One of the most exciting sensations in the life of every woman is the first movements during pregnancy. Many expectant mothers who are carrying their first child are worried about how the fetal movements feel, how long it usually happens, how often and how intensely the baby should “kick”. Naturally, each course of pregnancy is individual, so we will consider the average norms and indicators regarding the movement of the child.

When the first movements are felt

During pregnancy, the first fetal movement is felt in the second half of an interesting position, between 18 and 22 weeks. This does not mean that until this time the baby sleeps quietly in his mother's tummy and does not move. It's just that he is still so small that the woman does not feel how he, starting from the walls of the uterus, floats in amniotic fluid. By 18-20 weeks, the baby grows so much that the expectant mother can already notice his slight movements. Most women experience the sensation of the first movement at 20-22 weeks of pregnancy. In the second trimester, it is felt like tremors in different parts of the abdomen: the baby still has enough space to move in all directions, to twist arms and legs, to “play” with the umbilical cord. The longer the gestation period, the baby becomes larger and, accordingly, stronger. His confident kicking of his mother's belly from the inside is very different from the timid, first movements. During pregnancy up to 30-32 weeks, the baby still freely turns over, and then he takes a stable position with his head down (head presentation of the fetus), although in some cases the baby is located with his buttocks or legs down (breech presentation of the fetus).

Many women note that the first movements during the second pregnancy are felt much earlier than during the first. This phenomenon is explained very simply, the expectant mother already knows how the movement of the baby in the tummy is felt. While during the first pregnancy, she could confuse slight fetal movements with increased gas formation or intestinal motility, or muscle contractions. In addition, in women who are not pregnant for the first time, the anterior abdominal wall is more stretched, and therefore more sensitive. According to statistics, most expectant mothers feel the first movements during the second pregnancy for a period of about 16 weeks.

It is noticed that plump women a little later they feel the first movements of the baby in the stomach than thinner expectant mothers.

How often and how intensely should the baby move

After the feeling of joy from the sensation of the first movements has passed, the expectant mother begins to wonder how often and how much the baby should push when normal flow interesting position. Indeed, by the nature of the child's motor activity, one can judge how well he grows and develops, how comfortable he is in his mother's tummy.

Until about the 26th week of pregnancy, while the baby is still relatively small, the expectant mother can feel his movements only a few times a day. This does not mean that he is inactive and moves little, it's just that a woman still does not recognize the movements of her baby well enough, and may not notice some of his movements. According to the average data, after 26-28 weeks, the child should actively move about 10 times in 2-3 hours.

To make it easy and convenient for the expectant mother to determine whether her child is moving often enough or not, obstetrician-gynecologists advise from the moment when the first movements began to be clearly felt, to conduct the so-called fetal movement calendar. Every day, the expectant mother must count the number of baby movements she felt, and every time she feels the tenth “kick”, mark the time of this event on the calendar. In cases where it seems to a woman that the baby is not moving actively enough, she should take a comfortable position and relax, before that you can eat something (there is an unproven hypothesis that after eating the child moves more intensively). If, after two hours, the pregnant woman did not feel 5-10 movements, then she needs to slowly climb up and down the stairs, walk around, and then lie down again calmly. In most cases, the activities listed above lead to the activation of the baby's motor activity. If, after 2-3 hours, the woman did not feel tremors from the inside, then she should seek the advice of a gynecologist as soon as possible so that he checks the condition of the child in her mother's stomach.

Many women begin to worry if the baby moves very energetically. But don't worry, there's nothing wrong with that. Too active movements of the child are not a pathology, most often the reason for such violent activity is that the expectant mother has taken an unsuccessful position, which causes discomfort to the baby. Usually, increased motor activity is observed in cases where a woman is sitting, leaning back strongly, or lying on her back. It is worth the pregnant woman to change the position of her body, for example, lie on her side or sit down, leaning forward, as the child calms down and moves less intensively.

How often should a child move normally, does the number of felt movements per day depend on the duration of pregnancy? These questions are very important, because in such a simple way a mother can monitor the well-being of her baby? If the child moves very often in the stomach, you may have taken an uncomfortable position, a bright beam of light falls on your stomach, etc. But it’s worse if the baby calms down and does not make itself felt for a long time. This may indicate a lack of oxygen - hypoxia, or even its death.

