Fetal movement in the lower abdomen

Pregnant women can clearly feel signs of fetal movement in their abdomen after a certain period of pregnancy, and the fetal movement will gradually become regular. This is a very normal state. If your baby has abnormal fetal movement or frequent fetal movement, you must pay more attention. At this time, you must do a prenatal check-up to know whether your baby is developing normally.

The fetal movements that pregnant women can feel first appear in the middle of the lower abdomen and often have several different types.

1. Fetal movement in early pregnancy

There are several different types of fetal movements in early pregnancy seen by ultrasound. At 7 to 8 weeks of pregnancy, slight wave-like movements of the embryo can be seen; small twitches appear around 9 weeks; they become more obvious after 9 weeks; stronger twitches can be seen between 9 and 10 weeks; and after 10 weeks, stronger movements such as fluttering, floating and jumping appear.

2. Fetal movement after the second trimester

There are more types, such as startle, whole body movement, isolated upper or lower limb movement, flexion and extension of the head, head turning, turning, stretching, opening the mouth, touching the face with hands, burping, yawning, sucking, swallowing, etc. These exercises reach their peak between 13 and 15 weeks of pregnancy and gradually decrease after 17 weeks.

3. Fetal movement after full term

As the baby approaches full term, especially after 38 weeks, there are fewer large-scale body movements, and only eye movements, mouth opening, hand activities, and breathing movements can be observed.

Normal fetal movement indicates that the placenta is functioning well, that the fetus is receiving sufficient oxygen, that the fetus is growing and developing healthily in the uterus, and that the fetus is moving happily. Observing fetal movements in early pregnancy is helpful in estimating the prognosis of pregnancy. Counting fetal movements is an economical and convenient method to monitor the condition of the fetus. Mothers can count fetal movements (the number of times the fetus kicks) as a means of prenatal fetal monitoring. At 7 weeks of pregnancy, the miscarriage rate is only 3% if there is fetal movement; while the miscarriage rate can be as high as 98% if there is no fetal movement. Ultrasound is also more sensitive in observing fetal movements in the middle and late stages. Sometimes smaller fetal movements are not felt by the pregnant woman but can be seen during ultrasound.

Pregnant women who are pregnant for the first time may feel fetal movement for the first time around 18 to 20 weeks. At the beginning, the fetal movement is intermittent, like a butterfly flapping its wings. Gradually, the fetal movements became stronger and more regular.