Each pregnant woman with special awe awaits the first stirring of her baby. This is the main evidence of the well-being of the child and his vitality. That is why future mothers are worried about whether the baby is comfortable in the stomach, whether he receives enough oxygen, and if he moves too much. In our article, we dwell in detail on the situation when the child is very active in the stomach. We will pay special attention to the reasons for this behavior of the baby and talk about how to help him calm down faster.
When does the baby begin to move in the stomach?
Despite modern methods of diagnosing the fetus, movements are almost the main confirmation of its normal development and growth. Usually the expectant mother begins to feel them at the fifth month of pregnancy. But in fact, the child begins to move much earlier.
At the eighth week of pregnancy, the fetal nervous system begins to form. At this point, he already has muscle tissue, which is excited by nerve impulses. The first motor reflexes caused by contractions of the nerve endings are observed in the fetus from the end of the eighth week of pregnancy. Thus, in the uterus, the baby begins to move quite early, although unconsciously. In addition, there is still a lot of space in the fetal bladder and the embryo floats freely in it, without touching its walls.
At about 16 weeks of gestation, the baby begins to respond with movements to sounds, primarily to the voice of his mother. With each subsequent week of fetal movement, it only intensifies. At 18 weeks old, he already touches the umbilical cord, covers his face with his hands and makes other simple movements.
The date when a woman can say for sure that the baby in the abdomen is very actively moving is individual for each pregnant woman. This happens between 18 and 22 weeks. It all depends on the sensitivity threshold of each particular woman. With each subsequent week, the movements become more intense and clear. According to them, a pregnant woman can judge whether the baby grows and develops normally in the uterus, whether it receives enough nutrition and oxygen.
What does the expectant mother feel?
In order for the pregnant woman to feel the first movements, the child must bump enough against the wall of the uterus. In this case, the feelings of the future mother will be barely noticeable. They can be compared with the movements of a small fish or the flutter of a butterfly. But from that moment on, the woman becomes the very “sensor” that allows you to monitor the condition of the baby in the stomach.
The first movements of the baby do not have clear coordination, but over time they acquire a certain meaning and significance. In many ways, the frequency of fetal movements depends on the activity of the mother and on the time of day. On average, a five-month-old baby in the womb makes up to 60 movements daily.
From about the 24th week, the baby's movements become clearer, and in the third trimester you can even see how the stomach moves. The sensations of movement are more reminiscent of the movements of a newborn. Most women call them very pleasant.
For a long time, the expectant mother often when the baby is moving feels pain in the hypochondrium. This is not a deviation from the norm. It is enough to change the position of the body and the movements will become moderate. If the active movements of the fetus in this case will cause a woman pain, it is recommended to inform the doctor about this.
Intensity of movement and well-being of the fetus
From the moment the expectant mother senses the first movements of the baby in her stomach, she must constantly listen and control them. Complete cessation of movement within 12 hours is a very alarming signal. At 6 months of pregnancy, the fetus should make 10-15 movements per hour, if it is in the waking state. In this case, the baby can sleep for a long time, about three hours in a row. Experienced mothers know what to do in this case. If you hold your breath for a few seconds or eat a piece of chocolate, then the baby usually wakes up and begins to become active. Fear in the pregnant woman should cause complete rest of the fetus during the day. In this case, you need to see a doctor so that he can listen to the baby’s heart rate or have an ultrasound scan.
The experiences of the future mother can be associated not only with a lull in the stomach, but also with why the child is active, and more precisely, why he moves more than usual. First of all, this may be due to the uncomfortable position that a woman has taken (sitting with her legs crossed, lying on her back), in which insufficient oxygen is delivered to the child. In this case, you need to change the position. If after 1-2 hours the child’s activity does not decrease, you should consult a doctor.
Thus, the expectant mother should be alerted by both the excessive activity of the fetus and its weak movements. But there should be no reason to panic. Just this is another reason to contact a specialist.
