Many pregnant women are anxious about how the baby behaves in the stomach. Is the baby comfortable? Does he have enough oxygen? Why doesn't he push for a very long time? How to understand that the child's movements are not associated with problems in his development? - To answer these questions, it is worth learning more about what is the tone of the uterus, hypoxia and what to do for expectant mothers to avoid these problems during gestation.

First movements

When the second trimester of pregnancy comes, women begin to listen to their belly, eagerly awaiting the first movements of the baby. The baby begins to move at the age of 7–8 weeks, but its dimensions are still so small that the woman cannot feel them. Most often, the first movements of the baby become noticeable at 16–20 weeks of gestation. The appearance of the first movements up to 23 weeks is considered the norm; during this period, all pregnant women already feel a slight movement in the abdomen, reminiscent of the swimming of a fish.

If a woman is thin, she will notice the first movements at 16 weeks, the rest a little later. During this period, the child is still very small, and it is easy to confuse his movements with increased intestinal motility and not pay attention to them. Pregnant women for the second time or more are able to notice the subtle movements of the baby already at 16-18 weeks with any physique. As a rule, during this period, movements are rare, 1-2 times a day, possibly 1-2 times every 2-3 days.

From the 20th to the 30th week of pregnancy, the baby begins to grow rapidly, the belly increases noticeably in all women. This is the period of maximum motor activity fetus. The child has already grown up enough, gained strength. When it rolls over and spins, the pregnant woman feels gurgling movements, quite intense. After the 32nd week, the baby will be so big that it will not be able to "dance" in the mother's belly. The floating movements will be replaced by sharp jolts with the knees and elbows.

Influence of the environment on fetal behavior

A child in the womb is able to react to what is happening in the world around him. Most often, the following external factors change the behavior:

• touches of mom, dad and other people,
• noises, music,
• smells.

From about 24 weeks, all family members can already feel the movement of the baby if they try to put their hand to the stomach. Children react differently to touch. If the baby is actively kicking, spinning, this can cause inconvenience to the mother. But if at this moment dad touches the belly, the child very often calms down, calms down. One gets the impression that the baby got scared and hid. If the hand is not immediately removed, then the child gets used to it and begins to actively push daddy's hands. Some children, on the contrary, love to play with everyone very much, increase the tremors when they feel new people.

They often protest in response to loud, harsh sounds and unpleasant odors. If the baby is frightened by loud screams, music or sounds of construction tools, he will definitely give a signal to his parents and start pushing hard. Very often, children spin until the unpleasant sounds are eliminated. Doctors and psychologists recommend that pregnant women avoid going to cinemas and nightclubs, replacing such rest with walks on fresh air and listening to classical music.

The beneficial effects of classical music on the development of a baby before and after birth have been confirmed by a number of studies by scientists from the United States and Israel. They noticed that listening to the classics by premature babies sped up their metabolism, helping babies gain weight. In addition, breastfeeding mothers who listened to classical music regularly were able to lactate longer than women who preferred other music.

Classical music has been shown to have a therapeutic effect on the human nervous system, which is especially beneficial for pregnant women who often experience negative impact hormonal surges, manifested in mood swings, tearfulness, nervousness. Undoubtedly, a child, while still in the womb, is able to calm down with its mother, listening to the calm melodies of great composers. If the baby is moving very much, you can try playing Vivaldi's Seasons or Mozart's Music of Angels.

American neuroscientists have proven the special influence of Mozart's music on intrauterine development... Children, whose mothers listened to the works of Mozart, were ahead of other children in their development, had a good memory.

Influence of odors

Long-term exposure of a pregnant woman to certain odors also leads to an increase in the motor activity of the fetus. The strong smell of chlorine, acetone, paint can irritate it. The child starts spinning, trying to turn away from the unpleasant smell.

The greatest harm to the health of a pregnant woman and fetus is caused by smoking and the smell of tobacco smoke. Numerous studies of this problem have proven the negative effects of tobacco smoke on the prenatal development of a child. If a pregnant woman smokes, it is imperative to quit the habit as soon as possible. But the smell of smoke in the room can negatively affect the child.

