The fetus begins to move very early, but the first mom will begin to feel the first perturbations only by the middle of pregnancy. The first movement of the fetus and the first movements of the fetus: what's the difference?
The fetus can not feel the first movements of the fetus, but with ultrasound these movements are visible from 7-8 weeks. How well they are visible, often depends on the quality of the apparatus and the preparation of the pregnant woman for examination. Usually only flexion / extension of the trunk is visible. And from 11-14 weeks they are not just to be seen, but also to watch the movements of certain parts of the body (the arms and legs of the child). During the examination, the movements of the unborn child are monitored and its motor activity is assessed. The movements are still chaotic, but by 16 weeks the fetus coordinates its movements - at this time the woman still does not feel how the child moves. But as the fetus grows, its tremors become stronger. And by 20 weeks the pregnant woman begins to feel the first movements of the fetus, which is called the fetal movement.
When do the first movements of the fetus appear during pregnancy?
Sometimes a woman seems to feel that she moves the fetus before 14 weeks, but this is impossible: the fruit is too small, and the uterus is not sensitive enough to feel such minor tremors. Earlier this period, all movements in the abdomen are caused by peristalsis of the intestine (passage of food through the intestines).
But from the beginning of the first trimester of pregnancy with a thin subcutaneous fat layer and a sensitive uterus, the pregnant woman can feel the first movements of the fetus, so inexpressive that she often does not pay attention to them. And normally the first movements of the fetus should appear from 18 to 24 weeks of pregnancy.
If more than 24 weeks have passed and there are no movements, you should immediately consult a doctor: you need to listen to the heartbeat of the fetus and make ultrasound, check the motor activity of the fetus. The weakening of the motor activity of the fetus may indicate a deep hypoxia (a lack of oxygen for the fetus) and a disturbance or a delay in its normal development.
The reasons for which it is difficult to recognize the movements of the fetus
Sometimes the reason for weak movements is not so serious as hypoxia: some women have a high threshold of sensitivity of the uterus. Obesity is also one of the reasons that a woman begins to feel late movements of the fetus. Sometimes the wrong position of the fetus in the uterus, too, does not allow you to feel the first stirring. For example, in the case of a leg presentation, movements are transmitted to the bladder, causing frequent strong urges to urinate, which prevents one from distinguishing the child's movement and the symptoms of cystitis. In the daytime, with active movements, physical exertion and nervous state in the early stages, a woman may not notice fetal movements.
In this case, we must try to determine whether there are movements at rest or at night. After 28 weeks of pregnancy every hour, a woman should consist of at least 10-15 fetal movements. Strengthening or weakening of the perturbations is always unfavorable signs that indicate violations of the normal course of pregnancy and require immediate examination by a gynecologist.
When do the first movements of the fetus appear in the first and second pregnancies?
At the first pregnancy, the uterus is less sensitive, the woman lacks experience and usually the first movements of the fetus she feels when not notice them is already unreal. Most often it occurs on the 20th week of pregnancy. The first stirring during the second pregnancy a woman feels 2 weeks earlier. This occurs from the 18th week of pregnancy, and sometimes from the beginning of the first trimester of pregnancy. The baby's wiggling does not become stronger with the second pregnancy, but if less than 5 years have passed between the first and subsequent pregnancies, the uterus is more sensitive and elastic than during the first pregnancy. Yes, and the woman already knows what to pay attention to. Because the wiggling of the fetus in the second pregnancy does not necessarily appear earlier, just forget these feelings a woman can not and will know faster.