when to go to hospital for decreased fetal movement?

Changes in Fetal Movement

decreased fetal movement, pregnant woman doing kick counts with her phone
From somersaults to sleeping, your baby's activity levels will rise and fall throughout pregnancy. Here's what to expect — and when it's time to call the doctor.
In This Article

Changes in fetal movement throughout pregnancy
Reasons for decreased fetal movement
Reasons for a very active baby in the womb
When to worry about fetal movement

After all the first trimester fatigue (and nausea, and constipation, and frequent need to pee), the joyful feeling of your baby | s first movements comes as a welcome relief in the second trimester. But what might initially seem like a sport (how long does it take after that morning OJ to feel a flutter?) can sometimes become a stressor as you wonder what fetal movement should feel like — and whether any changes are normal.

Learn more about expected increases and decreases in fetal movement, plus the signs it's time to check in with your practitioner.
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Changes in fetal movement throughout pregnancy

Fetal movements vary from person to person and baby to baby. Some babies constantly test the limits of their cozy confines, while others sit back and relax until their debuts. What | s more, significant changes in fetal movement throughout your pregnancy are normal:
In the second trimester

When you feel those first flutters of fetal movement (usually around month 5 or weeks 18 to 22 of pregnancy), they might seem like butterflies, twitches, nudges or even hunger pangs.

Once you can feel them, the movements will grow increasingly acrobatic and his punches more powerful as his muscles get stronger. Your little gymnast is also still small enough to turn somersaults with abandon in your uterus.

By the time you're 6 months pregnant, leg movements become more frequent and seemingly choreographed. You might start noticing patterns in the pitter-patter of those little feet, although it's just as likely that the behavior will be unpredictable.
In the third trimester

At 7 months pregnant, your baby still has enough room to toss and turn ,and he's getting stronger every day. Those punches, while comforting, can feel downright jolting.

As your baby packs on the pounds in month 8, that formerly spacious apartment called your womb becomes more like a cramped closet. Acrobatic tumbles are less likely, but you'll continue to feel wriggling and turning with a few jabs of elbows and knees thrown in for good measure.
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By month 9, at nearly full weight and length, your little one is not so little relative to those tight quarters. You won't feel those rapid-fire pummeling kicks since there's just no room for that. But larger lurches and bigger movements (as baby turns over, for example) will definitely get your attention.

Starting around week 28, your doctor or midwife may suggest counting your baby | s kicks every day until you give birth. It | s usually a good idea to plan a kick count once in the morning and once again in the evening (and even more frequently in month 9). You | re looking to count 10 fetal movements of any kind (kicks, swishes, rolls, etc.) within one hour.

If you don | t reach 10 kicks within one hour, have a snack and try again. And if you don | t count 10 kicks in two hours, call your practitioner. Also check in if you | re in month 9 and notice any sudden decrease in fetal movement.
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Reasons for decreased fetal movement

Once you | ve felt your baby | s first kicks, don | t get too used to a particular pattern. Fetal movement will change throughout pregnancy for a whole lot of different (usually perfectly normal) reasons:
You | ve been super active

Have you been out and about all day? The gentle rocking motion of moms | daily movements tend to lull babies to sleep. You may also just be too busy to notice any jiggles going on in there.
You just had sex

While some babies become quite active after sex, others get lulled to sleep by the rhythmic uterine contractions that go with orgasm. Both responses are completely normal. As long as your practitioner hasn | t told you otherwise, sex during pregnancy is completely safe.
Your baby is still too small to feel consistently

Throughout your second trimester, all bets are off on fetal movement. Your baby may be an acrobat one minute and in hibernation the next. You may go hours or even a couple of days without noticing fetal movement.

Since your baby | s still quite small, it | s easy to miss movements (especially if he | s facing inward instead of outward). In fact, since babies are often most active at night, you might sleep right through most of the action.

Concerned? Try lying down in the evening with a glass of OJ — the combination of a calm uterine environment and sugar boost may get your baby moving again. Keep in mind, you only need to start counting kicks in the third trimester (week 28).
There | s less room in your womb

When you first felt your baby move, he had plenty of room to kick to his little heart | s content. What began as butterfly-like flutters (which you could barely distinguish from gas) really started packing a punch as the weeks passed.

