34 weeks and baby kicking/jolting in time with my heartbeat - is this normal?

[ooosabeauta]

Shouldn't really be starting a new thread on this at this time of night as I do need to go to bed, but it's just happened again and I'm getting worried...

It's a kicking-ish movement a bit like when they get hiccups, where there's a definite physical movement from the baby, but it's absolutely in time with my heartbeat and I'm worried about what could be causing it. Lasts about a minute. Has happened three or four times noticeably in the last week.

Has anyone experienced this? I can't find any info on the internet about it and don't see the midwife for another week.

Are you sure it's not your heartbeat? :)

I get the same thing myself sometimes, and it can't be the baby's heartbeat, so I figure there is a vein somewhere near the surface of my belly that I notice now that it is so huge!

I've come straight on here this morning because I'm still anxious about it!

I did question whether it could be my heartbeat, but it's really a big jolt with every beat which seems to be coming from the baby's limbs, because it spreads out to different points where the limbs get to. In my paranoid imagination I'm picturing every pump of my blood going through the cord giving the baby some kind of shock and making it convulse. I hope I'm over-thinking it

Thank you for replying and I hope you're right!!!

I don't know then.....

Do you not have a number you can call your m/w on? They usually seem very happy to answer any little worries you may have :)
I actually rang mine yesterday to ask if it was normal at 36 weeks to almost be crying in pain as the baby kicks and wriggles so much! Felt really stupid asking, but reassured by her answer :)

Don't wait a week if you're worried.

No idea about babies, but don't you ever find yourself moving in time to music you can hear, even if you hadn't realised that there was music? Maybe your baby will have a v good sense of rhythm :)

it could be the baby 'dancing' to the heart beat or it could be hiccups that were just in line with your heartbeat.

dont stress too much about it, unless its happening regularly then you might want to get it looked at.

i keep saying to dh it would be so much easier if there was a window i could look through and see what was going on, check if every thing was ok. it would put my mind at ease alot more!

You have a major blood vessel that runs down from your heart through your body called the Aorta, this pumps oxygenated blood from heart to rest of your body, to a baby it makes a wooshing sound almost likes waves on the seashore in time with your heart beat (obviously as the blood is pumped out of the heart). It sounds as if your LO really enjoys this and is "moving " with the rhythm of your heart, I wouldn't be overly concerned but maybe mention it to your MW if you are anxious about it - better to be reassured by a pro which I am not really.

If she reassures you this is what it is then you may want to look at a book called Baby Bliss by Dr Harvey Karp for post birth tips on calming babies as he explains this much better than I have! This type of sound post birth may be reassuring to your LO, we used to put the radio onto "interferance" for our DD to help her settle!

Thank you for all the replies! The dancing to the heartbeat idea could make sense as that is kind of what it feels like. It's been happening on and off for the last week and has coincided with a chest infection so I'm feeling a bit groggy and anxious and scaring myself with 'what ifs?'

There is a medicom number which you can call anytime but I thought they might think I was ridiculous and say it's just hiccups and if I went in it probably wouldn't happen while I was there and I would look like a hypochondriac... I had to be admitted and monitored for a stomach upset a couple of months ago and I feel like I've used up my quota!

I know what you mean about the painful kicking around this time ITZG - I've been feeling some like that recently and I'm sure they weren't that painful first time!

MrsSnaplegs thank you for the explanation. It makes sense. I'll have a look at that book which sounds interesting. We've always had trouble with ds's sleep, and have to use thehairdryer every night to get him to rest. He's two this week and still needs it

I haven't looked at the book yet, hardly have time to read atm :( but if you look on youtube for Dr Karp 5 S's, there is a clip of him on Richard and Judy which is just amazing! Will def be using some of his techniques with this one!

It's probably just hiccups. By this stage of pregnancy your baby will be practising sucking and swallowing amniotic fluid in preparation for feeding after the birth. They can get hiccups quite frequently in the later weeks as a result.
It is normal. Try not to worry. Sorry you haven't been feeling well - I hope you are better soon.
Feeling tired and under the weather will naturally make you feel more anxious.

Thanks all for advice! In case anyone looks this up in the future who has a similar experience...

I asked at my routine midwife appointment and she diagnosed it as being something to do with the 'placental aorta' (IIRC) pumping blood particularly strongly towards the baby and causing a jolt. It was different from hiccups in that it was in time with my pulse and didn't have that kind of two-part jolt that you learn to recognise, so I'm glad this has cleared it up! She said it's nothing to worry about although a little bit unusual.

ooosabeauta thank you for sharing and yes, I found your note on mums net which looks like posted 8yrs ago? I just want to say thank you for leaving the message for future searchers. Please let me know if there is any major issue I should know regarding this. I hope all was well.

Many thanks

IM HAVING THIS AND CANT FIND ANYTHING… is this bad? How was baby after birth? My baby is doing this so often and it’s her not my abdomen. Her whole body pulses… (34weeks and 6 days)