Fetal movement in 3rd trimester

When to Worry About Fetal Movement: Decreases and Increases

One of the most exciting experiences in your pregnancy is feeling your baby move for the very first time. Suddenly, it all becomes real: There’s really a baby in there!

Eventually, you might get used to feeling your baby moving around in your belly — you may even complain good-naturedly about a foot in your ribs or speculate that you’re going to give birth to a future soccer star.

But it’s a good idea to keep tabs on your baby’s movement in utero, just in case — especially during third trimester. That way, if you do notice a drop-off in fetal movements, you can notify your doctor for additional evaluation.

Those first few fluttery movements are sometimes called quickening. At the very beginning, you might feel something and then second guess yourself: Did I really feel something? These early fetal movements might feel like a gentle fluttering, or it might feel like bubbles. Some people even mistake them for gas.

In general, you can expect to start feeling them during your second trimester, usually between 16 and 22 weeks of your pregnancy. However, if it’s your first pregnancy, you’re more likely to start feeling them on the later side, perhaps between 20 and 22 weeks. If you’ve been pregnant before, you might start noticing them a little earlier, perhaps around the 16-week mark.

However, every pregnancy is unique. There’s no set “correct” time to feel fetal movement, and you may feel flutters even earlier than 16 weeks or a little later than 22 weeks.

Ah, second trimester: The glory days of pregnancy, when the morning sickness tends to wear off, but you don’t yet feel large and awkward like a parade float.

Your baby’s movements during second trimester can be a little unpredictable. You’ll feel those first fluttery movements, which can start early in second trimester but might show up a little later on.

Then, typically, you’ll start feeling those fetal movements a little more frequently — and a little more intensely. Your baby’s just getting warmed up! As your baby gets larger, the movements will get larger, too, and you may start to feel some stretches and maybe even some punches and kicks.

Your healthcare provider might even be able to put a hand on your belly and feel your baby moving underneath.

You’re in the home stretch by the time you hit the third trimester.

At some point in this last trimester, you may start to notice some patterns in your baby’s movements. Perhaps your baby’s more active at certain times of day or night.

The movements may seem larger and more vigorous, and you may occasionally let out an “oof” after a particularly enthusiastic kick or punch. Your partner may be able to see your baby moving under your skin (is that a foot?).

However, this is also the time in your pregnancy when your baby starts to run out of room to wiggle around in your uterus. That’s good, because your baby’s gaining weight, getting stronger, and putting on some of that irresistible baby fat.

But it also means your baby can’t stretch and move quite as freely anymore. Being squeezed into an increasingly smaller space means your baby might not move as much as you’d expect, but you should still continue to feel movement. This is when your doctor might suggest doing a kick count.

What’s a kick count?

A kick count is exactly what it sounds like. You pick a time of day and you count the number of times your baby kicks or move during that time frame. It’s sometimes also called a fetal movement count (FMC). You can even use an app to help you keep track.

Typically, it’s a good idea to do a kick count at the same time each day, for the best comparison. Focus on baby’s movement, and see how long it takes to get to 10 kicks.

If your baby doesn’t kick, squirm, or poke you 10 times within an hour, you might try having a snack, changing position, and then continuing your count for another hour. If you reach 10 before the second hour is up, you and baby are good to stop the count.

But if you consistently monitor a kick count on a daily basis and then notice a day when the movements drop off, call your doctor immediately.

There can be benign (harmless) causes of decreased movement. For example, you might have unknowingly chosen to do a kick count while your baby was napping. You might just try another time to launch a kick count when your baby seems to be more active.

But there are other more potentially serious reasons that your baby might not be moving around as much.

Your baby’s growth might have slowed down. Or there could be a problem with your baby’s placenta or with your uterus. It’s also possible that your baby’s umbilical cord could have gotten wrapped around their neck, a condition that doctors call nuchal cord.

Your doctor may want to do some further evaluation if your kick counts are showing decreased movements. A nonstress test can provide some useful information on your baby’s heart rate and movements during the third trimester.

