Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think 'there is a change to your baby's usual pattern of movements' is pretty vague?

22 replies

blink1eight2 · 31/10/2021 07:43

When I was pregnant 4 years ago the advice of counting kicks for me was easier to follow.

Now I notice (did I miss this last time?) that it's vague advice about changing of movement pattern.

OP posts:
NellieBertram · 31/10/2021 07:47

I’m not sure I ever knew what “count the kicks” meant - were you supposed to count a particular number per day/hour?
Or work out an average for your own baby ad then track each day?

I think noticing a change in normal movement is easier.

Cantgetausername87 · 31/10/2021 07:48

Yeah change in normal pattern is easier. It encourages women to notice patterns and get to know whats normal for their baby which I'm sure makes reduced movements easier to spot

Original poster
blink1eight2 · 31/10/2021 07:48

As I understood it, you would only try and count the kicks if you noticed you hadn't felt anything for a little while.

I know my baby is more active in the evening, and after I've eaten/had a cold drink. Is that a 'pattern'?

OP posts:
EnrouteNOTonroute · 31/10/2021 07:50

It’s vague but not sure how they can be more specific to help reduce the rate of stillbirth.

RoseGoldEagle · 31/10/2021 07:51

Yes, they changed the advice about counting kicks, as I think they felt some babies usually moved more often than this and some less- so they were trying to change it to recognising what was normal for your individual baby, and anything less than this should be checked (rather than an arbitrary number of kicks).

I’m not sure I ever really noticed a pattern in any of my pregnancies though and found the whole thing of noticing any change of movements quite stressful.

Cantgetausername87 · 31/10/2021 07:53

You still are advised to count the kicka if you report a reduction in movement, so its still a thing but not the first bit of advice they give you x

Original poster
blink1eight2 · 31/10/2021 07:56

@RoseGoldEagle

Yes, they changed the advice about counting kicks, as I think they felt some babies usually moved more often than this and some less- so they were trying to change it to recognising what was normal for your individual baby, and anything less than this should be checked (rather than an arbitrary number of kicks).

I’m not sure I ever really noticed a pattern in any of my pregnancies though and found the whole thing of noticing any change of movements quite stressful.

Yeah I finding it stressful.

I think I need to just think intuitively

OP posts:
NellieBertram · 31/10/2021 08:11

But what were you supposed to be counting? X number of kicks in a day or hour?

Original poster
blink1eight2 · 31/10/2021 08:15

@NellieBertram

But what were you supposed to be counting? X number of kicks in a day or hour?
This is actually pretty helpful and straight forward
To think 'there is a change to your baby's usual pattern of movements' is pretty vague?
OP posts:
Fetarabbit · 31/10/2021 08:15

There isn't an exact science to it so it's tricky to give overarching advice as they found with count the kicks. For example, DS was not very active when I was pregnant at all, he did move now and then, but for me a change in movement was either less movement or more movement as both were unusual for him. I guess you get to know what's normal for you, and follow instincts.

VividGemini · 31/10/2021 08:15

@blink1eight2

As I understood it, you would only try and count the kicks if you noticed you hadn't felt anything for a little while.

I know my baby is more active in the evening, and after I've eaten/had a cold drink. Is that a 'pattern'?

So in other words, the advice used to be when you notice a change or reduction in movement you should start counting the kicks? It sounds pretty similar to me aside from they've removed the counting kicks bits.
letsmakethishappen · 31/10/2021 08:21

As time goes by I get to know by baby’s movements pattern. I feel him moving all day when am sat down not much when am walking and every time I have something to drink, most nights am woken up by movements . One day I didn’t feel anything at all. That’s the difference. I rang Triage straight away and got assessed. I don’t know about counting kicks it’s about monitoring the movements.