When tobacco smoke enters the mother's body, the baby can begin to move very strongly. At this moment, he experiences oxygen starvation (hypoxia) and tries to cope with it. As soon as the mother leaves the smoky room into the fresh air, the baby will calm down. Constant exposure to tobacco smoke, chlorine and other harmful odors can lead to chronic hypoxia, developmental delays, lack of water, and poor weight gain in a toddler.

How do you know when hypoxia has started?

If the baby moves very strongly in the stomach, this is a reason to think about why this is happening, what kind of life does a pregnant woman lead. Adequate oxygen supply is very important for the normal development of the baby in the womb. It nourishes all cells of the body, helping the child to grow. To control the correct development of the baby, the following methods are used:

• listening to the heartbeat with an obstetric stethoscope,
• Ultrasound screening,
• dopplerometry,
• dopplerography,
• cardiotocography (CTG).

Each of these methods is designed to check and assess the condition of the baby so that you can take care of him in time. Why does the baby move a lot or, conversely, does not move for more than a day, will help determine the examination of an obstetrician-gynecologist. The first thing the doctor will do is listen to the heartbeat with a stethoscope. After making sure that everything is in order with the child, the doctor will suggest that the pregnant woman walk more, not sit for a long time in an uncomfortable position in front of the TV or computer, and eat right. To clarify the condition of the baby, the doctor may prescribe an additional ultrasound scan.

Ultrasound screening provides information about the size of the fetus, correct formation internal organs and body parts, quantity amniotic fluid and the condition of the placenta. If hypoxia is suspected, the doctor pays special attention to the indicators of the thickness of the placenta, the amount of water, the position of the umbilical cord, and the size of the baby.

Doppler and Doppler ultrasonography are used to monitor the state of blood flow in the “mother-child” system. These two methods differ only in that during Doppler ultrasound, information from the sensor is additionally recorded on a medium (disk or tape). This method allows you to see how the blood flows from the placenta to the baby, it will be especially useful in the case of an umbilical cord entanglement.

CTG is done to all pregnant women from the 33rd week. Special sensors connected to the belly monitor the baby's heartbeat, breathing and movements. A woman lies on the couch for 30 to 60 minutes. The results are displayed on tape, similar to ECG data. During the study, it is possible to assess how an increase in the tone of the uterus affects the baby, if it happens in a woman.

With an increase in tone, the uterus begins to contract, the woman feels like her stomach is on a short time becomes stone, pulling pains appear. Such cramping movements of the muscles of the uterus, if they occur frequently, can lead to hypoxia and fetoplacental insufficiency. During the increase in tone, the woman feels anxiety, and the child becomes especially active, he is tightly in the contracting uterus. To get rid of this condition, doctors prescribe a certain treatment aimed at preventing hypoxia. As a rule, after the treatment, the baby becomes calmer.

The child's activity is not always a manifestation of his struggle with oxygen starvation. Each baby develops its own sleep and wakefulness regime, and each mother knows when and how he moves. In case of significant changes in physical activity, you should consult a doctor. To prevent problems with oxygen supply, it is recommended to walk a lot in the fresh air, enjoy every day and tune in to a calm, easy birth. Good luck!

During the normal course of pregnancy, the movements of the baby at 30 weeks are no longer as noticeable as in earlier periods. All this is due to the fact that at this time the fetus is already large enough and the baby is already getting cramped. Mom, of course, will feel the movement, but there will be no more jolts and "kicks".

Fetal movements at 30 weeks are very smooth

When the fetus moves at 30 weeks, the mother can already feel not only the handle or the leg, but also the fingers (but of course this is not in all cases). For clarity, you can make a small comparative description. So: most mothers feel the first movements at 12 weeks, at 15-16 weeks they are already clearly felt, from 17 to 25 mothers it seems that babies are playing football in their tummy. 30 week of pregnancy, fetal movements are not so pronounced. After 30 and before the birth of the baby, the movements are very insignificant, constrained.

