Frequent fetal movement and abdominal pain

The fetus absorbs nutrients in the mother's belly. As the cells divide and differentiate, it will slowly grow and take shape. At a certain month, the fetus will begin to move slowly and unconsciously. This phenomenon is called fetal movement. Only pregnant women can clearly feel fetal movement. Some pregnant women will feel abdominal pain when the baby moves. This may be caused by the fetus pulling the inner wall of the uterus when moving. So what is the reason for frequent fetal movement and abdominal pain?

When a pregnant mother finds that the fetal movement is less than 20 times in 12 hours, or less than 3 times per hour, it indicates that the fetus is suffering from hypoxia and the life may be seriously threatened. In the early stages of hypoxia, the number of fetal movements will increase, and the fetus will become restless due to hypoxia. When fetal intrauterine hypoxia continues to worsen, fetal movements gradually weaken and the frequency decreases, which is a sign of danger to the fetus.

If no emergency measures are taken at this time, the fetus will stop moving and even its heart rate will disappear, and the heart will stop beating, resulting in death. This process takes about 12 to 48 hours. Therefore, once a pregnant mother finds abnormal fetal movement, she must not take it lightly. She should go to the obstetrics department immediately for treatment. Timely treatment can often turn danger into safety.

If the pregnancy is overdue and the placenta is aging, the ability to supply oxygen and nutrients is low, causing fetal intrauterine hypoxia or even anaerobic conditions. Or if the fetus is intrauterine hypoxia due to the umbilical cord around the neck, knotting, or twisting, the fetus may suffer from intrauterine distress. In the early stages of hypoxia, fetal movements often increase. The fetus becomes agitated and restless due to hypoxia, and tries to pass this feeling of agitation on to the mother.

At this time, the pregnant mother feels that the fetal movement is extremely active and even unbearable; when the fetal intrauterine hypoxia continues to worsen, the fetal movement gradually weakens and the frequency decreases. This is a "red light" signal that the fetal hypoxia is more serious. If it is still not effectively treated at this time (sufficient oxygen supply), the fetus will disappear due to severe hypoxia → heart sounds disappear → heartbeat stops → death. Therefore, fetal movement is one of the signs of fetal safety. Generally speaking, it takes about 12-48 hours from the cessation of fetal movement to fetal death.

When the mother is seven months pregnant, fetal movements are most frequent. And as the fetus continues to grow, the frequency of abdominal pain will increase significantly compared to before. Pregnant mothers can also count the number of fetal movements of the baby every hour. If it exceeds the normal fetal movement range, pregnant mothers should pay more attention and continue to observe, or go to the hospital for routine examinations.