Is it normal for the fetus to keep beating?

In the later stages of pregnancy, a pregnant woman's belly will gradually swell over time, and this process is also the entire development process of the baby, from the embryonic sac formed by the combination of the fertilized egg and sperm to the formed baby. The baby continues to grow by absorbing nutrients from the mother. Especially in the later stages, you can clearly feel the baby's fetal movements, such as: kicking, stretching, turning over, etc. So is it normal for the fetus to move continuously? This article will explain in detail the relevant knowledge about fetal movement.

1. What is fetal movement

Fetal movement refers to the movement of the fetus in the uterine cavity that impacts the uterine wall. Starting from the middle of pregnancy, the mother can clearly feel the activities of the fetus. The fetus stretches its hands, kicks its legs, and hits the uterine wall in the uterus. This is fetal movement. The number, speed, strength, etc. of fetal movements indicate the safety of the fetus. Fetal movement is the movement of the fetus in the mother's womb. Today we will talk about the secret of fetal movement.

2. What are the types of fetal movements?

1. Fetal movement in early pregnancy:

There are several different types of fetal movements in early pregnancy seen by ultrasound. At 7-8 weeks of pregnancy, slight wave-like movements of the embryo can be seen; small twitches appear around 9 weeks; they become more obvious after 9 weeks; stronger twitches can be seen between 9 and 10 weeks; and after 10 weeks, stronger movements such as fluttering, floating and jumping appear.

2. Fetal movement after the second trimester of pregnancy:

There are more types, such as startle, whole body movement, isolated upper or lower limb movement, flexion and extension of the head, head turning, turning, stretching, opening the mouth, touching the face with hands, burping, yawning, sucking, swallowing, etc. These exercises reach their peak between 13 and 15 weeks of pregnancy and gradually decrease after 17 weeks.

3. Fetal movement after full term:

As the baby approaches full term, especially after 38 weeks, there are fewer large-scale body movements, and only eye movements, mouth opening, hand activities, and breathing movements can be observed.

3. Baby's fetal movement pattern

1. Whole body exercise:

Movement of the entire trunk, such as rolling over. This type of exercise is relatively powerful, and each movement lasts for a long time, generally 3-30 seconds.

2. Limb movement:

Stretch your arms, twist your body, etc. Each movement usually lasts 1 to 15 seconds.

3. Lower limb exercise:

This is the kicking movement of the baby that we often feel. This movement is very fast and the force is relatively weak, and each fetal movement usually lasts less than 1 second.

4. Chest wall exercise:

It is relatively short and weak, and is generally not easy for mothers to feel.

4. When will the baby move?

1. Before the baby goes to bed at night: Generally speaking, babies move the most at night. On the one hand, they are more energetic, and on the other hand, pregnant mothers can usually calm down and feel the baby's fetal movements at this time, so they will feel that the baby moves particularly a lot.

2. After meals: After meals, the blood sugar level in the pregnant mother's body increases, and the baby is "full and full" and has strength, so the fetal movement will become more frequent than before meals.

3. When taking a bath: It may be because pregnant mothers will feel more relaxed when taking a bath, and this emotion will be conveyed to the baby, making the baby more energetic.

4. When talking to the belly: Expectant fathers and mothers said that when they communicate with the baby, the baby will respond and express his feelings in the form of fetal movement.

5. When listening to music: Stimulated by music, the fetus will become more active, which is also a way to convey emotions.

5. Be extra careful when your baby's fetal movements are irregular

Doctors generally recommend that expectant mothers should use a 24-hour cycle to observe whether the baby's fetal movements are normal. Therefore, if you find that your baby's fetal movement pattern is obviously different from usual within a day, you should find out the reason and go to the hospital for treatment in time:

1. Fetal movement decreases:

Possible causes: The expectant mother has low blood sugar and fever. If the expectant mother's body temperature remains too high, exceeding 38 degrees Celsius, the blood flow to the placenta and uterus will be reduced, and the baby will become much quieter. Therefore, for the sake of the baby's health, expectant mothers need to go to the hospital as soon as possible and ask the doctor for help.

Doctors recommend:

(1) Get enough rest and add or remove clothes as the temperature changes to avoid catching a cold.

(2) Try to avoid going to crowded places.