Gusthemouse · 31/10/2021 08:24

I'm really sorry to jump on your thread but this is my first pregnancy and wondering if I can ask about movement? My 16w midwife appt she mentioned feeling butterflies at around the 24week mark and then kicking further on. However, when I lie flat on the sofa at the same time every evening baby will move, my whole tummy will ripple and dip and I feel 'movement' but not the butterflies and it doesnt really feel like a kick more my tummy flipping. Is this movement and does this count rather than the kicks? I'm sorry if this is a silly Q, just very new to this. My other concern is that this started at 19 weeks (definite with my dates) and I didnt expect to see or feel anything that early. However, I dont think it is kicking.... or maybe I am overthinking it? Thanks

Original poster
blink1eight2 · 31/10/2021 08:25

@Gusthemouse

I'm really sorry to jump on your thread but this is my first pregnancy and wondering if I can ask about movement? My 16w midwife appt she mentioned feeling butterflies at around the 24week mark and then kicking further on. However, when I lie flat on the sofa at the same time every evening baby will move, my whole tummy will ripple and dip and I feel 'movement' but not the butterflies and it doesnt really feel like a kick more my tummy flipping. Is this movement and does this count rather than the kicks? I'm sorry if this is a silly Q, just very new to this. My other concern is that this started at 19 weeks (definite with my dates) and I didnt expect to see or feel anything that early. However, I dont think it is kicking.... or maybe I am overthinking it? Thanks
That's movement all right!
OP posts:
Gusthemouse · 31/10/2021 08:31

Ah fab, thank you. I took a video to show Mum at the time and she kept asking if my dates were right as she didnt remember that type of movement until she was close to her due date, but then asked about kicks and I dont think I have felt any kicking, unless I'm imagining it to be something different. Each scan baby has been in a different position, so presumed they like to move a bit Hmm

Kpo58 · 31/10/2021 08:49

Neither noticing a pattern or counting the kicks would have been useful when I was pregnant with DD. She never turned in my tummy and I pretty much never felt her kick either.

Brighton2019 · 31/10/2021 09:00

It's more about movement now and changes to that because there is still a lot of people who think that a reduction in movements and kicks near your due date is OK as "the baby is getting too big to move around much" Confused Also it isn't just a reduction of movements you should be concerned with- more movement that you aren't used to/ changes to your babies routine could also indicate that the baby is in distress.

kagerou · 31/10/2021 09:22

I definitely found the 'normal movement' advice difficult to understand as my baby was super inconsistent and never really settled into a regular pattern. This meant I worked myself into a panic several times assuming she had died when she went from super active one day to nearly nothing the next Sad

What i did find helpful after several of these panics was midwife reassuring me that some babies are less regular than others and teaching me a few ways to encourage her to kick if i hadn't felt her in a while.

HeyFloof · 31/10/2021 09:23

There is still a lot of people who think that a reduction in movements and kicks near your due date is OK as "the baby is getting too big to move around much"

This definitely bears repeating. Babies are not "supposed to go quiet" nearing a due date, but so many people told me this with absolute certainty when I was expecting DS1 5 years ago.

Original poster
blink1eight2 · 31/10/2021 09:26

@kagerou

I definitely found the 'normal movement' advice difficult to understand as my baby was super inconsistent and never really settled into a regular pattern. This meant I worked myself into a panic several times assuming she had died when she went from super active one day to nearly nothing the next Sad

What i did find helpful after several of these panics was midwife reassuring me that some babies are less regular than others and teaching me a few ways to encourage her to kick if i hadn't felt her in a while.

Tell me your ways of encouragement? Cold drink etc?
OP posts:
Original poster
blink1eight2 · 31/10/2021 09:27

@HeyFloof

There is still a lot of people who think that a reduction in movements and kicks near your due date is OK as "the baby is getting too big to move around much"

This definitely bears repeating. Babies are not "supposed to go quiet" nearing a due date, but so many people told me this with absolute certainty when I was expecting DS1 5 years ago.

I know, bollocks advice
OP posts:
kagerou · 31/10/2021 11:27

@blink1eight2 the one i found most effective was drinking a big glass of water then lying on my left side with my hand gently pushing the right side of my stomach. my MW also suggested a cool / lukewarm (but obviously not cold!) bath works well to get baby to move

New posts on this thread. Refresh page