Movement Test
From the 28th week of pregnancy, the expectant mother should take control of the baby’s activity. Such a test is carried out 2 times a day (morning and evening) and consists in performing a simple sequence of actions. Mom needs to count the number of movements during a certain period of time and write them down. The test is performed in the following sequence:
- Mom records the time of the first stirring (for example, 9 a.m.).
- A woman captures all fetal movements, including light kicks and upheavals.
- As soon as 10 movements are recorded, the counting stops. As a result, the time interval from the first to the last push should be about 20 minutes. This indicates a good activity of the fetus.
- If the pregnant woman does not feel the baby's movements for an hour, she is recommended to have a snack with chocolate or drink sweet tea, and then continue the control count. If the activity of the fetus remains low, you should consult a doctor.
It is worth noting that from 28 to 32 weeks the baby will move more actively than, for example, in later stages of pregnancy. This fact must also be taken into account when calculating the movements.
Why is the baby in the stomach moving very actively?
The norm is when the pregnant woman feels 10 clear movements during the day. Moreover, in recent weeks, kicks may be less pronounced, their nature changes. This is explained by the fact that by the end of pregnancy, the baby becomes already large enough and it is cramped in the stomach. If from 24 to 32 weeks a woman counts more than 10-15 movements per day, she needs to see a doctor.
It should be noted that usually a child in the abdomen is very active due to:
- hypoxia - lack of oxygen to the fetus;
- unstable emotional state of the future mother, overexcitation, stress;
- smoking, drinking alcohol and other bad habits;
- unbalanced diet.
The use of caffeine, too spicy food and other foods that have a bright taste, negatively affects the emotional state of the baby, because of which he can move harder. To help the baby settle down, one should find out why the baby in the stomach is very active. In addition to the above reasons, the fetus reacts sharply to other factors that occur outside.
The influence of environmental factors on fetal activity
A child in the womb is able to respond to what is happening in the environment by changing his habitual behavior. Factors contributing to this include:
- music and other sounds, noise;
- touch of future mom and dad;
- smells.
Most kids do not like the loud sounds that he hears from the outside. He answers them with movements. Usually, the activity of the fetus is enhanced in response to the loud sound of working power tools, too loud music, etc. As a rule, the child can be reassured only when unpleasant sounds from the outside subside. Psychologists recommend avoiding them during pregnancy.
At the same time, if the baby in the stomach is very active, you can quickly calm him down with the help of classical music. US scientists have proven that the works of Mozart or Vivaldi have a positive effect on the children's nervous system and intrauterine development. When listening to calm classical music, the baby easily calms down with his mother.
After 24 weeks of pregnancy, fetal movements can give the expectant mother quite painful sensations. In this case, when the child is very active in the stomach, the touch of dad can calm him. It is enough for him to put a palm to his stomach so that the baby is quiet for a while. If you don’t immediately remove your hand, then the fetal tremors can even intensify, because the babies in the womb love to play with new people whose touch they feel.
Child's reaction to smells
Not only touches and sounds affect the motor activity of the baby. He also reacts to some unpleasant odors with strong movements, as if trying to turn his back on them. It is proved that the child in the womb does not like the smell of chlorine, acetone, oil and acrylic paint, varnish, various solvents, etc.
The baby begins to move actively and when exposed to tobacco smoke. Nicotine has a strong negative effect on the fetus. Moreover, not only the direct smoking of the mother, but also the smell of smoke in the room negatively affects the intrauterine development of the child. In both the first and second cases, the child experiences oxygen starvation, and starting to move strongly, he tries to cope with hypoxia. It is enough for mom to leave the smoked room for fresh air and the baby will immediately calm down.
The constant effect of unpleasant odors negatively affects the fetal development of the fetus, interferes with normal weight gain, oligohydramnios. That is why a pregnant woman should refuse to participate in the repair, cleaning using aggressive detergents and smoking.