So, the baby begins to move for a period of more than 18 weeks. Only after 18 weeks does this information become diagnostically valuable for doctors. Yes, some women feel their children even earlier. Especially those who are expecting the birth of the second, third and larger babies. They already know exactly how the baby should move, they will never confuse these sensations with gas formation in the intestines, uterine tone, etc. However, these tremors are very light, they are felt irregularly. Therefore, their counting can and should be started no earlier than at 18 weeks. And from 20 weeks, you can even start a special diary in which you should record all the series of fetal movements. These are the recommendations of foreign doctors. Our doctors, however, offer such measures only to those expectant mothers who are suspected of having problems - fetoplacental insufficiency, there are reasons for the occurrence of hypoxia, obesity, in the past there was a case of intrauterine fetal death, etc.

The question of whether the child often moves is always asked by the doctor at the consultation of his patient with a period of more than 18-20 weeks of pregnancy. Normally, there should be at least 10 series of shocks per day. In "quiet" intervals, when the baby's movements are not felt, he usually sleeps. In utero, babies sleep for a long time.

If you feel that something is wrong, you should not ask your friends if they had something similar and not ask for online consultations on medical forums, but visit a gynecologist in person. The doctor will listen to the child's heartbeat and will be able to determine right on the spot whether acute hypoxia is taking place. If necessary, unscheduled ultrasound can be prescribed with a study of blood flow in the umbilical cord and placenta, as well as CTG.

It is also possible to provoke fetal movements on your own. To do this, you need to do light physical labor, eat, take a shower, lie on your side or just stroke your stomach - for a long time it almost always works.

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Time of the first movements
So, if the pregnancy is the first, then women begin to feel the first movements of the baby between 18 and 22 weeks. With a second pregnancy, the mother can feel it already from the 16th week. As a rule, in women, especially for those who are pregnant for the first time, this raises many questions: how often and how intensively the child should move, and many others. It is difficult to unequivocally answer these questions, since the norms that relate to fetal movements have a wide range and are associated with individual characteristics every baby.

The nature of the movements
The embryo begins to move already from the 7th - 8th week of its development. Only the woman does not feel these movements yet. The child is still too small. , and therefore his movements become tangible. As the child grows, his movements become more and more distinct. In the second trimester of pregnancy, women tend to feel tremors in different areas of the abdomen. This is because there is enough room for the baby to move around the uterus. As the baby grows, light pushes feel more like kicks, and when the baby rolls over, the stomach noticeably changes its shape. In the third trimester of pregnancy, the mother can notice when the baby is sleeping and when she is awake. And also by active movements the baby can understand that the position she takes at a certain moment is uncomfortable for the child.

Jolt frequency
The frequency of movements during pregnancy also changes, as does the nature of the tremors. , there is a lot of space for him in the uterus, so a woman can feel long breaks between tremors. Sometimes such breaks can last even a day. This does not mean at all that the fetus does not move. Just a woman does not notice some of his movements. But from the 28th week, according to experts, the child should move an average of 10 times within three hours.

Movement rates
To understand whether the baby is moving normally, you need to carefully count each movement during the day and note the time. Which accounts for every tenth fetal movement. If it seems to a woman that the baby has calmed down, then you need to take a comfortable position, have a little snack, since eating increases the activity of the fetus and note how many times the baby moved in two hours. If there were five to ten movements, then everything is in order. If within two hours there is no movement at all, then the woman needs to walk around, and then lie down. As a rule, the movements are then activated. If the movements did not occur for another three hours, then you need to see a doctor. Movements should always be listened to. And if it seemed to the woman that the child had become less active, then this should also be told to the doctor.

Disappearance of perturbations
The disappearance of perturbations is an alarming indicator. If a woman in the third trimester of pregnancy does not feel the baby's movements within six hours, you need to see a doctor. Perhaps the child is suffering from a lack of oxygen. The doctor will conduct an examination, listen to the child's heartbeat, prescribe a CTG. If hypoxia is detected, then the pregnant woman is prescribed treatment or decides on immediate delivery. It all depends on the degree of hypoxia, the condition of the mother and child. The decision is made individually in each case.

Update: October 2018

All expectant mothers look forward to fetal movements during pregnancy, this is the first contact with the child, which makes the maternal instinct turn on, if this has not happened before. The movements of the unborn baby not only bring great joy to future parents, but help them suspect a pathology and immediately contact an obstetrician. When they start, how many perturbations are normal should be of interest to all pregnant women.