Another option is a three-dimensional ultrasound, which can give your doctor a good look at your baby to check out their movements, as well as their growth and development to make sure they’re on track.

Eventually, you may be able to do more specific monitoring yourself at home. Researchers continue to explore the possibilities of new types of monitoring devices — like the fetal movement acceleration measurement recorder — that may help you keep track of your baby’s movements.

If you’re a little nervous and want to prod your baby to shake a leg (and bring you a little peace of mind), you can try a few different simple strategies:

• Eat a snack or drink something sweet like orange juice.
• Get up and move around.
• Shine a flashlight onto your belly.
• Talk to your baby.
• Push or poke (gently!) at your belly where you can feel your baby.

While decreased movements have been linked to possible complications, the opposite isn’t necessarily true.

A 2019 study of 500 women found no association between reported excessive fetal movements in the third trimester and stillbirth or the umbilical cord wrapping around baby’s neck. However, there was a correlation between increased movements and other complications.

At this point, more research is needed to get a handle on the situation.

What that means for you: If you’re noticing that your baby is extra wiggly, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. But it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re about to go into labor, either. More predictable signs that your baby may be gearing up for an exit include:

• loss of your mucus plug
• baby dropping lower into your pelvis
• your water breaking
• your cervix stretching and thinning

You may also experience some of those famous Braxton-Hicks contractions, which aren’t really a sign that labor’s starting — but are a sign that your body is gearing up for labor soon.

If you’re in your third trimester and you’re worried that you’re not feeling your baby move very often, definitely try the kick count. If you monitor your baby’s kicks or movements during a particular window of time but you’re still not logging enough movements, call your doctor.

Every baby is different — even for the same woman. Your first baby may move around a lot more — or a lot less — than your second. What’s important is paying attention to patterns of your baby’s movements in utero.

And as your pregnancy progresses, those kick counts can be a good way to give yourself some peace of mind. If you notice something that sets off your internal alarm, though, don’t hesitate to call your doctor. It’s possible that some additional evaluation might be a good idea, just to rule out any possibility of complications.

For more pregnancy guidance and weekly tips tailored to your due date, sign up for our I’m Expecting newsletter.

When to Worry About Fetal Movement: Decreases and Increases

One of the most exciting experiences in your pregnancy is feeling your baby move for the very first time. Suddenly, it all becomes real: There’s really a baby in there!

Eventually, you might get used to feeling your baby moving around in your belly — you may even complain good-naturedly about a foot in your ribs or speculate that you’re going to give birth to a future soccer star.

But it’s a good idea to keep tabs on your baby’s movement in utero, just in case — especially during third trimester. That way, if you do notice a drop-off in fetal movements, you can notify your doctor for additional evaluation.

Those first few fluttery movements are sometimes called quickening. At the very beginning, you might feel something and then second guess yourself: Did I really feel something? These early fetal movements might feel like a gentle fluttering, or it might feel like bubbles. Some people even mistake them for gas.

In general, you can expect to start feeling them during your second trimester, usually between 16 and 22 weeks of your pregnancy. However, if it’s your first pregnancy, you’re more likely to start feeling them on the later side, perhaps between 20 and 22 weeks. If you’ve been pregnant before, you might start noticing them a little earlier, perhaps around the 16-week mark.

However, every pregnancy is unique. There’s no set “correct” time to feel fetal movement, and you may feel flutters even earlier than 16 weeks or a little later than 22 weeks.

Ah, second trimester: The glory days of pregnancy, when the morning sickness tends to wear off, but you don’t yet feel large and awkward like a parade float.

Your baby’s movements during second trimester can be a little unpredictable. You’ll feel those first fluttery movements, which can start early in second trimester but might show up a little later on.

Then, typically, you’ll start feeling those fetal movements a little more frequently — and a little more intensely. Your baby’s just getting warmed up! As your baby gets larger, the movements will get larger, too, and you may start to feel some stretches and maybe even some punches and kicks.

