With complaints about the absence of perturbations at 17-20 weeks of pregnancy, women turn to quite often. Whether this is considered a deviation and what to do for the expectant mother, we will tell you in this article.
Why doesn't the fetus move?
The statement of this question is incorrect initially. The fact is that the fetus moves and does it with enviable regularity, just for some reason, the mother does not feel its movements. The reasons can be very varied. If we talk about the period from 17 weeks of gestation to 20 weeks inclusive, there is only one reason - the fetus is too small.
Babies begin to move at 8 weeks of gestation. The movements of the arms, legs and even the jolts and overturns of the crumbs in the womb cannot be perceived by the pregnant woman, because the weight of the fetus is no more than a gram. Only when the force of the baby's influence on the uterine wall is greater than the threshold of perception of the nerve receptors, the woman will begin to feel the movements of her baby. For this, the baby needs to grow up.
What is considered the norm?
In obstetrics, it is considered completely normal if a woman who is 17, 18 or 19 weeks pregnant does not feel any movement. And even at 20 weeks and even later, distinct sensations may not be observed. The norms, which, by the way, are quite average, say that a woman can begin to feel the first movements of the baby in the womb at the period from 16 to 22 weeks of pregnancy. It is during this period of time that the long-awaited moment usually comes. Therefore, a woman who turns to a doctor with complaints that the baby does not move within the period from 17 to 20 weeks will simply be advised to wait a little.
The norms exist only in textbooks and medical literature. In practice, they can be quite different in one direction or the other.
What influences baby's movements?
Women who do not feel the baby's movements at 18 or 19 weeks usually begin to worry. Their condition is "fueled" by the reviews of other expectant mothers, who write on the Internet, that for a long time already in their 18-19 weeks they feel movements. There is only one advice here - do not look back at others and do not give in to panic. Let's calmly figure out why different women who are at the same period may or may not feel the movement of babies. So, the reason for the lack of sensations may lie in the following:
Pregnancy is the first
In this case, the woman simply does not know what the baby's first thrusts should really be. When there is no experience of experiencing such sensations, it is rather difficult to notice them for the first time. They are perfectly "disguised" under the fermentation of gases in the intestines. Sometimes a woman does not even know that she actually already feels the movements, she simply does not identify them as such. Often these sensations are described as a light, delicate touch from the inside (feather, fish, butterflies). But no verbal descriptions can convey all the nuances of this feeling.
During the second, third or subsequent pregnancy, a woman can already distinguish movement from gas and gurgling in the stomach. Therefore, he begins to feel them earlier - at 16-17 weeks, and sometimes even earlier - at 14-15 weeks. Experience is the best identifier. However, it is not only the experience of experiencing movements earlier. With repeated pregnancy, the walls of the uterus are more elastic, stretched, so babies are quicker to "reach out" to their mother.
Composition and physique
The walls of the uterus themselves are not sensitive. A signal to a woman's brain about movement inside is sent by the nerve endings of the peritoneum. It is clear that with a decent layer of subcutaneous fat, the receptors will receive the coveted signal much later. Therefore, obese or overweight women feel movements later than lean, slender pregnant women.
The size of the pelvis also plays a role. In women with a narrow pelvis, the sensations of fetal movements appear earlier than in women with a wide pelvis.
Activity and daily routine
If a woman sits at home and enjoys her “interesting position,” she is more likely to feel the perturbations earlier than a woman who moves a lot, works, attends university classes, etc. The more active the mother-to-be, the more difficult it is her during the day to listen to her feelings.
But in the evenings, when the pregnant woman finally takes a horizontal position after a hard day, the baby may well make itself felt. Some note that for the first time they felt their crumbs at night.
Features of the location of the fetus
Of course, the pose of the baby in the mother's womb plays a role. If the placenta is fixed along the back wall, which happens in most cases, then the movements of the arms and legs will be directed to the side or to the anterior abdominal wall, so the woman will be able to feel them earlier.
But if the "child's place" is located on the front wall of the woman's reproductive organ, then the movements of the fetal limbs will be directed towards the intestines, and it will take more time to feel them until the baby is big enough.
Fetal temperament and other conditions
It's hard to believe, but children already at 18-20 weeks of pregnancy have completely different temperaments. Some spend most of their time in a nap, others are more active. If there is no movement, it is possible that a calm melancholic or phlegmatic person is growing inside you, who will not be too active even after birth, at least for the time being.
The weather also affects the activity of babies - on sunny days, children are more active than on rainy or snowy days.
Experienced obstetricians recommend that women communicate with their babies, stroke their tummy more often, address the baby gently, persuade him to respond to the treatment with movements. He does not yet hear his mother, but he already perceives the vibrations of her voice, as, for example, reptiles “hear”. A crumb may well distinguish a bad mother's mood from a good one.
It is useful to communicate with your baby at any time - both at the very beginning of pregnancy and on the eve of childbirth.
Do not think that the first movement means the beginning of regular tangible movements. Regular movements and tremors of the baby will become only by the 28th week of pregnancy, but for now you should not worry if the baby once made itself felt and again calmed down for a day or two. Children at a given gestational age make up to 300 movements per day, but the expectant mother can only feel a small part of them - no more than a few episodes per day, and most often 1-2 movements.
Tips & Tricks
To feel the long-awaited first movements of the baby, a woman who is 17-20 weeks pregnant needs to calm down and stop being nervous. When the expectant mother is calm, the baby develops without hindrance, according to the deadline.
All that is required of a woman is to follow the regimen recommended by the doctor, eat well, take vitamins, breathe fresh air. After the mother takes an oxygen cocktail or after ozone therapy, babies are usually noticeably more active.
Already at the indicated time, children can distinguish the main shades of tastes of amniotic fluid. To revive the baby, it is enough to eat a small piece of chocolate, drink a glass of warm milk before lying down to rest in the evening. Quite often it helps to feel the movement in a relaxed state.
For information on how to count fetal movements, see the next video.
