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Determination of the term of labor by the movement of the fetus. Video
The movement of the fetus in the womb is not only a kind of physical contact between a woman and an unborn child, but also an excellent diagnostic criterion that allows you to monitor the condition of the baby. In addition, by the movement of the fetus, you can determine the approximate date of birth.
Determination of the date of birth by the first movement of the fetus
In the first trimester of pregnancy, the fetus develops rapidly. At a period of 5-6 weeks, he has a heartbeat, and by the eighth week using an ultrasound machine, you can fix the first reflex movements. However, the size of the fetus and the force of its “blows” are still too small, and therefore the pregnant woman is not yet able to feel them.
By the middle of the second trimester, the weight of the fetus reaches 100–150 grams, and the size is 16–20 cm. Its movements become more intense and distinct, and the expectant mother begins to feel them through the anterior abdominal wall. For doctors, this exciting moment is an excellent diagnostic criterion by which they can clarify the gestational age and determine the approximate date of delivery. This is of great importance in the event that a woman does not remember the day of the beginning of the last menstruation and does not know when the conception took place approximately. Normally, a primiparous woman feels fetal movement at 20 weeks, and a multiparous woman – at 18. Thus, you can find out the approximate date of birth of a child by counting 20 and 22 weeks from the day of the first tangible movements of the baby, respectively.
Determining the date of birth by the first movements is very inaccurate, since many women begin to feel the baby’s movements a little earlier or later than the designated period. In this case, it is better to clarify the date of birth with the help of an ultrasound scan.
Fetal movement in late pregnancy
In late pregnancy, fetal movements become regular and distinct. Some women even complain of unpleasant and sometimes painful sensations. From the 24th to 26th week of pregnancy, the expectant mother should monitor the baby’s condition by counting the number of his movements. Normally, they should be at least 10-15 per hour. The lack of movement of the child for 3-4 hours should not scare the woman: perhaps the child simply “hid” or fell asleep. However, if the fetus has not moved for 12 hours or more, you should immediately see a doctor to make sure that the baby is in order.
A few weeks before giving birth, the baby becomes cramped in the uterus, so the intensity of his movements is noticeably reduced. The baby’s jerks become sharp, but at the same time more rare. For doctors, such a picture is a kind of signal: no more than 4 weeks are left before the birth.
Immediately before childbirth, the woman’s uterus begins to “prepare”, which manifests itself in the form of training contractions. During this period, the anterior abdominal wall becomes hard, and the pregnant woman feels some tension in the abdomen. The child at this time experiences a little discomfort, and therefore his movements become stronger and more active. If training contractions are not always felt by the expectant mother, then it is impossible not to feel the intense movements of the fetus. It is they who are a kind of harbinger of childbirth, indicating that the baby is likely to be born in the next week.
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