Why does the fetus move?

The movements of a little man in the womb are necessary, they speak of his growth and development. The baby begins to move already in the first trimester, at about 7 to 8 weeks. By week 10, he has swallowing movements, he can change the trajectory of his movements and touch the walls of the amniotic bladder. But the size of the embryo is still insufficient, it only floats freely in the amniotic fluid, it rarely “collides” with the uterine walls, so the woman still does not feel anything.

Starting from the 16th week, the fetus is already sensitive to sounds, which is manifested by an active motor reaction. From the 18th week, the future baby begins to touch the umbilical cord with his hands, knows how to squeeze, unclench his fingers, touches his face.

Therefore, the fetus worries in the mother's stomach, which in turn worries the woman when exposed to external factors that are unpleasant for the baby:

• strong, unpleasant, loud sounds;
• feeling of discomfort in the womb, for example, the mother's hunger;
• stress experienced by the mother (due to the release of adrenaline, the vessels, including those in the placenta, are reduced, the blood supply worsens);
• oxygen starvation (due to active movements, the placenta is stimulated, its blood supply is increased, which provides the child with additional oxygen).

In addition, if a woman has taken an uncomfortable position when large vessels are squeezed, the child experiences a lack of oxygen and also becomes active.

First movements

The first movement of the fetus each woman feels differently in different time. When this happens depends on several factors:

• gestational age;
• first or second, etc. pregnancy;
• time of day (usually in the evening or at night);
• mother's complexion (thin or full);
• Times of Day;
• variant of placenta attachment;
• Lifestyle;
• individual sensitivity (some feel from 15 to 16 weeks);
• mother's behavior (physically active women they just don't notice the movement).

According to statistics, the first fetal movement during the first pregnancy is felt by a pregnant woman at 20 weeks. And with repeated bearing of the fetus, the terms of stirring are reduced to 18 weeks.

But everything is individual, even for an individual woman, the second, third and subsequent pregnancy proceeds every time in a new way. If a woman during her second pregnancy began to feel fetal movement at 19 weeks, then during the third pregnancy these terms may change (feel sooner or later).

Movement rate

The rate of fetal movements depends on the gestational age of the expectant mother. The baby is constantly moving, but of course, a woman cannot feel all his movements.

• At a period of 20 - 22 weeks, the fetus makes up to 200 movements per day,
• but by 27 - 32 weeks he is already doing about 600 movements. It is characteristic that with the beginning of the third trimester (32 weeks), the amount decreases, which is explained by its weight (the fetus is already quite large) and it becomes cramped in the uterus. There are no longer “large” movements (turns and coups in the uterus) and the baby can only produce “small” arms and legs.
• After the 28th week, the average amount is 8 - 10 per hour. The exception is the periods of sleep of the child, which is equal to 3 - 4 hours - at this time the baby does not make active movements. The expectant mother should remember certain cycles of the child's activity. The greatest activity is observed from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m., and the decrease in activity or the so-called state of rest falls on the period from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m.
• By 32 weeks, the fetus takes the final position, as a rule, it is the head to the small pelvis (longitudinal position, head presentation). But the transverse position or breech presentation is not excluded. Mom should not despair, to correct such provisions, the doctor will always prescribe special exercises that help the fetus turn over and take it to the “correct” position - longitudinal, with the head to the small pelvis.

If the child has taken the “correct” position, that is, head down, then the pregnant woman will feel movements in the upper abdomen (the child “beats” with her legs). In the case of a breech presentation, the movements will be felt below, at the bosom.

Changing the intensity of the movements

If the baby in the womb feels good and comfortable, and the mother does not experience any external or internal stimuli, then the movements are rhythmic and smooth. Otherwise, the nature of the movements changes dramatically, which should alert the woman and requires the advice of an obstetrician.

As a rule, a woman notes the "increased" activity of the baby when she is calm and resting. Conversely, many mothers are frightened that during her vigorous activity the child does not move at all. Such a phenomenon is easily explained. When a woman is at rest, she listens more carefully to her feelings and carefully notes the movements of the child. When she is busy, she does not have time to be distracted from business and she simply does not notice that the baby is moving. In order to dispel her doubts (the child is ill, he is dying), the pregnant woman should sit down and relax, following how he moves.

