Month five
Wiggle womb
ARE YOU ANXIOUSLY waiting for your baby’s first kick, and wondering if something is amiss because you haven’t felt it yet? Or do you have a little busy bee in your belly, and you’d like to know if that’s normal? How can you get your unborn babe moving, so that Dad can feel him too? And how can you recreate the safe space of the womb after baby’s birth to make him feel secure? We answer all your questions about baby’s movements in the womb.
Q I’m 36 weeks along, and my baby’s still head up. My midwife suggested I help him turn from this position at 37 weeks by lying on my back for 10 minutes twice a day with my behind supported with two cushions. Is this a good idea, and can it hurt my baby?
A Baby’s ideal birthing position is with the head pointing downwards, chin tucked and the back against your abdomen wall. Breech presentation (where your baby lies with either his head up or his feet or bum pointing downwards) is common though. Although there is no proof that it works, midwives have been using the technique where moms lie on their backs with their behind supported with cushions for many years. Midwives say it could take up to two weeks for this technique to work. Some babies never turn out of the breech position, however. Sometimes the mom is also advised to squat for a few minutes, sticking her behind up, and then helping the baby to turn by gently pushing his bum in one direction and his head in the opposite direction. If you suspect your baby has turned, you need to confirm this as soon as possible with a sonar. And if your baby has indeed turned, lay off the exercises. But consult with your doctor before you try any one of these two techniques. Your gynae can also help you to lift baby out of breech position. It’s a technique called external cephalic version (ECV), which is only applied from 37 weeks. As the name suggests, the baby is literally turned around from the outside by lifting his bum and pushing it down. Gynaecologists will, however, first consider your baby’s size, your placental location and how much amniotic fluid you have.
IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE EXACT SENSORY INPUTS YOUR BABY WAS EXPOSED TO IN THE WOMB, YOU CAN EASE HIS TRANSITION INTO THE WORLD OUTSIDE
Q I’ve read that it’s important to mimic the environment in utero after birth. How do I know what the womb looked, felt and sounded like for my baby?
A If you understand the exact sensory inputs your baby was exposed to in the womb you can ease his transition into the world outside – which is an enormous shock – by recreating this environment as far as possible in the first couple of weeks following his birth. Here are a couple of guidelines: Swaddling your baby in a blanket is the best way to mimic the firm pressure (also called deep pressure) of the womb. It will prevent him from waking up at night from a startle reflex, which happens often. In the womb, his hands were close to his little face most of the time. Try to honour that when you swaddle him. Besides your voice (which your baby can hear quite clearly from about 20 weeks), rhythmic white noise will help calm him down, because it sounds like the muted sounds and murmurs in the uterus. Download or make a recording of the droning of a vacuum cleaner or static radio signals. Recordings of calming music mixed with the rhythmic sound of a heartbeat or Baroque music will also soothe your baby. Although all those brightly coloured nursery decorations are oh so very pretty, rather opt for more muted colours during the first few months of his life. Your baby’s sight is the one sense that doesn’t really develop that well in the womb. Although his eyes start opening from 21 weeks already and become light sensitive, muted, relatively dark light is what he was used to in your uterus.
Q My baby seems to move much more at night than during the day. Does this mean he sleeps more during the day and is then awake more during the night?
A It’s quite common that moms feel more movement in the evening than during the day. It’s because most of us start switching off and become less active. It’s also true that your baby’s lulled to sleep when you’re on the go. When you settle or go to bed, your movement stops and your baby can wake up and start tossing.
Q My gynae says I don’t have lots of amniotic fluid in my womb. Can this influence how often and comfortably my baby turns?
A Think of the womb as a pool. Some are filled to the brim with water, while others are just half full. A baby who lies in a half-full pool won’t move as freely and comfortably as one playing in a full pool. If the amniotic fluid level in your womb is rather low, your baby has less water to manoeuvre in. Although it should not influence the number of movements, it does affect the quality.
Q I’m 28 weeks pregnant, and in the past 24 hours my baby has not moved at all. I’m worried. What should I do?
A Keep count of the kicks. Relax, kick back, place your hand on your belly and count how many times your baby moves in 20 minutes, for instance. If you don’t feel any movement, get up, walk around, and then sit or lie down again after a few minutes. Then count your baby’s movements again. It could be that your baby was asleep during the first count. Babies sleep up to an hour at a time, and during these naps they move very little, if at all. It’s a good idea to draw up a “kick chart”, even if you’re not concerned about your baby’s movement – especially if you have high blood pressure. This is how to go about it: Set aside 30 minutes or an hour a day, at a specific time. Now keep track of how often your baby moves in this time. Write it down. Thereafter, measure your baby’s movement according to what you recorded in this time. This will help you to give your gynae more accurate information if you’re worried about your baby’s movement. It’s much more valuable to be able to say by how much or how drastically your baby’s movement decreased than merely saying your baby moves less. If your baby’s movement dropped considerably, consult your gynae. He or she will monitor your baby’s heartbeat, and if it’s satisfactory, send you home with peace of mind. But remember that it’s not abnormal not to feel your baby move for long periods on end. Moms who are busy during the day seldom feel their baby before dusk. Also remember that not only the hard kicks count as movement.
Q How do I recognise baby’s movements? How can I tell them from tummy cramps and hunger pangs?
A Tiny air bubbles, popping corn, a small goldfish swimming inside your belly or a fluttering butterfly. All these descriptions have been given as an indication of how it feels when baby moves in the womb. But like you just knew when you first met The One, you just know it’s your baby moving in your belly.
Q I’m 20 weeks pregnant with my first baby, but I haven’t felt him move yet. My friend has barely reached the 17-week mark with her second one and can feel her baby already. Is something wrong with my pregnancy?
A First-time moms usually feel the first movement in their womb between 18 and 22 weeks. Women expecting a second child, like your friend, feel the first movements earlier, mostly because they have more experience and know how it should feel. The placental position also determines when you feel the fluttering in your stomach for the first time. If your placenta is located in front, against your abdomen wall, you’ll only feel your baby move from 22 weeks. It can also happen that you feel nothing for a couple of weeks after the initial movement. It’s also normal, and usually happens when your baby turns or because his tiny feet (at 22 weeks they’re barely 8mm long!) and fists hit and kick a less sensitive part of your womb.