Frequent fetal movement at 36 months

Generally speaking, as long as the pregnant woman is in good health and in a good emotional state, the fetus will not suffer from hypoxia in the mother's body. After 36 weeks of pregnancy, the fetus is larger. At this time, due to the small space in the uterus, the fetus will not move as frequently. However, some babies are still very active even after 36 weeks. If there is no problem with fetal heart monitoring in the hospital, pregnant women do not need to worry too much.

Many people know that when a woman is pregnant and about to give birth, fetal movements will gradually decrease. Therefore, many people will become worried when they find that their baby has frequent fetal movements at night at 36 weeks. Is it normal for their baby to have such frequent fetal movements at night? Is it due to lack of oxygen? This article will introduce this issue in detail.

1. Will fetal movement still be frequent after 36 weeks?

Pregnant women begin to feel fetal movement at 18-20 weeks of pregnancy, which is especially noticeable at night. Fetal movement is most frequent between 29 and 38 weeks of pregnancy, and decreases slightly as they approach full term, generally 3-5 times per hour. If the fetal movement is abnormal, you should be alert to fetal distress. In the early stages of hypoxia, the fetus becomes restless, which is manifested by a significant increase in fetal movement. When the hypoxia is severe, the fetal movement decreases, weakens, or even disappears. After the fetal movement disappears, the fetal heart rate generally disappears within 24-48 hours. Pregnant women should count their own fetal movements starting from the 28th week.

You will feel the fetal movement around 36 weeks. At this time, the baby may have curled up with his head down, ready for his final birth position. If this is your first baby, your uterine and abdominal muscles will be tighter to help the baby stay in this position. The main movements you can feel now are the baby poking your belly with his little arms and legs. Sometimes, this little guy may even kick your ribs and cause pain.

2. Abnormal and frequent fetal movements

The fetus likes to move more and more, especially at night. At this time, there is enough space in the uterus for it to move. If it does not move and then remain motionless, it is safe. If the fetal movement is too large, it may be a little hypoxic. The fetus is prone to symptoms of hypoxia in the middle and late stages of pregnancy, and after hypoxia, the fetal movement will be active and then gradually slow down. If the fetal movement is normal now and not gradually slowing down, then there should not be any big problem.

Abnormally frequent fetal movements may be related to fetal intrauterine hypoxia. If the fetal movement is greater than or equal to 30 times/12 hours or greater than or equal to 4 times/hour, it is normal. If the fetal movement is less than or equal to 3 times/hour for two consecutive days, it indicates fetal hypoxia. In the early stages of hypoxia, the fetus will be restless and the number of fetal movements will increase. When fetal intrauterine hypoxia continues to worsen, fetal movements gradually weaken and the frequency decreases, which is a sign of danger to the fetus. If no emergency measures are taken at this time, the fetus will stop moving and even its heart rate will disappear, and the heart will stop beating, resulting in death. This process takes about 12 to 48 hours.

From this we can understand that if the fetal movement is abnormally frequent, it may be related to fetal intrauterine hypoxia. To be on the safe side, once the expectant mother finds abnormal fetal movement, she must not take it lightly. She should immediately go to the obstetrics department for treatment. Timely treatment can often turn danger into safety.

From the introduction in this article, you can know that frequent fetal movements at 36 weeks of pregnancy are normal, especially at night when the baby's movements will become very frequent. If the fetal movement disappears after a while, it is normal. If the fetal movement is abnormally frequent, it may be a sign of hypoxia and immediate action is needed.