers ask these questions. Therefore, let's look at the main signs that indicate the baby is moving.
In most cases, when the fetus moves, the woman feels small tremors. However, in the early stages of pregnancy they are not very pronounced. In this case, the expectant mother feels only some movements of the fetus. As a rule, women begin to feel the movement of their baby between 19 and 21 weeks of pregnancy.
It is quite difficult to unambiguously describe the feeling a woman experiences when her baby moves for the first time. Some expectant mothers note that this feeling has many similarities with increased intestinal motility. Other women say that the baby's movement is similar to a butterfly fluttering, objects rolling, or a swimming fish. In any case, such sensations are completely painless for the mother herself and do not cause her discomfort throughout the remainder of her pregnancy.
Only as the child grows more rapidly can a woman feel the baby’s movements, more pronounced than in the first months of pregnancy. The activity of fetal movement is associated with the time of day, the movements of the mother and her physiological rhythms. Having learned to recognize the baby's movements, the mother can even control their activity, regulating their eating patterns, as well as sleep and wakefulness.
For a woman, especially a first-time mother, the first movement of her baby is an extremely touching moment in her life. At this moment, for the first time she can feel a living person inside her, which for many expectant mothers is an incentive to take a more responsible attitude towards their pregnancy.
Due to the individuality of each woman’s body, expectant mothers feel the first movement of their child in completely different ways. The timing during which the first fetal movement occurred may also differ. This depends on the woman's body type and whether the woman is primiparous or multiparous.
It is noteworthy that women carrying their first pregnancy begin to feel fetal movement much later compared to women who have already given birth before. This is explained by the fact that in primiparous women, the walls of the uterus are much less sensitive.
The first movement of the fetus is an exciting event for every mother.
The nature of the child's movements
How can the pattern of a child’s movements help the expectant mother diagnose her child’s condition, and what signs should cause particular concern? Every woman needs to know this in order to take the necessary measures in time, and also to better understand her child.
It is noteworthy that the embryo first begins to move in the seventh week of pregnancy. However, these movements are so small that the expectant mother cannot recognize or feel them. Most often, the fetus begins to move from the 14th to the 26th week of pregnancy. If at twenty weeks of pregnancy a woman does not feel any movement of the fetus, the doctor may advise her to undergo an ultrasound examination to make sure that the baby is developing normally.
Women describe the first movement of the fetus as pushing, kicking, shaking, hitting or fluttering. However, in some cases, primiparous women may mistake the baby's movement for movement in the gastrointestinal tract. The intensity of the expectant mother’s perception of the child’s movements largely depends on her weight and constitutional characteristics.
Experts have noticed that overweight women can feel their baby very weakly, and, conversely, thin women note pronounced signs of fetal movement. Also, it depends on the activity of the pregnant woman. During the period of movement, the expectant mother may not recognize the subtle signals given by her baby. In turn, in a state of complete rest, a woman has an ideal opportunity to listen to the movements of the child.
Around the 28th week of pregnancy, the frequency of fetal movements increases. At this time, expectant mothers may notice almost constant movement of the child. A woman needs to learn to control the activity of the fetus so that the biological clocks of the woman and the child coincide.
If a pregnant woman accidentally takes an incorrect position from an anatomical point of view, the child may suddenly and sharply begin to move. This usually occurs when a woman lies on her back or crosses one leg over the other in a sitting position. As a rule, when the position changes, the expectant mother stops feeling the violent movement of the child. However, if the frequency of movements does not decrease within several hours, the woman should urgently consult a doctor to diagnose and prevent a fetal condition such as oxygen starvation.
The condition of the fetus can be determined by the nature of the movements.
Frequency of baby movements
Many modern pregnant women are wondering what frequency of fetal movement is considered normal. Such experiences are quite reasonable, since moving too rarely or too often may indicate a problem.
Once the pregnancy reaches 24 weeks, the baby can move up to 15 times per hour. However, sometimes the movements stop for several hours, which should not bother the expectant mother, since at this time the child is simply sleeping. The only reason to immediately consult a doctor is the complete absence of any fetal movements for twelve hours.
If a woman notes that the nature and frequency of the child’s movements have somehow changed over the past few days, this is also a serious reason to contact an obstetrician-gynecologist. Any change in fetal activity that has not been observed before should alert the expectant mother.
In order to reliably assess the frequency of a child’s movements, there is a special Pearson test. After the gestational age exceeds 32 weeks, the expectant mother should regularly record the time of every tenth fetal movement. It is recommended to choose the time interval from 9 am to 9 pm for such observation.
