31+5 weeks baby very quiet/not moving

[Zara1984]

Hello all

Baby is normally very active, and I have noticed he has been very quiet today - only 1-2 very light movements since I woke up. I had antenatal appointment with my GP today and the heartbeat was all fine (but he wasn't trying to kick the doppler like he normally does). However he didn't move much in response to her checking his position (ie poking his head), and he unusually didn't move much after that. No response to me eating lots of food, sitting still and quiet at work, big glasses of cold water, hot drinks, lying on my side, lying on my back. Previously when I've been worried about baby not moving much I find lying on my back after eating really works - he starts thrashing away! But not today. :(

Just now I called the community midwife team at my hospital, they said they want to see 10 movements in 12 hours. They said if I haven't had up to 10 movements by 5pm I should come in to the hospital for a check/scan. She said she will call me later on to check how I'm going too.

What else can I do at my desk at work to get baby to wake up?!?! Anything else?? They haven't been telling me to count the kicks previously, and I am sure baby is probably fine but today he has just been too quiet for it to be normal. Midwife said he may be slowing down movements because he's running out of room, which also makes me confused .

I have read on Mumsnet about counting movements but I'm still confused. Is one little poke a movement, or should I count a series of movements as one movement (ie poke-poke-shake/poke-poke-roll is one movement?)

I don't want to worry because I'm sure everything is fine and he's just sleeping a lot today... but as I sit here and he still is not moving I just keep worrying :( I would've thought the call to the midwife would've been Murphy's Law enough to get him really moving.

As you can tell I'm fretting a bit here....

Not to worry you but I went through exactly what you have.

Went into hosp and a consultant realised I was in early labour.

Stayed in for a week strapped to machines, given steroids etc, gave birth to a very healthy baby at full term.

Good luck. X

Ok update - seems everything is all fine. Of course baby started moving like crazy when the midwife examined me.....

They saw me immediately and put me on a trace for 20 mins. Effects of coke & mars bar started to really kick in on baby and towards the end he was really bouncing around.

Waiting now to see the doctor - I offered to go if everything is ok, but they are insistent I must see the doctor too.

The staff were really nice, said it was great I came in, they take reduced fetal movement v. seriously etc.

Thank you all for telling me I should come in!! Was really really worried and almost in tears by the time I got to hospital. Girl I sit next to at work insisted I come in too. Called DH with an update as I couldn't get hold of him before. I'm glad I didn't wait till 5pm, I wouldn't have done any work anyway.

Might be waiting for a while to see doctor, as they said they have a full-on emergency. Feel v. grateful they are treating me just as seriously even though it appears baby was trying to give me a fright....

Thank you all again so much for being so stern with me and telling me to go in!!! It really was worth it, they were glad to see me and didn't shoo me away as a nutter.

Feel bad though there is another girl crying here in the emergency room, I still feel a bit like I am wasting their time but I guess that's how lots of ppl here.

Glad to hear it! They will be glad to reassure you- stress is bad for your health.
The doctor won't do anything other than ask you some questions- it'll just be their policy to have a doctor sign you out.
Glad everything's fine!

So sorry if we worried you, hate the thought of you being upset, really glad you got seen though, you totally did the right thing and you are not wasting anyones time.

As it is everything is fine and that is wonderful, but very occasionally it is not at all fine and getting seen ASAP is paramount.

I hope you have a lovely and peaceful rest of pregancy

That's good. I'm glad you went

I am so pleased you went in and all is well.

However, if it happens again, don't wait, go in straight away, it can be the difference between being just in time (emergency section) and just too late.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and hopefully you don't have any more scares.

Glad to hear it's all ok...hope the rest of your pregnancy is very boring & uneventful (and comfortable, but we all know that won't happen)!

Try not to feel like you're wasting their time, glad they were all nice & helpful. After my first lot of reduced movements the Dr prescribed lots of rest...so you may need to have a few boxsets handy.

Glad everything is ok.

Still waiting to see the doctor... Just want to get back to normality now if all is fine (as it appears to be)!

Chatting to a teenage girl here who's also waiting - was advising her what bodies to make a complaint to as her high school are barring her from doing her final year as she's pregnant! Shocking! Am trying to make myself useful anyway why I wait

Will feel better once I'm out of here. Baby is still being a bit quieter than normal but because the trace results look fine I feel much calmer about it.

Sorry if I was rather harsh but tbh I would be sorrier if I knew you needed checking and said nothing.

I would have lost my baby if he hadn't been as strong as he is as the midwife should never have sent me home so I find it impossible to not say go go go when I read a post where the mum says baby has changed their movements.

Please keep a very close eye on movements until delivery. It was pure luck I had excellent care afterwards as he wasn't in a good state at all and would have died.