Your healthcare provider might even be able to put a hand on your belly and feel your baby moving underneath.

You’re in the home stretch by the time you hit the third trimester.

At some point in this last trimester, you may start to notice some patterns in your baby’s movements. Perhaps your baby’s more active at certain times of day or night.

The movements may seem larger and more vigorous, and you may occasionally let out an “oof” after a particularly enthusiastic kick or punch. Your partner may be able to see your baby moving under your skin (is that a foot?).

However, this is also the time in your pregnancy when your baby starts to run out of room to wiggle around in your uterus. That’s good, because your baby’s gaining weight, getting stronger, and putting on some of that irresistible baby fat.

But it also means your baby can’t stretch and move quite as freely anymore. Being squeezed into an increasingly smaller space means your baby might not move as much as you’d expect, but you should still continue to feel movement. This is when your doctor might suggest doing a kick count.

What’s a kick count?

A kick count is exactly what it sounds like. You pick a time of day and you count the number of times your baby kicks or move during that time frame. It’s sometimes also called a fetal movement count (FMC). You can even use an app to help you keep track.

Typically, it’s a good idea to do a kick count at the same time each day, for the best comparison. Focus on baby’s movement, and see how long it takes to get to 10 kicks.

If your baby doesn’t kick, squirm, or poke you 10 times within an hour, you might try having a snack, changing position, and then continuing your count for another hour. If you reach 10 before the second hour is up, you and baby are good to stop the count.

But if you consistently monitor a kick count on a daily basis and then notice a day when the movements drop off, call your doctor immediately.

There can be benign (harmless) causes of decreased movement. For example, you might have unknowingly chosen to do a kick count while your baby was napping. You might just try another time to launch a kick count when your baby seems to be more active.

But there are other more potentially serious reasons that your baby might not be moving around as much.

Your baby’s growth might have slowed down. Or there could be a problem with your baby’s placenta or with your uterus. It’s also possible that your baby’s umbilical cord could have gotten wrapped around their neck, a condition that doctors call nuchal cord.

Your doctor may want to do some further evaluation if your kick counts are showing decreased movements. A nonstress test can provide some useful information on your baby’s heart rate and movements during the third trimester.

Another option is a three-dimensional ultrasound, which can give your doctor a good look at your baby to check out their movements, as well as their growth and development to make sure they’re on track.

Eventually, you may be able to do more specific monitoring yourself at home. Researchers continue to explore the possibilities of new types of monitoring devices — like the fetal movement acceleration measurement recorder — that may help you keep track of your baby’s movements.

If you’re a little nervous and want to prod your baby to shake a leg (and bring you a little peace of mind), you can try a few different simple strategies:

• Eat a snack or drink something sweet like orange juice.
• Get up and move around.
• Shine a flashlight onto your belly.
• Talk to your baby.
• Push or poke (gently!) at your belly where you can feel your baby.

While decreased movements have been linked to possible complications, the opposite isn’t necessarily true.

A 2019 study of 500 women found no association between reported excessive fetal movements in the third trimester and stillbirth or the umbilical cord wrapping around baby’s neck. However, there was a correlation between increased movements and other complications.

At this point, more research is needed to get a handle on the situation.

What that means for you: If you’re noticing that your baby is extra wiggly, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. But it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re about to go into labor, either. More predictable signs that your baby may be gearing up for an exit include:

• loss of your mucus plug
• baby dropping lower into your pelvis
• your water breaking
• your cervix stretching and thinning

You may also experience some of those famous Braxton-Hicks contractions, which aren’t really a sign that labor’s starting — but are a sign that your body is gearing up for labor soon.

If you’re in your third trimester and you’re worried that you’re not feeling your baby move very often, definitely try the kick count. If you monitor your baby’s kicks or movements during a particular window of time but you’re still not logging enough movements, call your doctor.

Every baby is different — even for the same woman. Your first baby may move around a lot more — or a lot less — than your second. What’s important is paying attention to patterns of your baby’s movements in utero.

