Know your foetal baby's movements

  First time mothers usually start feeling the baby's movements around 18 to 20 weeks. At first the movements are gentle and feel like a flutter. Gradually they become stronger and feel like a kick, swish or roll.
There is no specific number of movements which is normal, said Dr Sailajavappu , Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecologist, Amina Hospital, Ajman. "Each baby has its own pattern and number of movements and it's important that the mother is aware of this pattern. Most babies are active in the afternoon and in the evening."
Babies don't move when they are asleep. Usually sleep periods (both day and night) vary between 20 to 40 minutes and rarely lasts for 90 min.
If the woman is unsure about the baby movements, she should lie on her left side and count movements for two hours. She should appreciate at least 10 individual movements in those two hours. If the movements are less than 10 she should contact the doctor immediately, said the doctor.
When the woman attends the hospital with reduced movements health professional attending the mother measures the size of the abdomen and monitors the baby's heart rate for 20min. In certain situations a scan is also done to check the growth of the baby. Feeling the baby move gives the pregnant mother reassurance of the unborn baby's wellbeing. If the baby is not moving well or changes its pattern, it may be the first sign that the baby is unwell.
Most women who experience single episode of reduced movements will go on to deliver a normal baby. Even if the baby was checked and reassured, she should keep an eye on baby's movements and contact the hospital if she experiences further episodes of reduced movements.
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