If the number of marks is less than ten, this may indicate the development of oxygen deficiency in the child, which, of course, should not be ignored, since such a condition can lead to the death of the fetus. A pregnant woman should consult a doctor as soon as possible with this problem.
Many expectant mothers also note that the number of movements of their baby increases noticeably in the evening, which is quite normal. Also, a woman should be aware that the child is most active between the 24th and 32nd weeks of pregnancy. However, as the third trimester approaches the end, the baby's movements may decrease. This is especially true immediately before childbirth. However, it should be remembered that the intensity of the child’s movements must be the same as before in order to be able to say that everything is fine with the child.
Thus, a simple procedure for counting the number of fetal movements can tell the expectant mother a lot of important things about the condition of her baby.
It is necessary to control the frequency of fetal movements
Baby moving in the third trimester of pregnancy
What should a woman pay attention to? Special attention in the third trimester of pregnancy? Let's consider the most important points for a woman during this period of time.
The third trimester begins around the seventh month of pregnancy. At this time, the child is almost fully formed. At this stage, its organs and systems complete their development, and a rapid increase in the height and weight of the fetus occurs, compared to the first months of pregnancy. Due to the fact that the child at this stage becomes stronger and stronger, the expectant mother may notice an increase in the intensity of kicks and movements.
It is noteworthy that at the beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy, the fetus can still rotate quite freely in the uterine cavity, taking on a variety of positions. However, upon reaching 30 or 32 weeks, the fetus is already quite large and by this time it has assumed its permanent position.
In most pregnancies, the baby is positioned head down in the uterine cavity. This position, called cephalic presentation of the fetus, is the most anatomical and allows the baby to easily pass through the birth canal. However, in some cases, conditions such as breech presentation of the fetus occur. In this case, the baby is positioned feet down, which makes natural delivery difficult or impossible.
In order to give the fetus the position necessary for the natural course of childbirth, special techniques are used in obstetrics, with the help of which the doctor carefully changes the position of the fetus by applying pressure in certain places of the abdomen.
Already at the beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy, the expectant mother can determine by her feelings exactly what position the baby is in. As a rule, in the case of cephalic presentation, a woman feels active movements of the baby in the upper part of the uterus. If the fetus is located in the uterus with its legs down, the woman feels active movements in the lower abdomen during pregnancy.
When the third trimester of pregnancy begins, the expectant mother can already recognize the sleeping and waking patterns of her baby. Moreover, she already knows what positions she needs to take during sleep so that the child does not experience oxygen starvation. It is known that when a woman lies down, the blood vessels in the uterus contract slightly, to which the child, as a rule, responds with intense movements.
In the third trimester, the mother already knows the baby's routine
Diagnosis of a woman’s condition by the nature of the child’s movements
How can a woman diagnose her condition and the condition of the child based on the nature of the child’s movements, and also notice in time the presence of any abnormalities during pregnancy? This question is asked by many women who know the harmful consequences of inattention to the signs that the human body gives.
If there are any deviations in the child’s behavior, the woman should contact an obstetrician-gynecologist for additional examination. If the expectant mother cannot quickly get to the doctor, it is necessary to call ambulance specialists who will listen to the fetal heartbeat. Normally, it should be from 120 to 160 beats per minute. After this, the doctors will send the woman to a medical facility to undergo further diagnostic procedures.
Even if no abnormalities are noted in the fetal heart rate, the doctor prescribes the woman to undergo a cardiotocography study (CTG), which will determine whether the child is experiencing oxygen starvation. During the examination, the doctor attaches a special sensor at the level of the anterior abdominal wall of the woman's abdomen. The expectant mother holds a button in her hand, which she presses every time she feels the baby move. This information is displayed graphically, and the doctor can determine the baby's heart rate status. It should be noted that the CTG method is most effective during pregnancy from 30 to 32 weeks.
The constant movement of the baby and the increase in size of the woman’s belly indicate the normal course of pregnancy. The expectant mother should remember that the only way to tell the child about her condition is to move. Therefore, a woman should approach the assessment and diagnosis of the child’s movements with maximum responsibility.
First of all, based on the nature of the fetal movement, a woman may independently suspect that the fetus is malpresented, which often entails the need for surgical delivery. This will allow her to apply for qualified assistance as soon as possible. medical care. With timely treatment, the position of the fetus can be changed using special obstetric techniques, after which the woman will be able to give birth to a child naturally.
