Patient's question:
I am now 6 months pregnant. I usually don't feel any fetal movement, and sometimes when there is movement, it is often several movements in a row. I don't know if it's normal. Additionally, how can I tell if the fetus is oxygen-deprived inside the uterus?Doctor's answer:
Hello, healthy fetus, although he has not yet been born, he is already active in the womb. Don't look at him as if he were just growing in the womb—he has never been a passive one, but has always shown the vitality of his new life. At 3 months of gestation, his organ systems begin to function. Sometimes he swallows amniotic fluid into his lungs and then coughs it up. Sometimes he also makes various special reactions: his legs, feet, thumb, and head all move; his little mouth opens, closes, or swallows; if his eyelids are stimulated, he squints his eyes; if his little hand is touched, he clenches a fist; if his little foot is touched, his toes spread out in a fan shape. These abilities are called innate reflexes and can last for several months after birth.There are three types of fetal movement: starting around the 6th month of pregnancy, the fetus kicks or bumps violently; around the 3rd month before birth, it moves slowly with twists and turns; the third type is intense spastic movement. The condition of fetal movement can predict the child's abilities in the first year of life. Children with strong fetal movement tend to develop motor skills more quickly after birth. It is said that children who kick and move wildly in the womb are likely to be "little troublemakers" after birth. Additionally, fetal movement can be triggered by certain stimuli. When discussing with the pregnant woman, they often share many vivid and interesting anecdotes, proving that the fetus has movement reactions to certain stimuli. For example, if the mother is a typist, her fetal movement increases when she types, causing her to become restless and affecting her work. The fetus also turns when it hears the sound of tapping wood. If a bell is struck near the mother's abdomen, the sound of the bell can also cause fetal movement. Furthermore, fetal movement can be influenced by many factors, such as pregnancy.