How do pregnant women know that the fetus is hypoxic?

Fetal hypoxia has a great impact on the child's health. If the pregnant mother cannot detect the symptoms of hypoxia in the child in time and cannot deal with it in time, it may even affect the child's life safety and cause fetal growth retardation. Therefore, pregnant mothers must understand clearly some signs of fetal hypoxia, so that they can take reasonable countermeasures as soon as the child is hypoxic!

Hypoxia signal 1: abnormal fetal movement

1. Sudden decrease in fetal movement

A sudden decrease in fetal movement can cause the pregnant mother to have a fever. If the fever is mild due to a common cold, the fetus's movements will not be greatly affected because of the buffering effect of the amniotic fluid. However, if the pregnant mother suffers from an infectious disease or influenza, the impact on the fetus will be greater, especially for expectant mothers who are close to their due date.

2. Fetal movement suddenly accelerates

The fetal movement suddenly accelerates, which may be related to severe trauma to the pregnant mother. Generally speaking, the fetus is protected by amniotic fluid in the mother's womb, which can reduce the impact of external forces. If the expectant mother accidentally suffers a slight impact, she will not be injured. However, once the pregnant mother is hit by severe external force, it will cause violent fetal movement, and even cause miscarriage, premature birth, etc.

3. Rapid fetal movement suddenly stops

When a pregnant mother experiences rapid fetal movements and then suddenly stops, this may be related to the umbilical cord being wrapped around the neck or knotted. The normal length of the umbilical cord is 50cm. If the umbilical cord is too long, it can easily wrap around the fetus' neck or body. Once the umbilical cord becomes entangled or knotted, blood circulation will be blocked, causing the fetus to suffocate due to lack of oxygen.

Hypoxia signal 2: Fetal heart rate is too fast

The normal fetal heart rate is regular and strong, usually about 120 to 160 beats per minute, and can be heard after 12 weeks of pregnancy. If the fetal position is normal, on the left or right side of the mother's lower abdomen, where the fetal back is located, it can be listened to with the help of simple instruments. Abnormal fetal heart rate monitoring tests often indicate fetal hypoxia.

Before the fetal movement decreases, the fetal heart rate becomes too frequent. If it exceeds 160 beats per minute, it is a sign of early fetal hypoxia. If the fetal movement decreases or stops, and the fetal heart rate beats less than 120 beats per minute, it is a sign of late fetal hypoxia. The position for listening to the fetal heart rate should be at the place specified by the doctor, but please note that if the fetal heart rate is abnormal, you should listen again after 20 minutes; if the fetal heart rate is fast, you should listen again when there is no fetal movement.

Hypoxia signal three: fetal growth stagnation

After lack of oxygen, the growth of the fetus will also be slowed down. Fetal growth retardation refers to the restriction of fetal growth and development in the uterus, which fails to reach a size appropriate to the gestational age. It is mainly manifested in that the fetal weight is lower than that of a normal fetus of the same gestational age. The birth weight of a fetus after 37 weeks of pregnancy is less than 2500 grams.

The growth of the fetus can be known by measuring the height of the uterine fundus, which is the distance from the top of the pubic symphysis to the highest point of the uterine fundus. Under normal circumstances, the diameter of the breasts should increase by about 1 cm per week after the 28th week of pregnancy. Pregnant mothers can measure regularly at home or in the hospital. If there is no improvement for two weeks, further investigation should be performed.