Doctors very often advise pregnant women to take the position of bed rest - on the left side. It is in this position that the blood supply to the uterus is enhanced, which is used in the treatment of chronic fetal hypoxia and for its prevention.

Possible change in activity from uncomfortable or not right position body of a woman, for example, lying on her back or sitting with a straight back. When the expectant mother lies on her back, the pregnant uterus strongly compresses the inferior vena cava (one of the main blood vessels).

When this vessel is compressed, blood flow to the uterus is significantly reduced and the baby begins to experience oxygen deficiency.

So that mommy understands that he is ill, he has violent and frequent movements. It is quite simple to establish blood circulation and eliminate hypoxia - mom should turn on her side.

Also, the motor activity of the child changes if the mother is in a stuffy or smoky room. Due to the lack of oxygen, the child reacts to the situation with painful and strong shocks. A woman should leave the room and take a walk in order to restore a comfortable state for herself and the baby.

In addition, fetal tremors change if the mother feels hungry. He suffers from lack nutrients and "calms down", moves sluggishly and reluctantly. But as soon as the pregnant woman has a snack, the joy of the baby is expressed in increased activity.

Movements in pathological conditions

If the child’s motor activity suddenly becomes violent, prolonged and causes pain to a woman, this indicates some kind of pathological condition and requires immediate medical attention:

• Threatened preterm birth

Movements become frequent and violent due to the increased tone of the uterus.

• Polyhydramnios

In this case, the nature of the shocks is radically different. They are rarely felt by a woman, and their strength is insignificant, which is explained by the large volume of the uterus, where the baby rarely touches its walls and the mother does not often feel his movements.

• oligohydramnios

Due to the small volume of amniotic fluid, the child in the womb becomes crowded, he constantly "beats" in the mother's stomach, which is characterized by a woman as frequent and painful tremors.

• Acute hypoxia

For pathologies such as premature detachment placenta, preeclampsia and others, the fetus experiences acute oxygen deficiency and reacts accordingly.

• Chronic hypoxia

It develops in the presence of fetoplacental insufficiency, anemia, preeclampsia. Movement is sluggish and becomes rare.

• Diaphragmatic hernia in a pregnant woman

In this case, the mother experiences pain under the sternum when the fetus moves.

• Failure of the scar on the uterus

If a woman has a history of C-section, then with the failure of the scar, which can lead to rupture of the uterus, she feels pain in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe scar when the baby moves.

• Acute cystitis

With inflammation of the bladder, a pregnant woman complains of frequent, painful urination, pain during movements in the lower abdomen.

How do jolts feel?

Each pregnant woman describes the sensations in her own way, besides, they change with an increase in the gestational age.

• For short periods (20 - 25 weeks), women characterize them as “butterfly fluttering” or “fish swimming”. Other pregnant women report "fluttering" or "phone vibrating" or "tickling". Some describe their feelings not so romantically: "gurgling in the stomach, as if the intestines are acting up."
• After 27-28 weeks, when the fetus has already grown enough, its movements become clearer and more specific. The future mother, and even the future father, can feel a kick in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe abdomen where the hand is placed. The dissatisfaction of the baby is very often expressed by such “kicks” - in case of an uncomfortable posture by the mother or with loud and annoying sounds. But if an unfamiliar hand was applied to the mother’s stomach, the child shrinks in fear and does not want to “kick”.

Count

In order to determine how the fetus feels, it is important to count its movements. How to count fetal movements? For this purpose, several methods are used:

Pearson method

This method is based on counting movements over 12 hours. Produced from 9 am to 9 pm. During this test, only one condition is required from a woman - to reduce physical activity. All movements are considered, even the most minimal or weak ones. AT antenatal clinic the doctor issues a special form or asks you to independently compile a table of fetal movements, where the time of the tenth movement will be noted. Normally, about an hour should elapse between the first and tenth movement. And of course, the mother must remember that a period of rest is also possible, which should last no more than 4 hours. If this time is exceeded, it is urgent to contact an obstetrician.

To make a table, you should take a notebook sheet in a box and line it as follows. The gestational age is written at the top. Hours from 9.00 to 21.00 are marked vertically, and days of the week or dates are marked horizontally. From nine in the morning, you should start counting the movements. As soon as their number reaches 10, a mark is placed in the table at the hour when this happened. Additional information is entered in the table: there were less than 10 movements and how many in total. We continue the calculation in the following days and be sure to enter the data in a table, with which you need to come to the doctor's appointment.