Active baby movement before childbirth
The highest motor activity of the fetus is observed from 24 to 32 weeks, which is associated with the features of intrauterine development of the baby. The baby grows, develops and seeks to know the world around him, which at the moment for him is limited to the walls of the uterus. In addition, already in the womb, the baby lives according to its own rhythm of life. During wakefulness, he becomes more active, while during sleep there is a lull. Over time, the expectant mother will learn to understand the established regimen of the baby's day.
On the eve of its birth, the child usually calms down. He still moves daily, but his movements become less intense and rare. He can roll over, kick mom with legs and arms, but he will not be able to roll over on his own. Among pregnant women there is a sign according to which, if the baby stops moving actively, then childbirth is very close. At 40 weeks, the baby has very little space in the uterus. If even at this time the child is very actively moving in his stomach, then this behavior is an exception to the rule and it should alert the expectant mother.
Usually, intense fetal movements before birth indicate some discomfort or oxygen starvation. In this case, if the child is very active in the abdomen, it is recommended that the pregnant woman go out into the fresh air and take a walk. If this does not help and the movements are still strong, the woman is advised to consult a doctor. At this time, the risk of oxygen starvation is quite high and carries a great danger to the fetus.
How to determine if hypoxia has begun?
When changing the nature of fetal movements, their frequency and intensity, ultrasound or cardiotocography is recommended. But for starters, it will be enough to turn to the treating obstetrician-gynecologist, who can listen to the baby’s heart rhythms. It is proved that if a child does not receive oxygen, his behavior in the abdomen becomes restless, and his heart rate increases. Together with other parameters, excessive fetal activity allows the doctor to diagnose the initial stage of intrauterine hypoxia. The reasons for this condition may be different:
- pregnancy complications;
- rhesus conflict;
- fetal diseases of the fetus;
- expectant mother anemia, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases.
The condition when a child is very actively moving in the abdomen refers to the initial stage of hypoxia. At this point, the heart rate increases by an average of 15 beats per minute. With progressive hypoxia, a weakening or cessation of its movements occurs.
To determine the condition of the fetus is used:
- ultrasound diagnostics - the thickness of the placenta, the amount of amniotic fluid, the position of the umbilical cord, the size of the child;
- Dopplerometry - this method allows you to study the blood flow between the placenta and the fetus;
- cardiotocography - using special sensors, you can track the baby's heartbeat, his breathing and movements.
To prevent oxygen starvation, expectant mothers are advised to relax and walk more in the fresh air.
How to help a very active child calm down in the stomach?
If during the day the fetus moves, the expectant mother is rarely uncomfortable, especially if she is in motion all day, then at night they can become the main cause of insomnia. In order to calm a child who is very active in the abdomen, a pregnant woman should take the following measures:
- Walks in the open air. They are needed to prevent oxygen starvation and excessive fetal activity. If it is not possible to walk before bedtime, then thorough ventilation of the room will suffice. Also a good prevention of hypoxia is gymnastics and various workouts.
- Change of body position. Often, increased fetal activity can be caused by the uncomfortable position of the mother. Sometimes simple overturns from the back to the side help to cope with the child’s strong movements in the stomach.
- Eliminating the source of stress. The emotional relationship of the mother with the baby is very close, so it is no coincidence that he is sharply reacting to her mood. A balanced mom and baby grows calmer.
- Listening to calm music. Classical music and a gentle parental voice have a positive effect on the condition of the fetus.
- Balanced diet. The food that mom eats during pregnancy should be healthy. Preservatives, caffeine, flavors excite the nervous system of the fetus. They should be discarded during pregnancy.
- Reception of soothing herbal teas and decoctions. Caffeine-rich black tea during pregnancy is best replaced with a herbal drink with mint or lemon balm.
- Establishing contact with the child. Rhythmic stroking movements on the stomach soothe the baby. This should be taken into account if the baby is very active in the stomach at night. The warmth of his mother's hands will help him calm down faster.