If everything happens according to these periods, then the pregnancy is proceeding correctly. 30 weeks, stirring, when it is almost imperceptible, when the woman has already entered maternity leave(doctors recommend it is at this time to finish your labor activity) mothers can already afford to pay maximum attention to their pregnancy. At this time, the child has already formed limbs, the mother can clearly feel where the baby's arms, legs or head are. The fingers and toes are also formed.

The child in this period of his life clearly feels the light, and reacts to it, which is why the correct daily routine for the mother is very important. During the dark hours of the day, the child will fall asleep more easily in the womb than during the daytime. During this period, hearing is especially formed in children, so it's time to teach the child to be beautiful. You can start reading children's stories aloud, the child will hear.

In order for at least partial understanding to occur, it is necessary to read with expression and it is desirable to change voices (for example, the bunny speaks in a more pleasant thin voice, and the gray wolf in a coarser, louder voice), it is better to read slowly observing punctuation marks. Also, during the formation of hearing, you can listen to classical music, but preferably something light with a predominance of one instrument, Chopin is perfect, it is recommended to listen to multi-instrumental works (as a child grows up, he will quickly begin to distinguish between a violin and a cello), but not heavy, not minor ones.

As for charging, it must be done regularly, since for a period of thirty weeks a woman's mobility is already very limited, it is imperative to knead all muscle groups.

You do not need to add anything new during this period, you just need to follow old scheme, if something becomes difficult, then it is recommended to reduce the number of approaches to the exercise or the number of times. It is worth closely monitoring the diet during this period.

If at the very beginning of pregnancy, doctors focused on eating meat and poultry, since the skeletal system is formed, then in the third trimester, along with meat and poultry, it is necessary to increase the amount of fruit and fiber in the diet. The child's brain and bone marrow are forming and actively developing, and to improve brain function, both adults and children are advised to eat dates, peanuts, walnuts and cashews. Also, do not forget about fermented milk products, yoghurts, cereals, cottage cheese. Even if a woman does not like these products, it is necessary to eat them at least several times a week.

A woman during this period of pregnancy feels much better than in the first trimester, when the main surprises were toxicosis and a great desire to eat toli cucumbers or frozen toli fish. In the last trimester, a woman more than ever enjoys pregnancy, because at this time she should not care about anything other than the joy of motherhood. At this time, the woman begins to prepare for childbirth and the first months of motherhood. It is worth taking a walk in the shops and looking at products for children.

V Lately There are a lot of similar stores, even if they did not catch your eye before. There are huge shops like “ Child's world»In such stores you can find everything from bonnets, diapers, undershirts, and to everything that a child may need at the beginning of his life. There you can also look at beautiful cradles or cradles, playpens for a child - as practice shows, this is very necessary thing, even if at first it was not planned to buy it.

Also during this period, many experts recommend that young mothers go to special courses, not those that are required to attend, but paid ones - they are quite inexpensive, and women will be told a lot of useful things about raising a baby, about proper feeding, how to put to bed properly so that a child fell asleep faster. How to develop the personality of a child even before his birth (just from thirty weeks, from the very beginning of the third trimester). Also, such courses will help psychologically prepare for the birth itself - it will be very useful for young nulliparous women.

As mentioned above, the child's brain is actively forming at this time, so it is extremely important to avoid stress during this period of the baby's life. The slightest stress from mom can negatively affect mental health baby. Therefore, you need to live in maximum comfort and harmony with yourself during this period.

Physical activity is not recommended at this time. Of course, in principle, during pregnancy it is not worth pulling weights, but as for 3 - 5 weeks, also 29 - 33, you need to be extremely careful. Careful attention to pregnancy is a guarantee of the birth of a healthy baby.

Why does the child move a lot?

