Is frequent fetal movement normal at 20 weeks?

Many pregnant women feel fetal movement around 20 weeks of pregnancy. Fetal movement is an effective non-medical method to check whether the fetus is healthy. Generally, the intensity and frequency of fetal movement can reflect the physical condition of the fetus. The key to pregnant women feeling frequent fetal movements is that they feel a large number of fetal movements. So, is it normal to have frequent fetal movements at 20 weeks of pregnancy?

There are two main reasons for fetal movement: one is physiological fetal movement and the other is physiological fetal movement. If it is physiological fetal movement, then there will be no big problem if the fetal movement is frequent around 20 weeks. However, if the frequent fetal movements are physiological, you must pay more attention to the physical condition of the fetus.

Generally speaking, frequent physiological fetal movements refer to an increase in the number of fetal movements caused by pregnant women when they are active or stimulated. Frequent physiological fetal movements in daily life may be caused by the following situations, such as: after pregnant women have meals, when listening to music, when taking a bath and before going to bed, etc. These situations will cause the number of physiological fetal movements to increase.

Physiological fetal movement refers to abnormal movement of the fetus due to some pathological factors. For example, in the absence of oxygen, the fetus is prone to anxiety, which can lead to an increase in the number of fetal movements. If the fetus is deprived of oxygen in the uterus for too long, the number of fetal movements will immediately decrease gradually. It is necessary to take measures to protect the fetus in time to prevent the fetus from dying when the fetal movement subsides.

What should I do if the fetal movement is abnormal?

1. If the fetal movement is less than 20 times in 12 hours, it is abnormal; if it is less than 10 times, it means that the fetus is in danger and there is insufficient oxygen in the uterus.

2. If the baby's fetal movements exceed the normal frequency within a period of time, the fetal movements are frequent, or there is intermittent restlessness, it is also a manifestation of intrauterine hypoxia.

3. The number of fetal movements decreases significantly until it stops, which is a signal that the fetus is suffering from moderate to severe suffocation in the uterine cavity.

4. Abnormal fetal movement is caused by pathological conditions and functional problems, such as the umbilical cord being too tight around the neck, placental dysfunction, or abnormal medication by pregnant women and improper external stimulation, which cause the fetus to lack oxygen in the uterus.

At present, all countries in the world adopt the 12-hour fetal movement counting method, that is, the number of fetal movements is measured for 1 hour at fixed time in the morning, noon and evening, and the sum of 3 times multiplied by 4 is the number of fetal movements in 12 hours. Generally, it is normal for the baby to move fetally ≥ 3 times/hour and for the baby to move fetally 10 to 20 times in 12 hours. If the baby's fetal movement is ≤3 times/hour, or the baby's fetal movement is ≤10-20 times in 12 hours, it is abnormal. Pregnant women can calculate the weighted average of the number of fetal movements each week. If the number of daily fetal movements exceeds 50% of the weighted average, or is lower than 30% of the weighted average, it is also considered abnormal fetal movement. In addition, if the fetal movement is frequent or restless without interruption, it may also be a sign of fetal hypoxia in the uterine cavity.