And as your pregnancy progresses, those kick counts can be a good way to give yourself some peace of mind. If you notice something that sets off your internal alarm, though, don’t hesitate to call your doctor. It’s possible that some additional evaluation might be a good idea, just to rule out any possibility of complications.

For more pregnancy guidance and weekly tips tailored to your due date, sign up for our I’m Expecting newsletter.

Fetal movement during pregnancy | When the first movements appear

Pregnancy

Article

5/5 1 reviews

The feeling of the first fetal movements is one of the most exciting experiences during pregnancy. The movements of the crumbs help to fully feel the presence of a small life inside and make sure that everything is in order with the crumbs. After all, the movement of the baby in the stomach is also an important marker that allows you to assess his condition at different stages of pregnancy. nine0003

6 min. for reading Feb. 17, 2022

When do the first movements appear?

The baby begins to move very early in the womb - at 7-8 weeks of gestation. But the first movement of the fetus goes unnoticed, since during this period it is very tiny, a little larger than a marigold.

The first tangible movements of the child, as a rule, appear in the second trimester - between 16 and 22 weeks of pregnancy, when the baby has already grown and grown stronger. The week in which the movement is felt depends on many factors:

• First or second child. During the first pregnancy, the movements of the baby become noticeable closer to the 20-22nd week. If the pregnancy is the second or third, the movements begin to be felt on average at 18 weeks or even earlier, because the woman already knows what sensations to expect.
• Placenta placement. If the placenta is closer to the back wall of the uterus, then the woman may feel movements later, if to the front - earlier.
• The physique of the expectant mother. Sometimes physique plays a role: fragile girls can feel the first tremors 2 weeks earlier. nine0020
• Lifestyle. In the midst of the working day, in noise or shaking, fetal movement is easy to miss. It is more likely to feel the first movement of the crumbs in a calm position, sitting or lying down.

In what part of the abdomen do you feel the first movements? Usually timid first movements are felt in the lower abdomen. At first, it is easy to confuse them with other internal processes, such as rumbling and bouts of hunger. But the baby grows and the movements become more intense, more diverse and “travel” along the tummy along with the tumbling baby. nine0003

Features of fetal movements at different stages of pregnancy

The nature and frequency of movements of the child change as he grows and develops. At first they are weak and irregular, but then the activity increases, and the movements become stronger and more intense.

Let's take a closer look at how the baby moves at different times and how the mother feels it.

First trimester

Toward the end of the first trimester, the baby begins to make its first movements, as light as the fluttering of a butterfly. But it is still very small, so in most cases the movements go unnoticed. The maximum that can be felt is a light, light, barely noticeable flutter in the lower abdomen or something resembling bubbles. nine0003

Second trimester

At 16 weeks pregnant, some women begin to feel the baby move. Someone describes them as the flutter of small wings or the movement of a fish wagging its tail, while someone describes them as twitching of a vein pulsating inside or blows of a small hammer.

By 20 weeks, most pregnant women already feel the baby's light movements. At week 24, they become more pronounced and intense, sometimes accompanied by a slight twitch during hiccups. By the end of the second trimester, active fetal movement begins - the child somersaults and pushes more and more clearly, more often and stronger. nine0003

Third trimester

At 28 weeks, the baby moves up to 30 times an hour, and some of his kicks and pokes can be so strong that the mother takes her breath away. During this period, obstetricians recommend starting to count the movements of the child. The nature of the activity helps the doctor understand what is happening with the baby and how he is developing.

At this stage of development, the baby develops a certain pattern of sleep and wakefulness. Peak activity tends to occur in the evening and at night—between 9:00 PM and 01:00 AM—just when mom is trying to sleep. This surge is due to changes in blood sugar levels. In addition, the movements of the baby can react to touch, bright light, loud noises or an uncomfortable posture of the mother. nine0003

Your baby's activity continues to increase until 32 weeks. But after that, the grown-up child becomes more and more crowded in the fetal sac and the number of movements is reduced.

Tip

If you want your baby to make itself felt and move around, eat something sweet and lie on your side. An increase in blood glucose will cheer up the baby and he will begin to push.

