Patient's question:
Dear Doctor:Hello!
My wife is 25 weeks and 7 days pregnant. I have noticed a pattern in the baby's fetal movements: the first day, the baby was very active, but the second day, the movements were fewer, and so on. For example: yesterday morning, I felt the baby move eight times in less than a minute, but this morning, after feeling for a long time, the baby only moved twice. Is this normal?
Additionally, my wife has chronic hepatitis B (), but her liver function is normal. Is this related to it?
Please reply as soon as possible. Thank you!!!
Doctor's answer:
Facing frequent fetal movements, many expectant mothers don't know what to do. In fact, dealing with baby movements requires the mother to focus on two key points. Which two? Let's take a look.1. Monitor the fetal heartbeat
In the late stages of pregnancy, especially after 36 weeks, expectant mothers should learn to check if the fetal heartbeat is normal. A normal fetal heart rate is between 120 and 160 beats per minute. If the mother notices the heart rate being too fast, too slow, or irregular, she should go to the hospital for a check-up immediately and not delay.
2. Perform self-monitoring
Self-monitoring by the expectant mother can detect any abnormalities in the fetus, allowing for immediate treatment. It is recommended that expectant mothers start self-monitoring from the 28th week of pregnancy. They should do this once in the morning, afternoon, and evening, each time lasting for one hour. The mother can lie on her side or sit, placing her hands on her abdomen to feel the fetal movements. Normal fetal movements occur three to five times per hour. Alternatively, add the number of movements detected in each of the three daily checks and multiply by four to calculate the 12-hour fetal movement count. If the fetal movement count is too low or too high, it indicates that the fetus is abnormal, and the mother should go to the hospital for medical attention immediately.