Pregnancy is an important and exciting period in the life of any woman. There is nothing more long-awaited and more pleasant than the first movements of the fetus. Every expectant mother wants to know in advance what feelings she will experience. What week of pregnancy should I expect the first fetal movements? How to read them correctly and what is it for? Answers to such questions can be found in the article below.
Sensations of a pregnant woman with the first movements of the fetus
What does a pregnant woman feel when the first fetal movements occur? Sensations in most cases resemble mild internal tremors. In the early stages of pregnancy, they are very weakly expressed. During this period, it is difficult to feel the movements, especially the woman who is waiting for the firstborn. Sometimes they just resemble light rolling inside the abdomen.
For the first time, a woman can feel how the fetus is moving in the nineteenth to twenty- first week of pregnancy. It is impossible to give an unambiguous description of the feeling that the expectant mother experiences in this. Indeed, for some pregnant women, the movements resemble a swimming fish, a fluttering butterfly or a rolling wave. Others say that it is similar to the sensation as with increased intestinal motility. In any case, this happens painlessly and does not cause discomfort to the expectant mother.
In women who are pregnant for the second or third time, the walls of the uterus are more sensitive than in primiparous. Therefore, they can feel the fetal movements already for a period of 15 weeks.
The nature of fetal movements in the first trimester of pregnancy
During the first trimester of pregnancy, the embryo is actively growing. It is surrounded by the fetal membranes, amniotic fluid and muscle walls of the uterus. If you perform an ultrasound examination at about the eighth week, then you can see the movements of the limbs of the fetus. This is due to the sufficient maturity of his nervous system. Such embryo movements can be described as meaningless and chaotic. A pregnant woman cannot feel them, because they are extremely weak due to the small size of the fetus.
How the fetus moves in the second trimester of pregnancy
During the second trimester, the fetus grows, its limbs outwardly become similar to the arms and legs of an adult. At the gestational age of 14-15 weeks, the crumbs acquire greater activity and intensity. It can move freely in amniotic fluid, pushing off from the walls of the uterus. However, the expectant mother cannot feel such movements due to the fact that the fetus is still too small.
When the eighteenth week arrives, the baby already reaches such proportions that a woman is able to feel his movements for the first time. The timing of fetal movement can vary depending on whether the expectant mother is expecting a firstborn, or is it a second pregnancy.
During this period, the fetus does not yet occupy any specific place inside the mother, so tremors can be felt in various parts of the abdomen. The kid finds himself various activities: he knocks with legs and handles, clings to the umbilical cord, turns his head. Shocks become more intense when the fetus rolls over. At the same time, you can see how the belly of the future mother changes its shape. The question that worries the pregnant woman after she felt the first movements of the fetus is: "How to count them correctly and should it be done?" It is not worthwhile to engage in targeted fixation of the baby’s movements during the second trimester. You should just enjoy these pleasant moments.
Features of fetal movements in the third trimester of pregnancy
At the beginning of the third trimester, the fetus intensively turns over and takes such poses in which it is comfortable. When the thirty-thirty second week of pregnancy arrives, he occupies the position in which he will be until the birth. Most often, the baby is placed upside down. This position is correct. Fetal movement during head presentation is most actively felt in the upper abdomen of a pregnant woman. If the baby is placed in the buttocks or legs down, then its movements are best distinguished in that part of the abdomen, which is located near the inguinal region.
As the moment of birth approaches, the woman will increasingly feel the movements and tremors in places where the limbs of the fetus are located. Sometimes this can be painful.
Shortly before the onset of childbirth, the baby stops moving actively, because it is already large, and he simply does not have enough space to carry out strong shocks.
Fetal movements: how to count?
Starting from about the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy, the gynecologist can recommend the expectant mother to count the fetal movements daily according to a special technique. This will determine whether the physical activity of the baby is normal.
Each pregnant woman has an exchange card, which contains a special table. The fetal movements should be fixed in it daily. This will help to compile a complete picture of the motor activity of the crumbs and, thanks to such observations, evaluate its general condition and well-being.
For the correct filling of the table, you need to understand what is meant by one stirring. This is not every single push, but a complex of movements as a whole. That is, if the fetus kicked the mother once, then it turned over and began to move again, this should be noted as one stir. You need to be responsible for maintaining the table. After all, with its correct filling, it will be easier for the doctor to determine both the emotional and physical state of the crumbs.
To date, there are a number of methods for calculating fetal movements. The most famous of them are described below.
Pearson Method
The most popular test. The fetal movements in this case should be considered starting at nine in the morning. After the baby moves for the tenth time, it is necessary to note this time in a special table. Until the end of the day, further calculations can be forgotten. The next morning, the procedure is repeated. Counted to ten - noted in the table the corresponding time.
This study does not imply a fixation of each movement, number of movements or time of shocks. If the pregnant woman senses ten movements, then the fetus is all right, and you can not worry. Pearson's method assumes that the required number of movements must be completed before nine in the evening.
Cardiff Method
This study is also based on the principle of "count to ten." However, when using this technique, the individual characteristics of the baby are taken into account, because some crumbs are awake at night, and during the day they rest. The Cardiff method does not tie a pregnant woman to a specific start time for counting tremors. The expectant mother herself should note in a special table when the fetus moved for the first time in a day, and make sure that at least 10 manifestations of motor activity are carried out over the next twelve hours. The time of the tenth stirring must be fixed.
Sadowski Method
How does this test work? In this case, the fetal movements should be counted after each meal. Within two hours after this, the fetus should be pushed at least four times. Such a number of movements will mean that there is no reason to worry or worry.
Why you need to listen to the movements?
One of the most dangerous conditions for the fetus is hypoxia. This state of oxygen starvation occurs when the normal flow of blood to the placenta is disrupted. The consequence of this may be various impaired functioning of the nervous or cardiovascular system of the baby. A prolonged lack of oxygen can adversely affect the mental and physical development of the fetus. In order to protect the baby from hypoxia, the expectant mother needs to monitor the intensity and frequency of movements every day, starting from about the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy.
During the third trimester, a woman already knows the approximate nature of the motor activity of her baby. Any changes in his behavior are easy for her to notice. If the pregnant woman for several hours did not feel the usual movements, you need to try the following: walk up and down the stairs or just actively move, and then lie down and relax. Usually, after such actions, the fetus makes itself felt. If the expectant mother still does not feel the baby’s movements, she should immediately contact her doctor or even call an ambulance. Observing regular fetal movements can prevent many undesirable consequences for both mother and baby.
Conclusion
Throughout pregnancy, a woman should eat right, take walks in the fresh air, be observed by an obstetrician-gynecologist and follow all his recommendations. This is especially true for observations of the motor activity of the baby. What sensations can be experienced with the first shocks of the crumbs? When to start fixing fetal movements? How to read them correctly? The answers to these and other questions are given in the article.
Pregnancy is a special, magical and reverent period in a woman’s life. Answer the baby to the manifestation of his activity, gently speak with him, stroke your tummy and enjoy these moments. After all, now you are for the baby - the whole world!