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When you get the news of your pregnancy, you are overwhelmed with emotions! Why? Because you have a life growing inside you. In the initial months of pregnancy, you don’t feel a lot happening in your womb. But as time passes, you start to feel certain gentle movements every time your baby moves in your womb. You cannot help but be super excited.
During your pregnancy, one of the best days you witness is the day you feel your baby kick for the first time. It is pure bliss. Your partner and you try to talk to the baby hoping he/she kicks again. It even reaches a point where your unborn baby starts kicking like they are practicing for a football game in your womb. You’re happy and excited because you have an active baby and this is what is generally considered normal during pregnancy. Or so you’ve heard. But should you be worried if your baby’s movements suddenly reduce? We are here to tell you that it’s not always a matter of concern. Read on to know more.
Reduced Movement: Times You Do NOT Have To Worry
Reduced movement isn’t always a cause for worry. Below, we tell you why.
1. Delayed Movements
You might start to feel your baby’s movements somewhere between 16 to 20 weeks of pregnancy. It differs from one person to another, and as long as your regular check-ups show that everything is normal, there is nothing to worry about. However, if you do not feel your baby moving by 24 weeks, please consult your doctor or midwife (1).
2. Reduced Space
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As your baby continues to grow, the space for it in your womb gets smaller. Therefore it may not as easy as the initial months for your baby to move around. So if your baby was a constant kicker and now there is a decrease in movement, there is nothing to necessarily worry about as long as you feel some movement. As your baby grows the movements feel different. You may even feel your baby rotating in your womb.
3. Mother’s Stress
It is a known fact that mothers are supposed to stay stress-free during pregnancy. However, that is not always easy due to the enormous amount of changes that happen in your body during pregnancy. When the mother’s stress levels are high, her baby is affected. To deal with the high stress, her body releases cortisol which enters the amniotic fluid and reaches the baby (2). Therefore, when you’re stressed, your baby is affected too.
4. Sleep Time
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It goes without saying that babies love to sleep! During sleep time, babies remain inactive so there is nothing to worry about. Some babies love sleeping more than others. So if your baby is a sleepyhead, you will experience reduced movements and you do not need to panic. However, consult your doctor if you feel that your baby is not active at all (3).
When Do You Need To Worry?
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While ideally, a baby’s movement reduces with growth in the womb, there are some cases where it has to be given more importance because it can be a matter of concern. Let us look at a few of them:
- If you cannot feel your baby moving and start to bleed, seek medical help immediately. The bleeding might be minor or even negligible in some cases but it is best to consult your doctor as soon as possible to avoid complications. The bleeding might be a sign of placental abruption which is a condition where the placenta is separated from the uterus before childbirth, either partially or completely. This can be fatal for your baby. Therefore, seeking medical help is the best solution (4).
- Another instance that you should not ignore is when you feel your baby’s movements have reduced and you feel dizzy. Feeling lightheaded is a common symptom of fetal hypoxia. This condition causes the baby’s oxygen levels to drop inside the womb. It could be dangerous for both the mother and the baby. Therefore, you do not want to take a risk as it could lead to complications (5).
Pregnancy can be quite scary. As much as there are millions of women who do it every day, it is not an easy journey. But worrying and panicking when not necessary would lead to more harm than good. Therefore, most care should be taken so that you and your baby are safe and healthy.