Cardiff method

The basis of this method also consists in counting the movements of the baby in 12 hours, the only difference is that the woman herself chooses the hour to start counting. Again, a table is compiled, where the tenth stirring is recorded. It is considered normal when the tenth movement happened before the 12th hour of the study. Otherwise, see a doctor immediately.

Sadowski method

The counting of fetal movements begins after dinner from 19.00 to 23.00. This method is based on the fact that in the evening and after eating the fetus increases motor activity. Be sure to record the start time of the count, and the pregnant woman should lie on her left side at this time.

When the fetus makes 10 movements in an hour or less, the counting stops. But if there were fewer of them, continue to count the movements. An unfavorable sign is a decrease in movements (less than 10) in 2 hours.

Thus, it becomes clear that every pregnant woman can master the listed methods of counting the movements of the baby. The use of these techniques does not require any equipment and medical supervision.

Diagnosis of pathology

A change in the nature and intensity of movements in the unborn baby indicates his trouble. A formidable sign is the absence of movements for 6 or more hours, which requires immediate treatment for medical care. Methods for studying the condition of the fetus include:

Auscultation of the fetal heart

Listening to the heart rate is carried out directly by the obstetrician using an obstetric stethoscope (wooden tube). The normal fetal heart rate is 120-160 beats per minute. With a deviation in one direction or another, they talk about oxygen starvation of the baby, which requires instrumental research methods.

Cardiotocography (CTG)

CTG is considered to be an affordable, reliable and most accurate method for assessing the condition of the fetus. CTG is performed from 32 weeks of gestation, and if intrauterine pathology is suspected and more early dates(from 28 weeks). With the help of cardiotocography, not only the movements of the fetus are recorded, but also the rhythm of its heart contractions and uterine contractions. The study is carried out as follows: the pregnant woman is placed on the couch, and 2 sensors are attached to the stomach. One is in a well-listened place of the fetal heartbeat (he will register the heart rate), and the other is nearby (fixes uterine contractions). A cardiotocogram is recorded for at least 30 minutes, but it is also possible to increase the study time to 1.5 hours. During the removal of a cardiotocogram, a woman needs to note every movement of the baby and press a special button. Cardiotocogram analysis includes:

• basal heart rate (normal 120 - 160 beats per minute);
• amplitude of variability (admissibility of deviations up or down) of the basal rhythm (normal 5 - 25 beats per minute);
• decelerations (sudden jumps in the curve down) - normally absent or sporadic, shortened and shallow;
• accelerations (sudden jumps in the curve up) - normally there should be at least 2 within 10 minutes of the study.

For a more accurate diagnosis of the fetal condition, CTG is performed with functional tests (without exercise and with the introduction of intravenous oxytocin).

doppler ultrasound

Carrying out an ultrasound examination allows you to assess the size of the fetus, their compliance with the gestational age (with chronic hypoxia, there is a lag in size). The doctor also studies the structure of the placenta, the degree of maturity (signs of aging), the volume of amniotic fluid and its appearance (during oxygen starvation of the baby, these indicators change). With the help of dopplerometry, placental and umbilical vessels, blood flow velocity in them are studied. If the blood flow is reduced, they speak of intrauterine fetal hypoxia.

During the ultrasound for 20-30 minutes, the movements of the child, his heart rate and muscle tone are assessed. If the fetus does not experience discomfort, then its limbs are bent - a sign of normal muscle tone. In the case of unbent arms and legs, they speak of a reduced tone, which indicates oxygen starvation.

Question answer

This is my first child, but it's been 4 hours and I don't feel any fetal movements. What to do?

First of all, you need to calm down. The fetus does not always move actively, for 3-4 hours the absence of movements is allowed, at this time the baby is sleeping. Try to hold your breath for a while, the blood will stop flowing to the placenta, to the child, he will experience mild hypoxia and in response he will “be indignant” - he will begin to “beat” with his arms and legs. If this method does not help, watch the baby for another 30 to 40 minutes. In the absence of even the slightest movement, immediately consult an obstetrician.

What movements of the fetus should be before childbirth?

