Just as children learn to walk, talk and read in the years after birth, fetuses develop increasingly complex behaviors during pregnancy as well.

In the first trimester when the “wiring” of the brain is not yet connected in the way it will be later on, we see the fetus simply bouncing in the amniotic sac. In the last trimester, we see activity in utero that is very much like the behavior of a newborn. Throughout pregnancy, we see various activities emerge as the fetus matures.

With the use of ultrasound, movements can be observed, not just felt by the mother. In research, movements are used to see how the fetus develops. In the clinical setting, fetal behavior is an important indicator of the health of the baby. Some research has shown that mothers feel only about half the movements that can be seen by ultrasound.

During your pregnancy, you may be told you need a biophysical profile. It is a test done using ultrasound that takes about 30 minutes. During the test, the doctor or sonographer looks to see if she can find specific fetal behaviors. Those are:
Movement — at least three over the 30 minutes

Tone — seeing the muscles extend and flex

Breathing — watching the movements of the chest during which amniotic fluid is moved in and out of the lungs as a warm-up for breathing after birth

Amniotic fluid — a pocket of fluid is measured to see if there is enough in the sac
The biophysical profile is often combined with fetal heart rate testing, which can take an additional 20 to 40 minutes. Doctors will request a biophysical profile if the baby isn’t growing as he should, if you have diabetes or high blood pressure, or if you’re still pregnant after your due date, to name a few common reasons.

Babies who are deprived of oxygen don’t move normally, so the test is a way to see if he’s getting enough oxygen. The normal sleep cycle for a fetus is 20 minutes, which is why we observe the baby for around 30 minutes, to make sure he’s not just asleep!

Dehydration may reduce the amount of amniotic fluid that you produce, another good reason to remember to drink six to eight glasses of water daily. If you haven’t eaten in a while and your blood sugar is low, that may reduce your baby’s activity and particularly his breathing during a biophysical profile exam.

Babies follow circadian rhythms, and as any pregnant woman knows, are more active at night.

Babies make a lot of sucking movements in utero, but I’ve never seen one actually suck her thumb. But that’s not surprising as it takes a while after birth for babies to learn that behavior.

The most important thing for you to know is your baby’s pattern of behavior. Some are active in the morning, others at night. As you get into the third trimester it is a good idea to pay attention to your baby’s movements every day. Any drop-off, especially if you don’t feel movement over a half hour of really paying attention free of distractions, should be reported to your doctor or midwife immediately.

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