Is it abnormal to have a decrease in fetal movement at 37 weeks?

Every woman knows that when you are pregnant, there will be fetal movements. Do you know the reason for the decrease in fetal movements at 37 weeks? Does it mean that the baby has stopped developing or that there is a problem? What is the pattern of fetal movements? I believe you will understand after reading the article below. What is the reason for the decrease in fetal movements at 37 weeks? I hope every pregnant mother can discover it in time.

1. Overview of Weekly Fetal

Normal obvious fetal movements should be no less than 3 to 5 times per hour, and more than 30 to 40 times in 12 hours. However, due to the large individual differences among fetuses, some fetuses may move about 100 times in 12 hours. As long as the fetal movements are regular, rhythmic, and do not vary much, it proves that the fetal development is normal. 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.

2. Clinical significance of fetal movement

1. Observing fetal movements in early pregnancy is helpful in estimating the prognosis of pregnancy. It is reported that at 7 weeks of pregnancy, the miscarriage rate for those with fetal movement is only 3%, while the miscarriage rate for those without fetal movement can be as high as 98%. In cases where no fetal movement is seen at 9 weeks of pregnancy, miscarriage is inevitable; while in cases where fetal movement is seen, it is a sign of threatened miscarriage, and about 90% of the fetuses can avoid miscarriage. For patients who have been infertile for many years and hope to maintain the fetus, observation of fetal movements in early pregnancy can provide a reference for the possibility of continuing the pregnancy.

2. Ultrasound is also 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.

3. When fetal movement occurs during pregnancy

When the fetus develops to a certain period in the mother's body, it will dance and move its hands and feet, which is fetal movement. Pregnant women can feel the fetus moving, but they may not know that fetal movement also indicates the health of the fetus.

Fetal movement has a certain pattern, indicating the transition of the fetus between sleep and wakefulness in the uterus. Generally, there are the least fetal movements in the morning and 6-10 movements at night. According to observations, normal and obvious fetal movements should be no less than 3-5 times per hour, 30-40 times in 12 hours, and as many as 100 times or more, which are all signs of a good fetal condition. Generally speaking, most pregnant women will feel fetal movements during the 4th to 5th month of pregnancy, which will gradually increase afterwards. The 28th to 38th week of pregnancy is the period when fetal movements are most active. As the full term approaches, the number of fetal movements gradually decreases as the fetal head descends into the pelvis. This is a normal phenomenon.

Measuring fetal movement is something that every pregnant woman must do. Keeping a record of the number of fetal movements every day during the second and third trimesters will not only help strengthen the bond between mother and fetus, but also help monitor the health of the fetus in the uterus. It has been found that a few weeks to a week before the death of a fetus, the fetal movement often decreases and then disappears. When fetal movement decreases and then stops, it is an emergency signal that the fetus is severely suffocated in the uterus and is about to die. If the pregnant woman can detect abnormal fetal movement in time, she should go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible. A cesarean section can often save the fetus from danger.

Reasons for decreased fetal movement during the fourth week

Generally, pregnant women can feel fetal movement between 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy, which reaches its peak between 28 and 32 weeks of pregnancy and gradually decreases after 38 weeks of pregnancy. Pregnant women should measure fetal movements from the 28th week of gestation, once in the morning, noon and evening, each time for 1 hour. Pregnant women can sit or lie on their side, place their hands lightly on the abdominal wall to feel the fetal movement. Normal fetal movement is 3 to 5 times per hour. If you measure the fetal movement by yourself, it is recommended that you go to the hospital for B-ultrasound monitoring, the results are more accurate.

Now you should understand that it is normal for fetal movement to decrease at 37 weeks. Fetal movement begins at the 28th week of pregnancy, reaches its peak at 32 weeks, and then gradually decreases from the 37th week. Slowly, the fetus will enter a dormant period and prepare to break out of the shell, waiting to be welcomed by the world. He is eager to see his father and mother, so female friends do not need to worry too much about this being a normal phenomenon.