Why do I need a fetal motion test?

A lot of new sensations and emotions await a woman during pregnancy. One of the most pleasant moments during this period is the first movements of the baby.

Do you feel how it pushes?  This is how he communicates with you, talks about himself.

By how often you feel his movements, you can judge his temperament and well-being.

To understand if your baby is doing well, it is necessary to regularly, preferably daily, conduct a "fetal movement test", and all that is required for this is to independently observe the movements of the child.

The first movements of the fetus, as a rule, appear at the 20th week of pregnancy, but may appear a little earlier or a little later.  Obvious regular movements begin from the 24th week. From this time on, the child should remind himself about himself about 10-15 times an hour. Of course, if you don't feel anything for 2-3 hours, it doesn't mean that something has happened. Maybe the baby is just sleeping. But in general, movements during the day should be regular.

Why aren't ultrasound and CT scans enough?

Ultrasound and CTG are modern effective methods for diagnosing fetal condition that accurately determine blood circulation and heartbeat parameters at a specific moment and are performed at a certain interval if there are no medical indications for more frequent examination. Therefore, usually at the reception, the doctor asks the woman if she has noticed any changes in the "behavior" of the baby. In case of any changes, the doctor will recommend that you re-undergo the study.

It is important that by regularly conducting a fetal movement test, you constantly monitor the well-being of your unborn child. According to international research, this not only helps to identify and prevent possible problems in a timely manner, but also reduces the overall level of anxiety in pregnant women.

What determines fetal activity

Of course, to some extent, the baby's mobility in the womb is influenced by his temperament, but, of course, this is not the main thing.  Its activity is largely determined by the following factors:

• The amount of physical activity of a pregnant woman. If you lead a fairly active lifestyle during pregnancy, fetal movements may be felt less often.

• Time of day. Although it doesn't make much difference for babies inside their tummy whether it's day or night – they lead an active life whenever they want - practice proves that they become more active at night.

• Psychological and emotional state of a pregnant woman.

• Nutrition of a woman

• Presence or absence of concomitant obstetric or somatic pathology

How to count movements

The most common is the Pearson method or "Count to 10". Any movement of the baby should be taken into account, excluding hiccups, such as bumps, kicks, flips, etc. But consider not the number of movements following each other, but the alternation of rest and activity (both groups of movements and single ones). That is, if the baby first turned over, then immediately pushed, this is only one movement.

According to the Pearson method, a woman keeps a diary from the 28th week of pregnancy, in which she notes the baby's movements from 9:00 to 21:00. If there are 10 or more movements in 12 hours, you don't have to worry — everything is fine with the child. Modern technology allows you to abandon the diary. You can install a special application based on this technique on your smartphone.

There is also a shorter but more rigorous method recommended by the American Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists—"Count to 10 in 2 hours." You choose at what time of the day the baby is more active, and conduct a test during this period. A sign of fetal well-being is considered to be 10 or more movements recorded in 2 hours.

With any technique, if you cannot count the required number of movements, be sure to consult a doctor!

A lot of new sensations and emotions await a woman during pregnancy. One of the most pleasant moments during this period is the first movements of the baby.

Do you feel how it pushes?  This is how he communicates with you, talks about himself.

By how often you feel his movements, you can judge his temperament and well-being.

To understand if your baby is doing well, it is necessary to regularly, preferably daily, conduct a "fetal movement test", and all that is required for this is to independently observe the movements of the child.

The first movements of the fetus, as a rule, appear at the 20th week of pregnancy, but may appear a little earlier or a little later.  Obvious regular movements begin from the 24th week. From this time on, the child should remind himself about himself about 10-15 times an hour. Of course, if you don't feel anything for 2-3 hours, it doesn't mean that something has happened. Maybe the baby is just sleeping. But in general, movements during the day should be regular.

Why aren't ultrasound and CT scans enough?

Ultrasound and CTG are modern effective methods for diagnosing the condition of the fetus, which accurately determine the parameters of blood circulation and heartbeat at a specific moment and are performed at a certain interval if there are no medical indications for more frequent examination. Therefore, usually at the reception, the doctor asks the woman if she has noticed any changes in the "behavior" of the baby. In case of any changes, the doctor will recommend that you re-undergo the study.

It is important that by regularly conducting a fetal movement test, you constantly monitor the well-being of your unborn child. According to international research, this not only helps to identify and prevent possible problems in a timely manner, but also reduces the overall level of anxiety in pregnant women.

What determines fetal activity

Of course, to some extent, the baby's mobility in the womb is influenced by his temperament, but, of course, this is not the main thing.  Its activity is largely determined by the following factors:

• The amount of physical activity of a pregnant woman. If you lead a fairly active lifestyle during pregnancy, fetal movements may be felt less often.

• Time of day. Although it doesn't make much difference for babies inside their tummy whether it's day or night – they lead an active life whenever they want - practice proves that they become more active at night.

• Psychological and emotional state of a pregnant woman.

• Nutrition of a woman

• Presence or absence of concomitant obstetric or somatic pathology

How to count movements

The most common is the Pearson method or "Count to 10". Any movement of the baby should be taken into account, excluding hiccups, such as bumps, kicks, flips, etc. But consider not the number of movements following each other, but the alternation of rest and activity (both groups of movements and single ones). That is, if the baby first turned over, then immediately pushed, this is only one movement.

According to the Pearson method, a woman keeps a diary from the 28th week of pregnancy, in which she notes the baby's movements from 9:00 to 21:00. If there are 10 or more movements in 12 hours, you don't have to worry — everything is fine with the child. Modern technology allows you to abandon the diary. You can install a special application based on this technique on your smartphone.

There is also a shorter but more rigorous method recommended by the American Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists—"Count to 10 in 2 hours." You choose at what time of the day the baby is more active, and conduct a test during this period. A sign of fetal well-being is considered to be 10 or more movements recorded in 2 hours.

With any technique, if you cannot count the required number of movements, be sure to consult a doctor!