By the third trimester, however, your baby's grown a lot bigger — which means that personal gym has grown smaller. There's still room for movement, but not the kind you're used to. Instead, you'll feel more twists, wiggles, stretches and turns.
Your baby | s sleeping

By the time you're in your third trimester, you | ll feel not only less vigorous movements but also less frequent movement. Fetuses, like newborns, have interludes of deep sleep (and it's too bad they don't always occur when you're sleeping).

In fact, your baby is more likely to be up when you're trying to catch some winks and sleepy when you're active. This means that there'll be times during the day when you'll feel little — or no — movement at all. And that's okay.
Your baby | s head is engaged in your pelvis

In the last few weeks of pregnancy, you may notice a bit of a decrease in fetal movement. Once your baby "drops", he will be even less mobile. You may feel larger rolls — along with every move of baby | s head on the cervix, which may feel like sharp electric twinges down there.
Reasons for a very active baby in the womb

In the second trimester (and even in the very beginning of the third), your baby has enough room in your womb to dance, somersault and kick box (all before lunch). In fact, you felt so much fetal movement that you might have wondered whether you were gestating a baby or a litter.

The good news is an active (even very active) baby signals a healthy baby. It's his way of exercising and building those muscles and bones. A very active baby in the womb also doesn | t mean that he | ll be hyper (or an Olympic athlete) once he makes his grand entrance.

Wondering if your baby will get more active when you | re about to go into labor? If you | re experiencing contractions and fetal movements intensify briefly, you may actually be in false labor.

Other signs you might be in false labor include mild to moderate uterine contractions (similar to menstrual cramps) that aren | t at all regular, last for 15 to 30 seconds and don | t increase in frequency or severity with time. These Braxton Hicks contractions help get your body ready for the big day (when it comes, that is).

Not sure if it | s the real deal or not? The signs of labor can be confusing and hard to pin down. If you ever feel concerned about pre-labor symptoms, it | s always a good idea to call your doctor.
When to worry about fetal movement

In the majority of cases, changes and even decreased fetal movement are par for the pregnancy course. However, if you've taken steps to wake up your baby (like drinking a sweet drink or jostling your tummy) and he remains quiet, it can signal a more significant issue.

In rare cases, a sudden noticeable decrease in fetal activity can be due to:

Low amniotic fluid. About 4 percent of expecting women experience oligohydramnios, or low amniotic fluid — usually late in the third trimester. While most people with this condition don | t have any noticeable symptoms and have completely healthy pregnancies, some might notice a sudden and significant drop in fetal activity. Your doctor may want to monitor you and possibly opt for an early delivery.
Too much amniotic fluid. Around 1 percent of pregnancies are diagnosed with hydramnios, or too much amniotic fluid. It | s more common in moms who are carrying multiples or who have poorly controlled diabetes. Sometimes, the extra cushion can make it harder to feel fetal movements. It can also create discomfort in the abdomen or chest due to an especially large uterus. While most cases don | t cause symptoms, if hydramnios is more severe your doctor will want to monitor you.
Fetal distress. A baby | s oxygen supply can get disturbed before or during labor, causing a significant and abrupt slowdown of movement. (Your water may also break and be stained with meconium, or baby | s first poop.) Sustained oxygen deprivation requires immediate delivery, usually via C-section.

Because these conditions require monitoring and possible treatment to ensure your baby | s health and safety, it | s essential to call your doctor right away if you don't feel 10 movements within two hours during the third trimester despite the usual baby wake-up tactics.

Your doctor will likely want to get a better look at what | s going on inside with a fetal nonstress test or biophysical profile, which check your baby | s movements and heart rate to ensure your little one is doing okay.
Otherwise, as long as you feel regular movement (don't forget to count those kicks), it's less important what type of movement you experience. So kick back and enjoy the ride. Pretty soon those baby kicks that are keeping you up at night will become even more real as your baby stretches and kicks in your arms.