On the eve of childbirth, the baby practically stops moving, which is considered normal. The child is preparing for birth, which is a very difficult process for him and requires a lot of strength, and a decrease in the motor activity of the fetus saves energy before childbirth. But there should not be an absolute lack of movement, the baby, although occasionally, makes movements.

How does cardiotocography and Doppler ultrasound affect the child's condition? Isn't it harmful?

No, these methods are absolutely safe, both for the baby and for the mother.

I am going to give birth to my third child, the term is still small, 10 weeks. What and when should the movements be during the third pregnancy?

It is impossible to say for sure at how many weeks you will feel a stir. Here everything is individual. Normally, during a second pregnancy, the mother begins to feel the movements of the fetus from 18 weeks. But their earlier start is also possible, at 16 weeks. But the nature of the movements can be completely different, unlike the first two pregnancies, and this should not be scared. All children are different, even while still in their mother's belly.

I have a "bad" CTG, which was performed twice. Is it necessary to go to the hospital?

Yes, “bad” results of cardiotocography indicate intrauterine fetal suffering and require medical treatment in a hospital. In addition to treatment in the hospital, you will repeat CTG and, if necessary, decide on early delivery.

For the most part, women imagine their pregnancy very vaguely, many dream and wait for it, many do not even think, but when it comes, almost everyone (both the first and second) experience a slight shock. However, after the state of shock passes and when a woman gets used to the idea that she is pregnant, she begins to be interested in very, very many questions that correspond to the situation.

So actually one of the first women begin to ask the question of when will their belly begin to grow? Very soon, the tummy is rounded, and it will begin to protrude quite nicely in front of its mistress. However, at this stage, the real (full-fledged) awareness that right now something is developing inside you new life, to the young woman still does not come. This sensation and awareness usually appears only with the first incomprehensible and weak (or rather, for someone else) movements of the baby.

And finally, the pregnant woman will receive the first signs of the independence of the baby, and, undoubtedly, she will feel like a real future mother! In fact, this is a truly incredibly exciting, and one might even say a sacred intimate moment associated with pregnancy and family. Happy woman urgently hurries to report his feelings to the father of the child. Then they both sit for a long time, not moving, so that the father of the crumbs can feel small, barely perceptible tremors ...

Unfortunately, no matter what the father of the future baby is, and no matter how, in reality, a man waits for the birth of a toddler, he is still not allowed to 100% survive, and so fully (like a woman) feel these mysterious feelings.

Without a doubt, in the age of the Internet, every woman, from a certain period of pregnancy, is already beginning to wait for the appearance of signals from the inside. Nevertheless, despite all the prescriptions and deadlines, the baby may well lie low for a while ... Sometimes a baby can even scare an overly impressionable expectant mother, who, having waited for the due date, did not feel such important signals.

So how can you find out and understand that the first movements of your crumbs have already appeared? Is it possible to describe what they are, these movements and when exactly they appear. We will try to tell literally everything that all expectant mothers would need to know about the long-awaited and not always clear movements of the unborn child.

So, not all of the pregnant women know (or rather, not all believe in it) that the fetus can begin to move from about 7 or maximum from 8 weeks of pregnancy. More precisely, when his age is only 5 or 6 weeks. This is due, first of all, to the beginning of the full development of the child's nervous system. Without a doubt, at this age, if I may say so, the baby makes absolutely uncontrolled, completely chaotic movements. After all, the little one is still so negligibly small that even the expectant mother is simply not able to feel them behind the thickness of the abdominal wall.

Time goes by and we must pay tribute to the speed of development of the crumbs. As he grows, the baby constantly and incredibly quickly improves his body movements. We can say thank you to mother nature, because it is in this way (rather quickly) that the neurons of the child's brain establish their subsequent work. Gradually, coordination of all children's movements begins to occur, naturally, the limbs of the little one gradually grow stronger (at the same time, the hardening bones of the crumbs are overgrown with new muscle tissue). Further, the baby itself is actively increasing in size.

A certain time comes, and the little one is not only able to bend or unbend his limbs, now he can, according to his mood, kick his mother with his little leg, making it clear that he does not like something. Or the baby may slightly push off with his hand, wanting to swim in amniotic fluid.

It turns out, and not many people know that in the mother's big tummy for the baby, a lot of extremely interesting and entertaining activities are provided. As a rule, researchers assure that the baby can actively play with the umbilical cord, can clench its fists if desired. Sometimes babies in the womb can even do a kind of exercise by trying to reach their legs with their hands. It's hard to believe, but sometimes babies can even hide their little faces in their own palms, as if playing cuckoo. The baby can also hide his face if he is accidentally scared by something or simply does not like it.

