Are Jerky Spastic Fetal Movements During Pregnancy Normal?

Feeling your baby move fills you with wonder and awe that finally you have solid physical evidence there is a baby inside of you. As amazing as this may feel, the moments you experience differ within each trimester. We are told the importance of noticing no movement but what does it mean when you have jerky spastic fetal movements during pregnancy?

Jerky Spastic Fetal Movements During Pregnancy: Are They Normal?

Jerky spastic fetal movements during pregnancy are perfectly normal, they are usually no cause for concern and can mean that your baby has one of the following, hiccups, muscular spasms, stretching, or simply responding to your touch or voice.

As your baby gets bigger and stronger you can expect their movements to change from cute little kicks to stronger twists and turns.

Baby and Movement in Pregancy

So after getting through what felt like forever of first trimester symptoms you now are heading into the movement stage of your pregnancy. This is the most solid nod to reassurance a mom can have. Happy kicking and moving is an indication that your baby is developing as he/she should.

You are probably aware of the importance of counting kicks or tracking movement by now and have been told numerous times if the baby is quiet, seek advice but what if your baby is quite the opposite? Are jerky baby movements normal?

Movements to Expect According to Gestation

There is a multitude of things going on inside your body right from your big fat positive. Those two clear lines transport you on to your journey, a journey that fills you with more uncertainty and excitement than any other. But how do we know what to expect and what movements are deemed normal?

To understand clearly we have underpinned what is happening in each trimester.

First Trimester

Your baby, even though it’s equivalent to a raspberry, will begin its first movement at around 8 weeks. Guarded by your uterine walls and muscles you won’t be able to recognize these movements until a little later.

Bubble type feelings in this area of pregnancy can be reported but usually, it is excess gas. Not the most glamorous and far from the cute little kicks but any movement felt early in pregnancy is usually the result of a sluggish digestive system. Thank you Relaxin!

Second Trimester

Fast forward to the second stage of your pregnancy, you can now look forward to feeling those movements. The tap you need to say “Hey mom, I’m ok in here.”

You may experience frantic jerky fetal movements from around 26 weeks. Research has proved that babies at this gestation are prone to jerky movements as they learn how their arms and legs work. Again another publication concludes that jerky movements in the womb are more prominent in this trimester.

According to the American Pregnancy Association you can say to feel your baby from 16 – 20 weeks. If this isn’t your first rodeo then you know what to expect and may recognize the feeling earlier than you did on your first baby. The first movement felt is known by the term quickening which can resemble fluttering wings or bubbles.

As your pregnancy progresses you will learn what movements are normal for your baby. I can remember to get my second baby moving, I just needed to eat or drink. After a meal, it was as if my darling daughter was having a party, not great after a heavy meal I must admit.

Third Trimester

You are now a pro at noticing movements from your baby. You may get to notice a limb of two poking out as your little one becomes cramped.

Enjoying baby swishes and tumbles in this trimester can be shared with loved ones. Movement changes at this stage should be reported to your doctor.

What are Your Baby’s Movements Like During Pregnancy?

From 24 weeks you can start to feel movements that would resemble a violent jerk. As you try to make sense of what is happening look at the descriptions in the table below:

Movement	What’s good to know
Fluttering butterflies bubbles	Felt as early as 16 weeks, your baby is now beginning to flutter their limbs so much that you can feel little bubbles like pops going on. Movements at this stage tend to be irregular and soft.
Hiccups	Jerky movements in the womb can be a result of your baby having hiccups. By week 24 you may expect movement on the outside. When your baby’s diaphragm spasms you will notice large rhythmic movements. It’s important to note that hiccups alone don’t warrant normal movements. You should be feeling other movements alongside these.
Kicks twists and turns	As you approach 18 weeks your baby’s movements will become more defined. Twisting, turning, and kicking will be your baby’s exercise from here on in. As you move throughout the day you may notice these movements less and you may find that your little rock star is ready to party during the night. As you approach the final trimester you can expect hard punches and kicks be it in your ribs or down at your bladder, this even though uncomfortable for you, signals your baby is growing and moving well. Jerky movements can be noted as you reach 30 weeks. Your baby is finding its comfy spot, a little like us plumping our pillow or fighting with bed covers.
Muscle spasm	Jerky movements in pregnancy may actually be your own muscles responding to the stretch and growth of your uterus. As you expand your muscles can spasm which is often mistaken as your baby moving.
Stimuli	From 27 weeks your baby has developed his/her sense of light and dark, their hearing is now refined so any loud noises or changes in light outside can be quite startling. Jerky movements are noted to be your baby responding to the Stimuli outside the womb.
Stretching	With your watery hotel room becoming cramped in your final trimester you can expect your baby to stretch out. Limbs may be noticeable from the outside too.

Jerky spastic fetal movements during pregnancy don’t have to mean that your baby is in distress. From the table above you can identify that most of the time it will be a part of your little one’s general movement and development.

One moment in my second pregnancy my little one was erratic one evening so much so I felt as if she was in distress. Frantically I contacted my doctor who wished to monitor me immediately. Thankfully it was my dear daughter performing circus tricks inside but this highlights the need for and change of movements to be checked by a doctor. Even though both my doctor and I understood it was probably nothing to be worried about, it’s still best to get a check up.

How Often Should you Feel Movement?

Moving in the womb is personal to each baby and pregnancy. Factors including placenta previa can hinder the number of movements you will feel but your doctor will explain this in further detail.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (Acog) you should expect around 10 movements in any two hourly periods. This is very general as we now know movements can go unnoticed, mistaken for gas or you may experience more than 10.

From 30 weeks you can expect your baby to move several times a day with less quiet periods. As you approach full term you may have the advice “baby is running out of room so will be quiet.” Whilst this advice is meant with good intentions your baby will still move. You may find the movement more confined or not as big as before but you should still feel your bub moving.

The rule of thumb would be to note your usual norm for your baby. My daughter used to come alive when I was resting. If I had a busy day she would usually be quiet until nighttime.

Doctors Advice

You are never wasting a doctor’s time if you are concerned about a change in movement. You are with your baby 24.7 and you will understand exactly what is their normal.

If you feel sudden jerking movements or if your baby is quiet then you must seek immediate advice. This will help identify if your baby is in distress or just learning new tricks.

Jerking movements can ignite worry and anxiety with some expectant moms fearing seizures. Fetal seizures are extremely rare and usually a response to an infection which is why it’s important to have your doctor rule out any bizarre movements.

Wrapping Up

Jerky spastic fetal movements during pregnancy are one of the many movements you will expect to feel over the course of your pregnancy. Movements can monitor your baby’s physical well being and you will quickly learn when your baby is ready to give you a little dance.

If you have a lack of movement, your baby may be asleep but to ease your worries try to drink something cold and lay quietly on your left for a period of time. This can spur them to give you that reassuring kick.

Large jerky movements aren’t generally anything to worry about but if this isn’t typical for your baby ensure you get a check up. Doctors prefer you to be over cautious in these situations.