No it's totally fine JustFabulous thank you for being so insistent!! I think I would've dithered and stressed myself out more at work if everyone on the thread hadn't told me to go in. The speed at which I was seen at the hospital and the kindness/concern of the medical staff (and telling me I had to stay and see the doctor for a scan too) made me realise that this is really really important to get checked out.

I totally fall into the category of person who's like "ah it's fine, I'm just being silly" and would err on the side of waiting longer to be seen. I should know better as a work colleague from years ago had to get an emergency section at about the same number of weeks as me due to sudden reduced fetal movement - her baby had massive undiagnosed heart problems and nearly died (spent 3 months in NICU). I guess every pregnant woman worries about overreacting, especially if it's your first.

Just called the original midwife to give her an clinic and she too was glad I went in, told me that she would've told me to go in now anyway to get it checked so why didn't she say that earlier on?!! I was worried she'd be shirty with me that I went in without calling back

Silver lining: I got to see my baby for the first time since my 21 week scan! He is quite a chubby-looking fellow in the cheeks and tummy . He did have to get poked quite firmly and repeatedly (ouch for me) with the ultrasound wand by the doctor to get him to move.... so I think he did feel like causing a fuss....

Sorry typo, I called the original midwife to give her an update.

Thanks again to everyone who posted, reaffirms my belief in the power of Mumsnet.

from me and my chubby lazy baby

Just remember, your baby will be your baby forever no matter whatever happens. You will barely remember the midwife's name so don'tbe worrying about what they think about what you do. Listen to their advice, then your instincts and MN but always err on the side of caution.

I'm so glad you and the baby are ok. It's really never worth waiting. Even if the professionals thought you were wasting their time, it's really not their place to tell you that. Better 99 false alarms than 1 real missed problem. Keep your chin up and don't take any nonsense. X

Just managed to find this thread and I am so relieved for you Zara - I went in for DD1 feeling like a fraud and a nuisance and my hosp were so very good.

Really glad that all is well :)

just fabulous

i really hope you reported the mw who did such a short hb check on you and that she knew you had to have a emcs the next day?

elizaregina, did you mean she should have been told I needed an emergency section?

I didn't report her. Was given the brush off when I said what she was like. Couldn't face the fight tbh.

Coming very late to the thread but just to give you a bit of a warning Zara - I had almost exactly the same.

Had a very active, all-10-movements-done-by 9.00am type baby, who suddenly didn't move one day. I got to lunchtime and thought "Hmmm, this isn't right". I would have been about 35 weeks, I think.

It came hot on the heels of an extra scan at the routine 32 week check when my bump was found to be getting smaller.
I called hospital and went in. They did a movement trace - all fine.
At 36 weeks, bump had got smaller again, I had another scan, and they realised the placenta was packing up.

I then called them whenever I thought the movement was slower than normal and by the end was being seen every two days, just to do a movement trace. Staff were lovely and the result is now 3 years old and still fidgets and is on the go the WHOLE time!

Just be aware that it may not be a one off, that if it happens again there is no reason to think "It was ok last time so I won't bother anyone this time". Each time you are worried, act on it. I knew that there was an underlying problem so was less reticent about making the journey and asking to be seen, but no-one ever made me feel like I was being stupid, and if nothing else it brought huge peace of mind to have it checked rather than stress all the time.

Thanks again all

babybythesea you are absolutely right, I am doing a kick chart now that the hospital gave me on Thursday but I am also continuing to monitor by my own standard of "normal".

The kick chart only requires 10 movements between 9am and 9pm to be "normal" but my threshold is 10 movements by 12pm at latest (I usually have 10 between 9 and 9.30!).

Baby's movements were back to normal on Friday, and he's been bouncing around like mad since 4am (can't sleep) - about 50+ movements! This highlights that he really was abnormally quiet on Thursday so it was right I went in.

I don't feel scared about going straight to the hospital if I have concerns again. :)

Hi Just fab

Yes - some feedback so she knew the lady - you - she was so dismissve of went onto have the baby the next day! what if she is dismissive of next lady whose baby wasnt so strong>

Just Fab,

Another thing you could do that wont invlive a fight is simply report her to PALS....if you dont want to take it futher than that you dont have too - but at least the mw will get told what happened - and may pull her socks up with other women who come in ....I have called them before on various issues large and small - and they ask if you want feedback or a call back etc...you can say yey or nay

God, I am so stupid. I feel all teary after your posts er, but I think it is just the reminder of what we all went through. Poor DH thought he was going to lose both of us. My son is now 11 so I think it is too late to complain. I still worry there is something wrong that hasn't been found yet and one day he will just go.