In the latter stages of your pregnancy, you may wonder if a future gymnast is gestating in there. You don't have to second-guess anything: your baby is for sure moving around. So once you're accustomed to this little kick-boxer, it's normal to wonder if all this movement will continue when you're trying to give birth. So when you go into labor, is the baby still active, or will you have to combat all that wriggling while giving birth?
First, is it true that your baby will get still when labor is approaching? Not necessarily. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, it's common for babies to keep moving around until you go into labor, and it may even continue during the early stages of labor. Early labor may last for a few hours or even days, and it is characterized by smaller contractions that are irregular and mild, as explained by the Mayo Clinic. Initially it may be tricky to tell the difference between contractions and your baby moving around, as explained by the California Pacific Medical Center. Basically, the early stages of labor may still involve a good bit of baby kicking and movement.
Active labor, however, is a whole other ball game. As noted in Baby Center, active labor includes rapid cervical dilation and stronger, more regular contractions. It's close to go time, in other words, and you're about to get down to the real work of labor. So when you're gearing up to push, will you still feel your baby moving around, and will it make the process more difficult?
Fortunately for most cases, giving birth won't include the added struggle of a squirmy baby. As noted in Parents, it's uncommon to feel your baby move around once you're experiencing a contraction. Even if your kid is wriggling around quite a bit, you may be too distracted by the process of giving birth to really notice. As with almost every other aspect of pregnancy, your mileage may vary. But whether your baby is still and quiet or thrashing around like mad, you'll get to meet your little one very soon.