(3) Open windows frequently to ventilate the room, keep the air flowing, and exercise appropriately.

(4) Drink more water and eat more fresh vegetables and fruits.

2. Fetal movement suddenly intensifies and then slowly decreases:

Possible causes: Lack of oxygen, external stimulation, high blood pressure, external impact, and external noise stimulation can all cause the fetus to react in a similar way.

Doctors recommend:

(1) Expectant mothers with gestational hypertension should go to the hospital for regular check-ups, take enough rest, and avoid overwork.

(2) Whether walking or taking the bus, try to keep a distance from others, avoid noisy environments, and avoid external collisions and stimulation.

(3) Maintain a good attitude, relax and control your emotions.

3. After rapid fetal movement, it suddenly stops:

Possible cause: The umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck. When an active baby turns over and rolls over, he may be accidentally entangled in the umbilical cord, which may lead to suffocation due to lack of oxygen.

Doctors recommend:

(1) If you experience abnormal fetal movement, seek medical attention immediately.

(2) Count the fetal movements every day. If you feel any discomfort, go to the hospital for examination immediately.

6. How can mothers understand the rules of fetal movement?

1. Mother's perception method: This method allows expectant mothers to rely on their own feelings and count fetal movements every day in the late pregnancy. Choose a time period each in the morning, afternoon and evening and count the fetal movements for one hour. This time period can be flexibly managed according to your own time. For example, 1 hour before getting up in the morning, 1 hour during lunch break, and 1 hour after dinner. Then add the number of fetal movements in 3 hours and multiply it by 4, which is the number of fetal movements in 12 hours. If the number of fetal movements in 12 hours is greater than 12 times, it is normal; if the number of fetal movements in 12 hours is less than 10 times, it is a decrease in fetal movement, and you should carefully find out the cause and go to the hospital for fetal heart monitoring if necessary. This method is simple, convenient and has a relatively high accuracy rate. Most doctors recommend this method to expectant mothers.

2. B-ultrasound observation: This method is generally used for expectant mothers with special conditions, and can only be performed in hospitals, so it has certain limitations.

7. Why can some people clearly feel fetal movement very early, while others cannot easily distinguish it?

Although fetal movement occurs very early, the expectant mother cannot feel it at the beginning. If it is your first baby, you may start to feel fetal movement at 16-20 weeks of pregnancy. In addition, there are many factors that affect fetal movement. The physical condition of each expectant mother is different, so the perception of fetal movement will also be different:

1. The thickness of the mother's abdominal wall: People with thick abdominal walls feel it a little slower. Expectant mothers with thin abdominal walls may see a small bulge outside their belly when the baby moves in the late pregnancy.

2. The amount of amniotic fluid: Expectant mothers with too much amniotic fluid will be less sensitive to the baby's movements.

3. Mother’s sensitivity: Everyone has different sensory sensitivities. Therefore, at the beginning, the baby’s fetal movement is very weak. Some people will be more sensitive, while others will not be able to feel it.

8. What do the various fetal movements mean?

1. I am so happy!

Gentle movement like waves - the baby is full and sleepy, feels comfortable and happy

2. I am stretching:

It bulges in several directions at the same time - you can even tell which is the buttocks and which are the hands and feet. The wide one is the back, the round and hard one is the buttocks, the round and soft one is the head, and the small and hard ones are the hands or feet.

3. I am unhappy:

Very forceful or sudden - out of temper, upset, or frightened.

There are many possibilities for being frightened, such as the baby is sleeping and suddenly the door closes and wakes him up with a bang, or there is a lot of noise outside, or there is thunder and rain and he gets scared, etc. No matter what the situation is, remember to comfort your baby: touch your belly gently, tell it what is happening outside, tell it not to be afraid, that mom will protect it, and ask it to sleep and rest.

4. I am hiccuping:

Rhythmically and continuously

5. I am turning over:

It swells up here, then there.

If the baby is not asleep and in a good mood, you can do prenatal education by patting or walking. It will respond to your pressure or touch with actions. It will touch wherever mom or dad's hand appears. It's very interesting. Generally, there will be trembling fetal movements in the late pregnancy, which is also a kind of abdominal wall movement of the baby. The baby will also have this kind of trembling after birth.