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One thing that every expectant mother looks forward to during her pregnancy is to feel and experience those little baby-kicks. These kicks or fetal movements are also an assurance of optimum growth and development within the womb. However, understand that a baby, inside the womb, is doing other activities too, like – sleeping, playing, yawning, blinking, swallowing – apart from moving around and kicking. The fetal kicks or movements are experienced a little later in the pregnancy, even though the fetus starts to move around and explore its surrounding as early as the seventh or eighth week of gestation. Here are a few things you need to know about your baby’s kicks or fetal movements.
When can the mother experience fetal movements or baby kicks? Baby movements can start anytime between the 18th to 24th week of pregnancy. Usually, the first-time mothers feel the sensation as late as 24th week of pregnancy. The reason being, the kicks might not be very strong right at the start and most women dismiss the fluttering feeling as some other queasy symptom of pregnancy. The story is different with an experienced mother (a second or third timer) who can recognise those tiny kicks much earlier in her pregnancy.
Can fetal kicks predict baby’s activities inside the womb? Most babies do follow a pattern of activity and rest throughout the day. However, this pattern might differ from one to the other. Every baby will have her sleep, wake-up and play time in the womb. In the general scenario, it is noticed that most babies are active and show movements after the mother’s mealtimes, exercise or in response to some other stimuli like loud sounds or other noises. It is important for the mother to stay attuned to the baby’s movements to gauge about the active and rest time. Try to connect with the baby during her active phase by having small talks, singing lullabies or reading books. To feel the movements strongly try sitting with a back support in a comfortable position after meals or after an exercise session to connect with your baby while she actively moves in the womb.
Are the number of movements or fetal kicks important? To some extent keeping a tab on baby’s fetal movements, is important. However, keep in mind that every baby is different and so are their movements in the womb. With advancing gestational age, fetal movements tend to reduce during the last few weeks before labour because of lack of space inside the womb. There is no reason to become fanatical about fetal count, but it is important to feel fetal movements throughout the day. In the case of a high-risk pregnancy, however, it is important to keep a tab on the fetal movements to avoid fetal distress or intervene in the case of a problem. In low-risk pregnancies, reduced or abnormal fetal movements can also indicate an alarming sign.
What should one be more concerned about – reduced or increased – fetal movements? Fetal movements or kicks indicate that your baby is active and health. That being said; it doesn’t mean that more kicks signify better health of the fetus. Similarly, reduced kicks also do not always signify any emergency or fetal distress. But it is always better to consult your doctor in case you experience reduced fetal movements.
How can one know that fetal movements have reduced? Babies move a lot during their growth period when in the womb. The time interval between two fetal movements especially during the active phase is very less. So when you feel that the movements have been reduced, observe the movements for two hours. If you feel less than ten movements in two hours keep a watch for next two hours again. If there isn’t any significant change in the pattern, it is better to reach out for the doctor immediately.
How can one keep a record of fetal movements to learn the pattern of baby’s movements? From the time you start to notice fetal movements, note down the time between the first movement and the tenth one. This would include all kinds of movements like kicks, rolling, swishes, etc. This would give you an idea about your baby’s movements and the pattern followed in the womb.
What can one do after experiencing reduced fetal movements? There can be a host of reasons that could lead to reduced fetal movement, and it’s not always the cause of panic. If ever you feel that your baby’s movements have reduced, try the following, • Walk or go for a stroll and relax for a while. Sometimes stress, inactivity can make your baby go into sleep or inactive state for a while. • Eat something cold, like an ice-cream or a milk shake, the coolness and the change in temperature inside the womb can make your baby move. • Listen to music or talk to your baby. Often an external stimulus like a loud noise leads to fetal movement and also kicks.
When should one worry about fetal movements? Following are the signs that can make you worried about your baby’s movements, • Experiencing less than 10 movements in the gap of two hours. • Reduced or no movement in response to external stimuli like sound, pat or even soothing voice of the parents. • A gradual decrease in fetal movements for more than two consecutive days.
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know about your baby’s kicks during pregnancy
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