Lack of fetal movement in the fifth month, Eve’s World

Many women look forward to vital moments during pregnancy, especially when they feel the first movements and kicks of their fetus, because these moments are an indication of the fetus’s healthy growth. Starting from the sixteenth week of pregnancy, a woman is expected to begin to feel fetal movement, and this sensation may extend until the twenty-fifth week.

It is sometimes noted that women who are experiencing a second pregnancy may feel fetal movement early, around the thirteenth week.

Fetal movement is best demonstrated when the mother is relaxed, whether sitting or lying down. Mothers in their first pregnancy experience may find it difficult to interpret these movements, but with each new pregnancy experience, their ability to distinguish them increases. In the middle and last months of pregnancy, fetal movement becomes clearer, as hand and leg movements can be recognized.

Some doctors advise monitoring fetal movement starting from the twenty-eighth week to ensure regular and healthy growth. However, seeking the opinion of a specialist doctor is necessary to interpret these movements correctly.
If the mother does not feel fetal movement in the fifth month or before the twenty-fourth week of pregnancy, it is important to perform an ultrasound examination to check the health of the fetus.

Regarding the expected timing of the start of fetal movement: The fetus begins to move slightly around the twelfth week of pregnancy, but these movements may be difficult to recognize at first. By the twentieth week, the movements become more pronounced, and by the twenty-eighth week, the fetus's kicks and punches become more defined and pronounced.
In the thirty-sixth week, fetal movement may decrease slightly, and it is necessary to consult a doctor if there is a noticeable change in its usual movement pattern.

The difference between the movement of the male and female fetus

The movement intensity of the fetus is one of the topics that arouses the curiosity of many, as it is rumored that active fetal movement may indicate that the baby is male, while less active movement may indicate that the baby is female.
It should be noted that this idea is not based on a confirmed scientific basis. Rather, fetal movement can be affected by several factors related to the mother herself, such as her weight, her level of physical activity, and the diet she follows.

Fetal movement also changes from one pregnancy to another. For example, a fetus in the second pregnancy may show greater motor activity compared to the first pregnancy. It is worth noting that there are no significant differences in motor activity between the male and female fetus, although there are some slight differences in levels of alertness between them, as the male fetus may be more alert.

The reliable and accurate way to determine the sex of the fetus is through the use of ultrasound imaging techniques, and not through analysis of the fetal motor pattern.

How does a pregnant woman feel fetal movement?

When a fetus finds itself in an uncomfortable position inside the uterus, it may extend its arms and legs to find more space, or spin itself around to settle down better. Sometimes, the mother can feel his light kicks.
The mother's emotional mood can also affect the fetus's movement, in addition to other effects such as hiccups, which are thought to aid in the development of its lungs.

Extensive scientific research since the 1930s has discovered that sounds coming from outside the womb may stimulate the fetus to move. If the fetus feels uncomfortable as a result of the mother’s position, whether she is sitting or sleeping, it may move itself as a form of alerting her to the change in her position. Also, the fetus may react to some types of food that the mother eats.

As the months progress, the mother becomes more able to recognize her fetus's sleeping and waking times based on the pattern of its movements. After the 32nd week, the fetus has limited range of movement inside the uterus which may reduce the punches the mother feels, but she can still feel his movements when he extends his hands or legs or rolls over.