During pregnancy, fetal movement is a reassuring sign that your baby is active, healthy, and growing. But, not feeling the baby kick can be worrying, particularly if you are used to sensing regular fetal movement.
Other than a serious condition, there are many reasons available for not sensing the baby’s kicks. Pay closer attention to your fetal movements and know when to seek medical help.
Keep exploring this blog, so that you can understand how to calculate the fetal kicks and when to consult the doctor.
Fetal Movement during pregnancy
Fetal movement is all about kicks, rolls, swishes, or flutters that put instant smiles on mom’s face. More than a pregnant lady’s happiness, fetal movement is an old and traditional way of monitoring the baby’s well-being and growth.
So, experiencing fetal movement is quite significant during the gestation period. But, when can you expect these movements? For sure, you can’t experience it during the initial stages of pregnancy.
Pregnant women can expect the baby’s movements between the 16th week and 20th week and it increases until 32 weeks.
In Second Trimester: The fetus moves and flips in this trimester. Around 28 weeks of pregnancy, the fetal movement will be even more consistent and predictable.
In Third Trimester: During this phase, you can easily start counting and tracking the fetal movements. It helps you to analyze the changes in baby movements.
According to doctors’ reports, once the baby starts moving inside the womb, which should continue every. They also state that the number of kicks or movements may or may not change, but there shouldn’t be a decrease in fetal movements.
In that instance, what does fetal movement decrease mean? And why it happens? Let’s know it.
Common Reasons for Decreased Fetal Movement
Common Causes
- Pregnant women’s body movements and exercise patterns can also be a reason for a temporary decrease in baby kicks, rolls, and movements.
- The fetal sleep cycle spans from 20 to 40 minutes and this could be a reason for decreased fetal movement.
Severe Causes
- There is also a possibility for the nuchal cord. This is a condition your baby’s umbilical cord might have wrapped around its neck.
- Placental insufficiency or abnormalities might be the reason for decreased fetal movement.
- Stillbirth. This condition may happen due to birth defects, genetic abnormalities, fetal growth restriction, or any other medical conditions including diabetes, obesity, or thyroid.
What should you do if you notice no movement?
So, hope you’re clear about the reasons for decreased fetal movements. But, should you need to rush to the hospital or wait for some time?
First, don’t panic and try to stay calm. Because pregnant women can stimulate fetal movement through different methods. If it doesn’t work out, then you must immediately consult your doctor.
Steps to Stimulate Fetal Movement
- Have a small sweet snack to spike your blood sugar levels. This can wake up the baby in your womb.
- Drink something cold, the chill temperature triggers your baby to move. It is one of the most popular tricks that expectant mothers use, so give it a try.
- Go for a walk and try to do simple body movements.
- Eat a healthy meal, an increase in sugar level in your blood makes your baby move.
- Try lying down on your left side, which can improve the blood flow and may stimulate fetal movement.
- Play loud music or make noise, because the baby’s hearing sense is developed halfway through the second trimester. This gesture can encourage fetal movement.
Ways To Monitor Fetal Movements at Home
Once after stimulating the fetal movement, you can track them and check whether your baby is stressed or in a normal state. Yes, if you track fetal movements, you can easily identify the specific pattern. If you are concern about your baby is developing normally, This helps you to know whether the baby is normal in the womb or in any critical position.
- You can count the number of kicks in one hour.
- Pregnant women can measure the amount of time takes for the fetus to kick 10 times.
When should you be concerned and visit the doctor?
Not feeling your baby’s kicks or changes in the typical pattern of kicks can make you feel worried. Try such stimulating techniques that can help to increase the movement of the fetus. If these methods don’t work, then consult your doctor to know the current health condition of your baby.
Other than fetal movement changes, you must consider visiting the hospital, when you encounter any severe symptoms during pregnancy. Such as,
1. Vomiting blood
2. Severe vaginal bleeding
3. Abdominal pain
4. Heavy spotting
5. Increased fatigue and nausea
Summary
A decreased fetal movement doesn’t indicate that you’re in trouble, there are many harmless reasons also available. However, it is essential to pay attention to avoid severe consequences like stillbirth or placental infection. Stay in touch with your doctor, so that you can address any serious conditions immediately.
FAQs
Fetal movement is considered an important thing because it is a sign that your baby is growing. During the initial stages, only mothers can sense these movements.
Kick counts can occur in the same pattern, that is, the number of times a baby kicks. Resources state that changes in this typical movement could indicate a stressed fetus.
It is okay till 16 weeks of pregnancy. Yes, expectant mothers can experience the fetal move between 16 to 24 weeks. If it is your first baby, then it could take about 20 weeks to feel the baby’s 1st kick or movement.
So, wait until the time arrives. Even after this particular period, if you don’t sense any movement, then consult your doctor.
Tracking and being concerned about the baby’s movements and kicks is the most important thing after 16 or 20 weeks. It’s because unborn babies sleep for a short duration and usually, they roll, turn, and kick more.
Typically, a fetus moves 10 times within 2 hours. If it doesn’t happen, stay calm and try some ideas to wake up the fetus. When none of the ways work out, then immediately consult your gynecologist.
If a baby dies before 20 weeks of gestation, then it is considered a spontaneous abortion. But, the fetus dies after 20 weeks of gestation, it is stillbirth or fetal demise.
You can identify the stillbirth condition through these symptoms,
- Decrease in fetal movement.
- No fetal movement or heartbeat.
- Abdominal pain or cramping.
- High fever and vaginal bleeding, or spotting.