Also, swimming in large, still, amniotic fluid, a very small tadpole can quite noticeably hit the head or ass against the walls of the uterus. Actually, such strong tremors from the point of view of the baby are usually the expectant mother and can begin to feel the very first.

As a rule, this begins to occur in the time period between the sixteenth and twenty-second weeks. Moreover, for each specific woman, the time period for the appearance of the first movements varies dramatically. And some women can generally perceive the first movements as some kind of seething of food in the stomach.

Some obstetricians say that a pregnant woman can really feel the very first movements even a little earlier than the indicated period. Especially if the woman is thin, emotional and attentive to her own feelings. Also, at an earlier date, women who have more experience and not the first pregnancy can feel the first movements of the baby.

However, in practice, most primiparous women begin to fully feel the presence of their children in the stomach at the sixteenth week. In any case, women who have already crossed their twenty-two week milestone, and have not felt real movements, should not be overly worried.

I must say that some women may simply not notice such movements, they are so invisible and unobtrusive, especially if the woman is active and constantly busy at work. Some women, as we have already said, may confuse baby movements with increased peristalsis, especially since some digestive disorders were observed in the first weeks of pregnancy.

So how do you manage and not miss such an exciting and unique initial acquaintance with your little one with your Katenka or Maximka?

The reality is that the vast majority of women who once experienced this exciting and unique life moment are completely sure that these feelings cannot be confused with anything. And, nevertheless, the very first movements of the crumbs are so light, gentle and almost imperceptible that you can not even pay proper attention to them. Or, on the contrary, they are so incomprehensible that the movements of the little one can be mistaken, say, for the overly active work of our intestines.

Modern mothers very affectionately call such primary, barely perceptible body movements - cute stirrers. Probably, a more accurate name cannot be chosen, because these movements actually are exactly those. Do not expect that you suddenly feel a sharp blow to the stomach. Or feel how the heel rests on your rib.

The very first stirring will definitely be almost airy and, quite possibly, even to some extent phantom. And only in this way are ready to describe this feeling a variety of pregnant women. Women themselves usually use the following phrases to explain the felt movements:

• It looks like a fish splashing its tail on the water.
• Perhaps like a butterfly flapping its wings.
• Looks like easy balloon rolls over the ground.
• Reminds me of an air bubble moving in water.

Remember, have you ever felt something like this? Know, most likely, these were the very unique stirrers.

The need to control baby movements

You need to know that at the very beginning of pregnancy, your baby's movements will be extremely gentle and relatively infrequent. Or rather, you will understand that the baby is moving, sleeping.

However, it is important not to be frightened and to know that a woman at this stage is not able to feel all the existing movements of the crumbs. However, already from the twenty-eighth week, as most doctors believe, the fetus can grow quite enough for any woman to fully feel it and even learn to clearly understand it.

It is extremely important for expectant mothers to know that the regular, preferably calm movements of their unborn child are actually extremely important point and even a sign of life. Doctors are convinced that by the nature and also by the number of such movements, it is possible to assume how comfortable the future baby feels while in the mother's womb. Moreover, by such movements it is quite possible to judge the development of the little one.

This is probably why many of the gynecologists advise all their pregnant wards to periodically monitor such children's movements, per day. Recall that it makes sense to control movements only starting from the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy and not earlier than that.

And for such control, it is necessary to learn how to fix literally every group or every series of children's movements. An excellent indicator is considered to be if you can count on average about ten such series or “visits” of children's activity during one day.

If we are not talking about a series of perturbations, but simply about their total number of perturbations, then at least ten of them should be felt for every three hours. However, today there are many other ways to maintain full control over the perceived movements of children.

For example, the so-called Dr. Pearson test is very popular today. This method is also called "Count to ten." So the meaning of this test is to write down literally every tenth baby movement in a strictly special tablet. Moreover, the movements should be counted in the time interval between nine o'clock in the morning and nine o'clock in the evening. So for the whole day a pregnant woman should fix about ten such movements.

