Frequent fetal movements at 38 weeks and 3 days of pregnancy

As pregnancy progresses, the baby will have obvious fetal movements, and mothers can feel the baby's existence more vividly. Mothers find that in the later stages of pregnancy, the baby's fetal movements become much more frequent, and mothers become increasingly anxious. I am 38 weeks pregnant and the fetus is moving frequently. Does this mean I am about to give birth?

38 weeks pregnant, frequent fetal movements, will I be born soon?

Frequent fetal movements refer to an increase in the number of active fetal movements in pregnant women, which may be caused by physiological reasons or not.

1. Physiological reasons

Frequent fetal movements in late pregnancy are mostly caused by physiological reasons, including the following 5 conditions:

1. After the meal, the blood sugar level of the pregnant mother increases, and the baby is also full and strong thanks to the mother, so the baby's fetal movement will become more and more frequent than before the meal.

2. When taking a bath, under the shower of warm water, the pregnant mother's blood circulation is smoother, and her mind and body are more relaxed. This happy mood will be passed on to the baby, so the fetal activities become more regular.

3. In the late pregnancy, the fetus can already hear the mother's voice, and it likes to communicate with its parents in the form of conversation. Therefore, when the pregnant mother talks to the fetus, the baby will respond and express his feelings in the form of regular fetal movements.

4. When the fetus is stimulated by music, it will become more fond of "movement", which is a way for the fetus to express happiness.

5. Generally, the fetus will be more active at night. On the one hand, it is because he is more energetic at night, and on the other hand, the pregnant mother can calm down and feel the baby's fetal movement at this time.

2. Physiological reasons

Pregnant mothers need to be aware that it is not necessarily normal for fetal movements to occur frequently in the late pregnancy. If the fetal movements have always been rare and suddenly become frequent, you need to pay attention, because this may mean that the fetus is lacking in oxygen or is suffering from some disease.

When the fetus is short of oxygen, it will become more and more restless and move more. The number of fetal movements will increase in the early stage of oxygen deficiency. When the intrauterine hypoxia worsens again, the fetal movements will gradually weaken and the frequency will decrease. This is a sign of risk to the fetus. If effective treatment measures are not taken at this time, the baby will experience a decrease in fetal movement or even a decrease in the fetal heartbeat, and eventually die. Generally, lack of oxygen can be seen in conditions such as placental abruption, placenta previa, and fetal umbilical cord around the neck.

The main symptoms of frequent fetal movement

When the fetus grows to a certain stage, the pregnant mother will feel the movement in her stomach, which is the so-called fetal movement. The number and speed of fetal movements all mean the well-being of the fetus. Therefore, abnormal fetal movement, such as frequent fetal movement, indicates that the fetus is in danger in the uterus. So, what are the main manifestations of frequent fetal movements? Let’s take a look at them together below.

Generally speaking, the baby's fetal movement is no less than 3-5 times per hour, but if the baby's fetal movement exceeds 10 times per hour, it should be considered as frequent fetal movement. If the frequent fetal movements are caused by physiological reasons, it means that the fetus is in poor condition in the pregnant mother. Therefore, pregnant mothers should learn to self-detect the frequency of fetal movements and promptly understand the health of the fetus.