Is it normal to have frequent fetal movements near the due date?

I believe every pregnant woman is both excited and scared when the due date is approaching. What makes her excited is that she is about to become a mother, but what makes her scared is of course that nothing can go wrong at the last moment, otherwise all her efforts will be wasted. Some pregnant women tend to experience frequent fetal movements near the due date. This situation brings a lot of pressure to pregnant women. So is it normal to have frequent fetal movements near the due date?

In the late pregnancy near the due date, frequent fetal movements, that is, fetal movements greater than or equal to 30 times/12 hours or greater than or equal to 4 times/hour, are also normal, and expectant mothers do not need to worry too much at this time. In fact, normal pregnant women should start to feel fetal movements at 20 weeks of pregnancy. As the gestational age increases, fetal movements will gradually increase, reaching a peak at 32-34 weeks of pregnancy. However, it should be noted that fetal movements will gradually decrease after 38 weeks of pregnancy. Due to individual differences among fetuses, some fetuses may move about 100 times in 12 hours, but less than 20 times means that the fetus suffers from intrauterine hypoxia.

The number of fetal movements will vary depending on the time. Generally speaking, there are more fetal movements at night and fewer in the morning. Especially before going to bed at night, the fetus moves the most because it is more energetic at this time. Therefore, when expectant mothers measure the number of fetal movements themselves, they should calculate the number of fetal movements in the morning, noon, and evening respectively, for one hour each time, and then multiply the sum of the three counts by 4, which is the number of fetal movements in 12 hours.

If fetal movements are too frequent, it may be related to fetal intrauterine hypoxia. This is because the fetus is getting bigger and bigger, but its range of movement is getting smaller. But generally speaking, as long as the fetal movement is regular, rhythmic, and the changes are not big, there will be no problem. If fetal movements are frequent and irregular, you need to consider whether the fetus is suffering from fetal hypoxia and you should go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.

Expectant mothers can choose to calculate the number of fetal movements 1-2 hours after breakfast or dinner. At this time, the number of fetal movements is less affected by physiological factors and the measurement error will be smaller. In addition to paying attention to the number of fetal movements, you should also pay attention to the duration and intensity of the fetal movements. If you find frequent fetal movements, you can repeat the test after a period of time. If the number of fetal movements continues to be abnormal, action needs to be taken as soon as possible.

In the above article, we introduced a symptom that pregnant women may experience when they are approaching their due date, which is frequent fetal movements. We know that the main reason for frequent fetal movements near the due date is intrauterine hypoxia, so pregnant women should pay attention to this symptom. I hope the information introduced above can bring some help to everyone.