18.5 weeks and not felt baby move anywhere near as much since y'day...

[emeraldgirl1]

Is there anything I can do to see if I can stimulate him/her to move? Just to put my mind at rest. I don't know if I've felt nothing at all since y'day or (more likely, I hope) just the very very occasional flicker, but it's hard to tell as I had a very busy day yesterday and don't feel movement when I'm busy. Didn't feel anything last night though and I was up from 3-5am worrying about it - still didn't feel anything though I was lying v still.

I'm not in total panic mode yet because I've not been feeling massive amounts of movement before now (and only started feeling it 10 days ago) and because I'm clinging to the notion that I have felt a v v occasional stirring in the past 24 hours.

I have read that they can face the spine and then you don't feel movement? Is this right?

Also stupid question alert I did yoga for the first time yesterday (gentle pregnancy dvd) and am wondering if that movement could have made him/her roll into a different position? Or could I have caused a problem with the yoga???

Any advice at all? Should I try lying on my side or tummy for a bit?

[Paddocks1]

You can try and drink a cold drink and lie on your side. However i know i asked my Midwife about movements and she did say not to worry about it until you are about 28 weeks as any earlier there is so much room for the baby to 'hide'.

Regarding the Yoga, i have been attending a pregnancy yoga class since i was 14 weeks pregnant (now 34!) and it can't do any harm at all. In fact i think its helped massively.
Hope this helps a little x

[emeraldgirl1]

Oh, thank you Paddocks that is so helpful!!! I do have this sense that I would be silly to panic at this stage as I have only seen people advised to go to the maternity clinic when they're further on and not feeling movement...

I will have a cold glass of water and lie on my side with a sneaky episode of Friends (working from home today) and see if that helps.

I have felt movements after lunch and late at night after dinner usually, but just got nothing at those times y'day.

I will root him/her out if I can!

Is this what motherhood is like...? Constant niggling worry??! I was bad enough before I was pregnant!

[DoodleAlley]

Ice cream or lollies and lie calmly on the
Sofa and count your movements.

If you are still concerned after that call your midwife or antenatal triage. It will probably be fine but they are usually pretty happy to check out your baby's heartbeat just to be sure and more than anything to reassure you.

Is this your first? How long have you regularly been feeling movement?

[emeraldgirl1]

Doodle yes, it's my first - probably hence the anxiety!!
Should I lie on my side on the sofa do you think, or on my tummy? I first noticed movement for the first time when lying on my tummy as it was much stronger when I did that.

Had little movements since about 10 days ago, they were getting stronger over the last couple of days until y'day but still fluttery. I got them after lunch every day and then in the evening around an hour after dinner.

[DoodleAlley]

Well I'd go for on my side but that's a personal thing because while I'm on my second pregnancy I'm still paranoid that lying on my tummy will mean they come out like Flat Stanley!! I have no grounds for this Paranoia and believe me it's an intrinsic part of being pregnant, you have this precious child inside you but no clues to how they are doing - which leads to panic.

With DS I can't count the number of times either I or the midwife asked for me to go to triage to have his heart checked due to lack of movements and he came out just fine. Obviously not every baby does but it's not automatically a terrible thing and in my experience they would rather check than have you worried but they won't try til you've done the ice cold drink/lying on tummy.

The only reason I asked if it was your first was you're doing well at having been feeling stuff so well at this stage but they are still smaller do it could be a positioning thing as you say.

I'm a bit oblivious to stuff so didn't notice til DS gave me huge thumps!!!

But never ever worry in silence. Your midwife will have seen this more times than she has had hot dinners so just call her if things dont improve re movements today. No need to worry.

And I'll keep an eye on this thread today but also pm me if you need any more info and don't get responses on here. I've been in your position loads and you're doing exactly the right things.

[ShushBaby]

I didn't feel proper movements for sure until around 22 weeks- and even then the midwife said don't focus too much on them until around 26 weeks. I can remember that, until well into the third trimester, I often wouldn't notice movements if I was busy at work.

The baby is so tiny at the moment, in certain positions you wouldn't feel him/her moving.

It's also possible that you have an anterior (ie at the front) placenta, like I do. This limits where you feel movements, so if the baby is kicking etc towards the front you wouldn't feel it until the baby was much bigger and stronger.

They'll probably tell you at your scan if you have an anterior placenta (NB it's not a problem!)

[DoodleAlley]

Sorry for typos I'm useless at noticing errors on screen!

Just to clarify I wasn't saying a baby not being ok wasn't terrible, I was trying to say that a lack of movements doesn't automatically mean a problem, but does need checking.

[Londonmrss]

Don't worry! It's very very early. I started feeling movements at around 17 weeks and then was panicking about reduced movement by 18 weeks. The truth is, it's not a case of changing position because your baby is so tiny that it will be always shifting position and spinning around- it has so much room in there! My midwife told me to imagine it like a tiny teddy bear inside a fully inflated balloon. You will feel movement if they are right at the edge, but if they're just in the middle doing their own thing, you won't feel much at all.
28 weeks is the time to start monitoring, although I would argue that as soon as you feel your baby has a movement 'routine', just be aware of it rather than religiously counting. But at 18 weeks, it's still just so tiny that you shouldn't worry.
Obviously it's better to get checked out if you are really panicking as a little reassurance goes a long way during pregnancy! I would advise that you try and relax though. I was always so worried and by 28 weeks, I was wanting to go into triage every day to make sure everything was ok. The 3 times I did go in, all was fine. It doesn't make pregnancy any more fun if you're worrying all the time.

[emeraldgirl1]

Thanks so much doodle - that's great advice and very reassuring. I love your Flat Stanley idea!!! :) Am lying down now with a very tasty lemon lolly I dug out of the back of the freezer... thanks so much!

shushbaby thank you, am sure that's true what your midwife said... you forget that they are still tiny too as you start to think of them as a real baby by now...

[DoodleAlley]

If anything, this is merely a timely warning to have yummy ice cream and lollies in the freezer for later in pregnancy. And if you need to practise eating the stuff early, well it's just good parenting!!

I had a 'Flat Stanley' panic (as they've become known in our house) when DH commented I'd been sleeping on my tummy again. I'm only 15 weeks but you think that my bump would stop me!

We got DS a Flat Stanly book as a result of our conversations and he thinks it's hilarious. The poor child is now convinced we'll be able to post the baby and fly it like a kite!!

[emeraldgirl1]

oooh - just felt a couple of tiny flutters... lolly has done its job!
Thanks everyone... yep, I need to get practising on the ice-cream front... :)

[DoodleAlley]

Yay for lollies! Hopefully this will reassure you.

I've been longing to feel movements but I'd forgotten about all the worrying when you can't feel them!

[MrsHBaby3]

orange juice tends to make my littln move, or anything sugary!

[DangerMousey]

Please try not to worry, at 18 or so weeks, I am not sure whether there's any method you can use to 'make' your baby move so you can feel him...like others have said, the movements are too small and there's lots of places for him to hide :)

I think it was about 25-27 weeks before i found my particular prompts which can always be relied upon to make my baby move (a hot cup of tea, lying on my left side etc etc - and now, at 34 weeks, giving him a good old poke!).