Due to lack of space, fetal movements before childbirth become slower and more and more constrained. However, the baby should continue to move regularly throughout the day. nine0003

Important!

If your child's activity changes dramatically for unexplained reasons: he calms down or vice versa - the movements are too intensified and more frequent - tell your doctor as soon as possible. A change in the motor activity of the fetus may be a symptom of a violation of its condition and necessarily requires additional examination.

How to correctly calculate fetal movements?

Starting from the 28th week of pregnancy, the child's physical activity should be monitored every day. Until this time, the movements of the baby are not so noticeable, so the calculation will be uninformative. nine0003

So, how many movements should be per day? And how to count them correctly?

To determine the characteristics of the child's activity at home, use a special test of fetal movement by D. Pearson - "Count to ten". To do this, you need to mark in a special table every tenth movement of the baby from 9:00 to 21:00. If the child develops normally, then in 12 hours you will count at least 10 movements.

Important!

Not every push is considered a movement, but a series of movements (from the start of pushes to a pause). nine0003

After the 10th movement, write down the time and start counting the next day. And if the baby moves much less or does not make itself felt within 12 hours, contact your doctor as soon as possible!

In addition to the Pearson test, there is another way to count the child's movements. Choose an hour during which you will count movements every day. It is very important to do it at the same time. Focus on the baby's movements and see how long it takes the baby to complete 10 kicks. If you counted 10 shocks in an hour, you can be calm - everything is in order. nine0003

If you still don't get 10 pushes within an hour, try eating, changing your position, and then try counting the number of pushes again.

Advice

Keep a diary of your movements to record all changes. You can write everything in a notebook, or you can use a special mobile application that will help you track and record movements.

What should alert the future mother?

Be sure to contact your gynecologist if:

• You are past 22 weeks and you still don't feel your baby move. Perhaps you just did not notice them, but you need to make sure that the pregnancy is proceeding normally.
• Tracking the activity of the child, you notice that for more than 12 hours there is no movement at all or they have become significantly less during the day.
• For several hours in a row, the baby behaves too actively, the intensity of the shocks has changed so much that it hurts you because of his movements.
• A sharp change in the nature and frequency of movements is monitored, although there are no apparent reasons for this. This may indicate a violation of the condition of the fetus, its heartbeat, or an infection.

Advice

In the third trimester of pregnancy it is not recommended to sleep on your back. In this position, the vena cava can be clamped, which provides the baby with oxygen.

See also: Cord entanglement: causes and consequences for the baby

To make sure that everything is fine with the baby, the doctor may perform several examinations, such as auscultation, cardiotocography (CTG) and Doppler ultrasound. nine0003

Auscultation is a method of assessing the condition of the baby by the sounds that he makes in the womb. The doctor listens to the tone and rhythm of the heartbeat, different noises, monitors their sequence and duration.

CTG (cardiotocography) is an ultrasound examination of the fetus. But unlike conventional ultrasound, during CTG, the tone of the uterus, the heartbeat and the movements of the baby are recorded. Based on the results of this study, the doctor can determine how comfortable the child feels, check the work of his heart and the level of development. If there are deviations in CTG, the specialist may recommend an assessment of the fetal blood flow - dopplerometry. nine0003

If indicated, your doctor can choose the right treatment, recommend that the mother rest and get more rest, or even prescribe bed rest.

But do not immediately panic if the child is suspiciously quiet for an hour or two. Perhaps right now he is sleeping or preparing for an imminent meeting with his parents. There are also children who rest all day and become active only in the late afternoon. Just be attentive to yourself, your feelings and do not forget to take good care of your baby. nine0003

Related articles:

How does the baby behave before birth?
How does a woman's diet affect fetal development?

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Fetal movement - how and when does it occur

1. At what time does fetal movement begin
2. Fetal movement rate
3. Methods for assessing the "sufficiency" of fetal movements
4. Changes in fetal activity
5. Determining the condition of the fetus

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