The baby pushes a lot in the belly - during pregnancy, many women are worried for this reason. But no less expectant mothers, who, on the contrary, are frightened by the lack of movement in the womb. Both are interested in how the child should move normally? But the body of each pregnant woman is individual, and advice from the outside does not always turn out to be applicable to a particular situation.

Usually, the first movements are felt between 18 and 22 weeks. Hardly perceptible movements, over time are replaced by active, strong jerks. Why is the baby moving unusually in the womb? Several factors affect the intensity of perturbations.

1. Pregnancy period. The term increases - the baby grows, gets stronger and becomes stronger. That is why light tremors for long periods of time turn into very sensitive "kicks". From 24 to 32 weeks - a period of rapid growth of the child, it is at this time that the movement inside is especially noticeable. The number of perturbations decreases by the time of delivery, but the strength does not stop growing.

2. Nutrition. If the child is actively moving, then he may not have enough oxygen or nutrition. Relative signs of this can be seen on ultrasound. This is premature maturation of the placenta, for example.

3. External factors. The baby's intense reaction occurs to external influences. Examples of external stimuli are: the voice of a dad or mom, loud music, a sound in the subway, a car signal, or just someone's hand on a child's "house".

4. Mode. The wakefulness of the crumbs in the mother's stomach does not always happen, he has an individual regime. Sleep takes most of the time, on average, he sleeps for 3 hours, followed by a short break. The strength of the shocks is influenced by the temperament or mood of the baby.

5. Mom's emotions. An active reaction to mom's mood begins at about 25 weeks of gestation. Bad mood often causes active movements of the child, but some children, on the contrary, calm down and wait for a change in the "atmosphere". A long stay in one position, for example, at the computer, can provoke the baby to move, which will sound like a call to change the occupation, the so-called request to move is a common reason why the child is pushing strongly in the mother's stomach.

Certain points require vigilance. From the 25th week, the baby should move about 10 times an hour. But he may not move at all for 3 hours, as this is a normal time for continuous sleep. With regular fetal movements, mommy should not worry. The reason to be wary is if the child pushes strongly in the stomach for a long time, without interruption. This may portend hypoxia - a lack of oxygen. Acute oxygen deficiency can be diagnosed by a doctor by listening to the heart sounds of the fetus, as well as by prescribing a special ultrasound scan. The main task in hypoxia is to improve the nutrition of the baby. Hospitalization may be required. But do not worry ahead of time. Many moms are very alert and panic with or without reason. If the fetus is passive, it is recommended to eat something sweet and do gymnastics. If the baby replied - everything is in order, otherwise, you should repeat the same thing in 2-3 hours, perhaps he is just asleep.

The woman begins to feel the movement of the fetus from about the middle of pregnancy. All these movements are naturally associated with many physiological processes in the body of a pregnant woman. A woman may notice that the fetus moves in response to emotional stress or after eating sweet foods, etc. Indirectly, excessive fetal activity may indicate existing abnormalities during pregnancy.
Physiological causes of fetal motility
In addition to the above reasons, the child often pushes in the abdomen in the following cases:

the woman has taken an uncomfortable position, while the fetus becomes cramped and its movements become more active;
environmental stimuli (for example, loud noise) can "wake up" the child, forcing him to push more often;
the individual mode of wakefulness of the fetus and the pregnant woman may not coincide. Therefore, a woman can feel active tremors at night. During the day, the child is "rocked" by the motor activity of a woman.
The above situations are typical for pregnancy in the last trimester.

Pathological causes of excessive mobility
The most common reason why a child often moves is hypoxia (oxygen deprivation). There are many prerequisites leading to this condition: abnormalities of the placenta, somatic diseases of the mother (anemia, diabetes mellitus, etc.). Determine if oxygen starvation exists, as well as the severity pathological condition, maybe a specialist. For this purpose, he listens to the fetal heartbeat, prescribes ultrasonography and performs cardiotocography of the fetus (that is, with the help of a special device, the fetal heartbeats are recorded with a graphical display). With the help of Doppler ultrasound, the intensity of blood flow in the arteries of the placenta is determined.