In cases where a woman at a certain point has ceased to feel any movements and it seems to her that they have disappeared completely, she can try to do another important test:

1. To begin with, you should have a bite of something tasty or even a hearty meal, of course, if you are already hungry. Doctors are convinced that babies in the womb can react especially vividly to sweets received by their mother's body. After that, your baby should be activated. And in the next two or three hours, normally, you will need to count about five or ten new movements.
2. In the event that nothing has changed after eating, try to gently be active on your own. Let's say, do very light, but always physical labor. You can just take a walk, or do special exercises for pregnant women. However, then try to lie down (it will be better if you choose the left side for this) and listen again. It is important to remember that the most alarming sign in this case will be the complete absence of any movements of the baby for the next three hours.

Note that for more later dates pregnancy, you can even just shine a flashlight directly on your stomach or turn on the music you like louder. As a rule, children respond well to a sharp change in lighting and, of course, to various pleasant ones. future mother sounds.

The real reason to be wary is considered to be excessively increased (painful) or reduced (up to the absence) activity of the baby in the womb of the expectant mother. It is believed that in case of excessive activity in the womb, the baby may be significantly lacking incoming oxygen. In such cases, the baby begins to actively massage and pull the placenta in order to somehow get the necessary oxygen. In case of excessive calmness, there is a very dangerous possibility that the baby is lagging behind in development or there are significant violations in it.

It is also important to understand that it is far from always and not under all circumstances that one should take complete silence or the riot that is happening inside literally. Agree, after all, in a given period of time for a baby, this, in general, the only way to be able to convey to your mother your own “point of view” or “your mood”. That, in general, is why doctors recommend, from the very first movements, to try to learn how to fully communicate with your own baby and at the same time understand all the signs of each other.

By the way, children's intrauterine activity can often increase in a state of complete rest of the expectant mother. Perhaps the baby is also worried about why his mom is not active.

And speaking seriously, then, firstly, this is justified by the fact that during the movements of your body that occur throughout the day, a pleasant soothing lulling of the crumbs is carried out. And, secondly, the woman herself becomes a little more sensitive and more focused at the moment when she lies down and completely relaxes. So, as a rule, by the night a pregnant woman can always expect another session of stirring or even tapping mommy.

I must say that daily learning the language of the movements made by the baby is an extremely important, useful and rather entertaining activity. So in a simple way a pregnant woman significantly strengthens her invisible connection with a descendant that has not yet been born and has not seen the light of day. In fact, it is very important to try to involve the future dad in this difficult process.

It is also very valuable to learn how to soothe your baby already at this stage. After all, right now the baby will often enough need support and reassurance. An attentive mother can learn perfectly to distinguish between a variety of “moving” signs and signs, which indeed can often be very specific requests or even real demands from your unborn child.

Well, probably the very first and most important thing that baby movements can talk about is the specific physiological needs of a tiny belly-maker. Perhaps the baby is hungry, alarmed by something, perhaps somewhat frightened, or perhaps upset or trite - you, dear mother, have taken a position that is not entirely comfortable for the baby. Perhaps the baby “shaker” in this way wants to ask mommy to change this position.

But in any case, the language of children's movements or movements is not limited to this. Very many mothers have the opportunity in this way to consult with the crumbs on the choice of bed linen or curtains for the future children's room. So a pregnant woman will be able to consult with a toddler when buying a stroller for him, and moreover, some of the women claim that they can 100% accurately decipher children's desires and answers to questions.

As a result, we also advised all of you to master such a mysterious language, and understandable only to a pregnant woman with her baby. In addition, I would like to warn you: try not to get hung up on movements, the main thing is that they be.

Agree, because it is quite possible that your baby will turn out to be just a phlegmatic person, or even simpler - he wants to sleep peacefully a little longer than usual. Believe me, not always the reduced activity of the little one can mean that something is wrong.

However, one should be wary of abrupt and drastic changes. For example, if specifically your baby in a normal situation behaves quite cheerfully, but only in the last few days it has become almost inaudible and the situation does not change over time, then you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. This is most likely necessary for reinsurance, but perhaps you will prevent an extremely dangerous situation.

Also, the reason for such a medical check should be the complete absence of even minimal movements of your child for at least six hours in a row. Especially when it happens towards the end of the third trimester of pregnancy.

It is important to bear in mind that after the thirtieth or even thirty-second week of the current pregnancy, the baby will no longer behave so actively, although the intensity of its movements must necessarily remain at the same level or even increase slightly.