Frequent fetal movements at night before delivery

Under normal circumstances, women will have obvious fetal movements when they are 20 weeks pregnant. Whether the fetal movements are normal can generally reflect whether the baby is healthy in the abdomen. If the fetal movements are very regular, this means that the baby is normal. However, some women suddenly have frequent fetal movements before delivery. Most people don’t know whether it is normal. So what is the reason for frequent fetal movements at night before delivery?

1. Is it normal to have frequent fetal movements at night before delivery?

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, fetal movements are more frequent at night and less frequent 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.

2. How much fetal movement is normal in late pregnancy

How much fetal movement is considered normal in the late pregnancy? The number, speed, strength, etc. of fetal movements can often predict the safety of the fetus in the uterus. Normal fetal movement indicates that the placenta is functioning well, that the oxygen supplied to the fetus is sufficient, that the fetus is developing healthily, and that the little life is living happily in the uterus. However, since fetal movement also varies depending on the individual physical condition of the expectant mother, many expectant mothers want to know whether there is a unified indicator to measure how much fetal movement is normal in the late pregnancy.

After 32 weeks of pregnancy, the fetal movements become strong and regular. Doctors will advise pregnant women to count fetal movements to understand the condition of the fetus in the uterus. In the morning, noon and evening, measure the fetal movement for one hour each time in the left side lying position. Then add the three measured fetal movements and multiply by 4, which is the number of fetal movements in 12 hours.

How many fetal movements are normal in the late pregnancy? Generally speaking, the fetal movement is more than 3 times per hour. If the fetal movement is more than 30 times in 12 hours, it means that the fetus is in good condition. If it is less than 20 times, it means that the fetus has intrauterine hypoxia. If it is less than 10 times, it means that the fetus is in danger and the prognosis is poor. When expectant mothers are monitoring themselves, if they find that the number of fetal movements is lower than normal, they should go to the hospital immediately for examination to determine the cause and save the fetus in time.