breathing in uterus

[Anonymous]

I am 38 weeks and this may be a stupid question/comment but I have noticed what appears to be heavy breathing movements more frequently. Is this normal? I get a little worried that the breathing is too heavy and the baby is swallowing meconium or the chord may be wrapped around his neck. Can anyone elaborate on this topic?

[Anonymous]

How can you tell that it's breathing movements? Unless I'm not understanding you, that does not sound normal. You should talk to your OB if you have any concerns.

[Anonymous]

Passing meconium does not typically happen before birth. If it does, it happens during the labor process. I believe babies in utero make "breathing motions", but I seriously doubt it would be noticeable through the muscles and skin. Hiccups can be felt and that is normal, albeit a rather strange sensation.

[Anonymous]

I noticed breathing in late term pg as well and ob said it was normal.

[Anonymous]

To notice breathing is very normal in the late stages. Sign of health and good indicator that lungs have fully developed. I asked OB that was the response I received. And yes, you can notice it through the abdominal muscles. Not a stupid question at all!!!!

[Anonymous]

OP here, it is rhythmic motion similar to breathing and I can differentiate between hiccups and the "breathing motion". Experience baby hiccups approximately once per day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I noticed breathing in late term pg as well and ob said it was normal.

I am this pp and just wanted to comment that some women - myself included and likely the op - seem to have a heightened and more accurate awareness of the movements and position of the fetus in utero. My ob was always stunned that I knew with great accuracy the position my db was in before it was confirmed by others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, it is rhythmic motion similar to breathing and I can differentiate between hiccups and the "breathing motion". Experience baby hiccups approximately once per day.

Cool, isn't it?

Have you done the thing where you scratch db along db's spine and feel db arch into the motion? Also very cool. Apparently it's a reflex that eventually goes away.

[Anonymous]

YES!! It happened to me late one evening, and I completely freaked out. I recognize it now as breathing, but at the time it was a creepy, rhythmic heaving that my husband could see from across the room, and it went on for over two solid minutes! We actually went to the hospital, because after the weird heaving stopped, the baby didn't move at all. I could always rile her up with some poking, but that night, nothing. The doctors never even mentioned this breathing thing. They just acted like I was some hysterical moron. One of them said, all condescending, "oh yeah, that's hiccups". Puh-leeze. Not only am I not stupid, but I'm 36 weeks pregnant. You think I haven't been feeling hiccups for a month or more?? God, I was so mad. Anyway, I asked around after that, and my completely unscientific, anecdotal poll seems to say that about one in three women experience this. And not one of the doctors had any clue.

After she was born, in the first few weeks, she would get into a pattern of heavy breathing for a minute or two as she transitioned from a light sleep to a deeper sleep. Which explains why she wouldn't move for me that night.

You're smart to have identified it as breathing on the spot. It never even occurred to me.