FETAL MOVEMENTS – QUICKENING
The most exciting moments during pregnancy is when you feel those first little flutters of your baby kicking.
These tiny movements reassure you that your baby is developing and makes you feel closer to the little life inside of you.
Baby’s first movements, called “quickening,” are usually felt between 16 and 25 weeks of your pregnancy.
During first pregnancy, you may not feel your baby move until close to 25 weeks. By the second pregnancy, some women start to feel movements as early as 16 weeks.
Baby movements are best felt when you’re in a quiet position, either sitting or lying down.
Most of the pregnant women describe their baby’s movements as butterflies, nervous twitches, or a tumbling motion.
At first, it may be hard to tell whether your baby has moved.
During first pregnancy, it may be difficult to distinguish those first baby movements from gas, hunger pangs, and other internal motions.
By your late second and third trimesters, the movements become more distinct, and you’ll be able to feel your baby’s kicks.
How Often the baby movements felt ?
During early in pregnancy, you may just feel a few flutters every now and then. As your baby grows — usually by the end of the second trimester — the kicks grow stronger and more frequent. Studies show that by the third trimester, the baby moves about 30 times each hour.
Babies tend to move more at certain times of the day as they alternate between alertness and sleep. Usually most active between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m.,when you’re trying to get to sleep. This increase in activity is due to your changing blood sugar levels. Babies can also respond to sounds or touch.
Need for monitoring baby’s movements:
Once your baby’s movements are well established (usually by week 28), some doctors recommend keeping track of all those little punches and kicks to make sure your baby is still developing the way they should. This is known as a fetal movement assessment, fetal kick count, or fetal movement counting.
Counting is difficult when you have twins. You may not be able to tell which baby is moving.
If you are counting, it helps to chart your baby’s kicks so that you can keep track of your baby’s normal patterns of movement. To count movements, pick a time when your baby is usually most active (usually right after you’ve eaten a meal). Get into a comfortable position either sitting down in a comfortable chair or lying on your side. If you lie down, lie on your left side, so your baby will have better circulation.
You should feel at least 10 movements within a 2-hour period.
Don’t Feel Your Baby Moving- watch out
If you haven’t yet reached 25 weeks and don’t feel your baby move, or you’re not sure that what you’re feeling is actually your baby, don’t panic. As your baby grows, you’ll be able to better distinguish their movements. Some babies just naturally move less often than others.
A lack of movement also may mean that your baby is asleep. You may feel fewer kicks and jabs after the 32nd week as your baby gets bigger and has less room to move around in the uterus.
If your baby has started to move regularly and you don’t feel at least 10 movements within a 2-hour period, or the movements have slowed significantly, have something to eat or have a glass of juice, lie down on to your left and watch for movements. If you still feel that the movements are less, it may mean that the baby is in distress. Contact your doctor immediately.