Why expectant mothers need to listen to their baby's movements
What benefits do they provide? modern woman basic medical knowledge? How can an expectant mother, with their help, prevent a lot of undesirable consequences for herself and her child? In order to answer this question, it is necessary to consider the main problems that may arise with the health of the woman and baby during pregnancy.
One of the most dangerous conditions for a child is hypoxia, which occurs due to disruption of normal blood flow to the placenta, as a result of which the fetus begins to experience oxygen starvation. First of all, this threatens the appearance of various disorders in the child’s nervous and cardiovascular system. If a child does not receive enough oxygen for a long time, this can in a certain way affect both the mental and physical level of development of the fetus. At the same time, women should remember that such a condition is equally likely to occur both in early and later later pregnancy.
To protect her child from prolonged oxygen starvation, a woman should regularly monitor the frequency and nature of the baby’s movements. To prevent the occurrence of such a complication, from the very beginning of pregnancy a woman should move enough, eat rationally, and also devote enough time to sleep and rest. Also, the expectant mother should constantly monitor her weight. Excess body weight provokes shortness of breath in a woman, which is extremely harmful for both the baby and the mother herself. To avoid overeating, the daily caloric intake of a pregnant woman should not exceed 1600 kcal/day.
Another complication of pregnancy that a woman can independently identify is malpresentation of the fetus. By carefully listening to changes in the nature of the baby's movement, a woman with malpresentation will immediately notice changes in her body. The most common occurrence is cephalic presentation of the fetus, in which labor proceeds most naturally. With a breech presentation of the fetus, the baby is located in the uterine cavity with its legs down, as a result of which the expectant mother constantly feels strong activity in the lower abdomen. This should alert the woman and force her to see a doctor for a medical examination.
The most dangerous in obstetric practice is an oblique presentation of the fetus, when the baby’s body is located at a right angle to the body of the uterus. With such a presentation, as the child grows, his movements cause discomfort and even pain to the woman. In this case, self-delivery is not possible.
In order to prevent the occurrence of pelvic or oblique presentation of the fetus, during pregnancy a woman must perform a complex special exercises, which will allow the fetus to take the correct position in the uterus. It is important to note that these exercises should only be prescribed by an obstetrician-gynecologist. Unauthorized and especially unnecessarily intense exercises are extremely contraindicated for a pregnant woman.
By the nature of the movements, the mother can determine the position of the fetus
In order to stay healthy and successfully carry a pregnancy to term, a woman must follow all the doctor’s recommendations, be under the supervision of a local obstetrician-gynecologist, and also eat a healthy and varied diet, just go for a walk. fresh air and maintain a sleep-wake schedule. She should also monitor the nature of her child’s movements, which can tell a lot about his well-being.
The first movement of the fetus felt by the expectant mother causes a lot of positive emotions. Almost every woman who carries a little man under her heart looks forward to the moment when she can feel him move. Most often, fetal movements become noticeable when the woman is already accustomed to her position and early toxicosis has passed. At the same time, no one except the mother is able to feel what it is like when the baby moves inside you.
The fetus begins to make its first movements at 8-9 weeks of pregnancy. However, during this period, its size is still so small that while floating in the womb, it does not come into contact with the uterine walls, so the mother cannot feel them. Doctors say that a pregnant woman can notice the first noticeable movements of the fetus at about 20 weeks, since by this time the baby can already stretch its arms and legs, touching the uterus with them. However, due to individual sensitivity and the course of pregnancy, this period may differ in one direction or another. For example, a slender woman will feel the first movements of the baby earlier than a plump woman, and if a woman is carrying more than her first pregnancy, then she begins to hear the baby around the 18th week.
Typically, multiparous women feel the first movements of the fetus about 2-4 weeks earlier than primiparous women, since they are already well familiar with such sensations, and the muscles of their uterus have long been prepared for this, but primiparous women very often do not feel their movements. baby even at 24 weeks. However, there should be no reason to worry only if your doctor is sure that the pregnancy is progressing normally. In any case, you will very soon begin to regularly feel the activity of your baby. But if you really want to speed up the process, then try drinking evening time a glass of milk and lie on your back, this position is quite uncomfortable for the baby and he will try to let you know about it with pushes.
