Patient's question:
Dear Doctor,My cousin has been pregnant for over five months, but she has not felt any slight movements of the fetus yet. Could you please tell me if this is an abnormal phenomenon? My cousin had a miscarriage once before, and her second pregnancy was less than a year after the miscarriage. She experienced vaginal bleeding when she was less than two months pregnant, but the bleeding stopped after about a week of progesterone injections. After that, she had pregnancy symptoms, and until now, there have been no other abnormalities, except that the fetus has not moved. Is this normal? If a check-up is needed, what kind of tests should be done? Thank you.
Additional Question: However, could an ultrasound examination affect the baby? Is there any risk?
Doctor's answer:
Hello, fetal movement refers to the action of the fetus moving inside the uterine cavity, impacting the uterine wall.After the fourth month of pregnancy, starting from the fifth month, the mother can clearly feel the fetus's movements. The fetus stretches its arms and legs inside the uterus, kicks, and impacts the uterine wall—this is fetal movement. The frequency, speed, and strength of fetal movement indicate the baby's well-being. Generally, pregnant women can feel fetal movement around weeks 15 to 20 of pregnancy, with the peak occurring between weeks 28 and 32, after which it gradually decreases. Normal fetal movement should be at least 3 to 5 times per hour, and there should be more than 30 to 40 noticeable movements in 12 hours.
However, due to individual differences in fetuses, some may move around 100 times in 12 hours. As long as the fetal movement is regular, rhythmic, and does not change significantly, it proves that the fetus is developing normally. Normal fetal movement indicates that the placenta is functioning well, delivering sufficient oxygen to the fetus, and the baby is growing and developing healthily in the uterus, moving happily.