Over 18 weeks - and not a sausage in terms of movement!

[cupcakebakerer]

Should I be worried?

[ANTagony]

No, you should try not to worry. I didn't feel things that I was confident were movement with my first until after my 20wk scan. I'm not a slight person but the movement you feel very much depends on how the baby is sitting. Its varied enormously with each of my pregnancies

Have you been doing the listening to the heartbeat thing with the midwife?

If its stopping you being able to get on could you contact your midwife and see if she can fit in a quick visit so you can hear that rapid beat and feel a bit more assured.

[cupcakebakerer]

Thanks ANTagony. I have heard the heartbeat a few times now - once at 17 weeks. But just can't get my head around the fact something that is now six inches long is not yet making his or her presence known! I am a worrier though :(

[theevildead2]

I didn't feel anything until 18 weeks.

Unless you have already been feeling movements and they stopped I wouldnt worry too much.

Try laying down for an hour or so and really paying attention the movements were only just noticable to me..very small

[theevildead2]

It might be 6 inches but there is hardly any weight to it. and its got a lot ofcushion!

[MrsMogwai]

I'm 20 weeks today and it's only in the last week that I started to feel movements! I've heard that placement of the placenta can mean it takes a bit longer for some movements to be felt. No need to be worried yet at all! Each pregnancy seems to have it's own timetable!

[jcp123]

I am very slight and with DS1 felt movement around 17 weeks. With this one, even though you are 'supposed' to feel it sooner, I did not feel movement till about 21 weeks. I too was worried but midwife confirmed heartbeat. Now it won't stop moving. Consequently, there is a large variation between pregnancies. If you're worried, ask midwife to check, I'm sure you'll feel something in the next few weeks.

[bessie26]

same here - I'm 19wks & other than possibly feeling a flutter last weekend I haven't felt anything yet. This is #2, so I think I'm supposed to notice it earlier?! Oh well... it's less time being kicked in the ribs!

ditto what ANT says about seeing the MW to listen to HB if you are at all worried - I've got a bit of "history" and mine told me to go in to listen whenever I wanted

[Deliaskis]

My colleague who had her little girl in April didn't feel any movement until nearly 30 weeks, as her placenta was all at the front.

Apparently, according to one of the books I have, you don't feel the movement in the womb itself, you feel it when that movement presses on the outside of your abdomen, os if your placenta is in the way, it's like having a big pillow between the baby and the wall of your abdomen where you can feel things.

So try not to worry, it's just well protected in there!

D

[cupcakebakerer]

Thanks for the reassurance guys. I have a placenta that's at the front - so perhaps it might take longer to feel bub? It doesn't stop the worry though! I reckon if I've not felt anything in another week I'll be nagging the MW.

[ANTagony]

Is it your first? Part of the problem can be not knowing what to expect. Not knowing what movement is going to feel like. Early movement can be a bit like a minor stomach gurgle and easily missed.

Movement when space is getting tighter, third trimester, is more pronounced and you can really feel kicks and punches. In the early days its just a sort of slosh of fluid moving inside you.

I find that if I'm active in the day I get most movement when I sit/ lay on the sofa early evening. Maybe a nice long soak in the bath and having a focus on yourself might make you aware of any gurgles.

I hope you don't end up with a rib tickler and look back on this thread wishing the movement would calm down a bit in the future.

[Stangirl]

With my first I had the placenta on the front and didn't feel a kick until around 24-25weeks and never really felt her much at all.

[frakkinup]

Nothing until 18+5 and even now only very occasional!

I was told not to worry until 25 weeks, later if anterior placenta.

[tlise]

I read if the placenta is at the front you don't feel it so much ;)

I am going to ask where mine is when I go next week, as I don't feel mine much either. I am interested to know as all the others were very active by now. This one seems to move more if I go in the car or on the bus lol.

[nancydrewrocked]

I am slim expecting my 4th and didn't feel anything until 20 weeks and even then if I hadn't known what I was looking for then I wouldn't have been sure.

Don't worry.

[cotswolder]

placing of the placenta was not a problem for me but I still didn't feel anything until just after 22 weeks. Just the way baby was and still not massively active.

i know it is a worry and i spent alot of time being very jumpy. Once you do start feeling movements you then start panicking when you don't feel anything for a few hours! Never stops!

[JoEW]

I'm 19 weeks and it's only been in the last few days that I've started to feel what I now am pretty sure is movement. Felt the first one when I was lying on my back at yoga, so was very still and calm for a while. It does feel like stomach gurgles or like a ligament has moved, really very subtle but I've had it a few times now so think it's defo baby. I can only feel it in this position, not when sitting or on my side. All the books/advice say that you don't need to worry and that you might not feel anything for a few more weeks. Don't stress about it. Hope you feel something soon.

[oh4goodnesssake]

It was 24 weeks when I first felt my first but now 14 weeks with my 3rd I have been feeling it move for a couple of weeks. Never had butterflies or popping though, just a movement feeling, a bit like nessie moving under the water!!

[lucielooo]

I'm 20 weeks and after thinking I felt it very early at 14 weeks nothing for ages. Been worried sick and finally felt a couple of kicks on Saturday. We had the 20 week scan yesterday and was very reassured to see baby kicking like a good un even though I could feel nothing. Just because you can't feel it doesn't mean it's not happening. I have an anterior placenta too so I'm sure this is why. The last couple of days I can feel it but always very low and to the side (i.e. below where the placenta is) so baby has to be in exactly the righ position.

Hope that helps!

[yellowflowers]

I had very light movements from about 18 weeks that could easily have been a fart building up. Became definite movements about 21 weeks. try not to worry.