As a rule, by 24 weeks, not only you, but also members of your family can feel the baby’s movements, since by this moment the tremors become so strong that they are clearly felt outside the abdomen. The longer you are pregnant, the more intense and powerful your baby's kicks will be. For example, at 20 weeks a baby makes about 200 movements daily, and between the 28th and 32nd weeks, at least 600 movements. As birth approaches, the baby has grown so much that it becomes very cramped in the mother’s womb. Therefore, the frequency of his movements begins to gradually decrease, but the strength of the shocks may increase.
According to studies, the highest activity of the baby is on latest dates pregnancy occurs during the night period between 8 o'clock in the evening and 8 o'clock in the morning, and during the day the baby sleeps, as he is lulled to sleep by his mother's movements. The first movements of the child for each individual pregnant woman evoke their own associations. Some say that these movements resemble the fluttering of a butterfly's wings, others say that these movements resemble the swimming of a fish in an aquarium, others claim that these are ordinary tremors, and still others feel their baby like rumbling in the intestines.
Until birth, the baby’s only job is active growth, which will allow him to continue to live independently, regardless of the mother’s body, for which he needs to acquire certain skills. During diagnostic ultrasound, you can often see the baby sucking its finger in the mother's womb. In addition, already from 9 weeks the baby can swallow amniotic fluid, which requires complex motor activity - smacking lips, stretching, moving limbs. By the 17th week, the baby can already close his eyes, and by the 18th he can finger the umbilical cord with his hands, clench and unclench his fists, feel his face and cover it with his hands during sharp or unpleasant sounds.
Intrauterine movements of the fetus are not only a sign of its presence and activity in the mother’s interior, but also a way of transmitting information about the baby’s needs to the mother. The expectant mother, on an intuitive level, knows how to figure out what exactly the baby is trying to tell her with his movements: is he having fun, or is he indignant. From about the 16th week of pregnancy, the baby is already able to respond with motor activity in response to the mother’s stroking of the tummy or voice.
The baby begins to make the most active movements when his mother decides to rest. Moreover, as soon as she lies down, he immediately begins to push, but during mother’s activity the baby prefers to sleep.
In addition, the first manifestations of the baby’s character occur inside the mother’s tummy. For example, some children begin to move actively in response to sharp sounds, while others, on the contrary, stop activity. At the same time, most children, in response to their mother’s uncomfortable position, begin to react with indignation and strong pushes. There is an opinion that if a baby pushes too hard, then he may have hypoxia, but this is nothing more than a myth, but rare and weak pushes of the baby should cause concern.
If expectant mother If there are stones in the gall bladder, then in the last stages of pregnancy she may feel discomfort and even pain due to the movements of the baby, which should be reported to the doctor. Also, pain in response to the baby’s kicks can occur in the area of the scar on the uterus that remains after surgery caesarean section, which is also worth telling your doctor about. Sometimes expectant mothers feel a pulse in the abdomen, but if this does not happen all the time, then there is no need to worry, since this is just the blood pulsating in her vessels or the umbilical cord.
I remember exactly when I first felt my first child move - January 3, 1997. Gestation period is 15 weeks. At the consultation they laughed at me and said that it was more likely worms than a child. I was terribly offended - it was a baby, and I’m still sure of it. But it was useless to argue with our formidable gynecologist. She considered everyone under 30 to be underage and was harsh and partial towards us. True, she saved countless pregnancies and lives. But there was no consolation or sincerity at the reception, it was supposed to humbly listen to the lecture and, swallowing tears, go home until they were put in a hospital to lie down for preventive maintenance. And yet, movement at 15-16 weeks is a very real phenomenon. Albeit rare. What is fetal movement, when does it begin and how not to confuse it with other signals of the body, we will discuss in the article.
The nature of fetal movements during pregnancy
It is a mistake to believe that in the first trimester the baby hangs motionless in the stomach all the time. After the 7th week he begins to move. future child, like a small fish, moves within the amniotic bladder, after 10 weeks he can already touch its walls, a swallowing reflex appears. But the fetus is still very small, and therefore the mother does not feel its movement yet. By the 17-18th week the fetus begins to respond to bright light and loud sounds. Closer to the 20th week, the child begins to actively and meaningfully move his arms and legs, clench his fists, touch his face, and finger the umbilical cord. As the baby grows, the mother feels his movements more and more. By the end of the second trimester, dad can also feel the movements by placing his hand on mom’s belly. In the third trimester and before birth, after 38 weeks, activity decreases markedly. IN recent months the child is in one position, usually the woman feels pushes and kicks, and occasionally the baby turns.
When does a woman begin to feel fetal movements?
Each woman feels fetal movements differently and in different time. This depends primarily on the nature of the pregnancy.