DC2 Very active during pregnancy - does this mean an angry baby? Do fetal movement patterns give a clue to baby's personality after birth?

[MammaCici]

While DS also moved about a fair bit during his time inside I don't remember it being so powerful or as frequent. He used to get hiccups a lot.

With this pregnancy I started feeling flutters at exactly 13 weeks. I'm 32+5 now and throughout this pregnancy baby has been very active with a higher heart rate. When I lie on my side sometimes baby can almost turn me over with a kick. My midwife has joked a few times that I am carrying an angry baby. I sure hope this baby isn't angry. DC1 was a very contented baby. He nursed around the clock, it was intense and hard going but he was happy so that was all that mattered.

For those of you with more than one child already, did your babies have very different ways of moving while inside? And were their personalities after birth in line with their prenatal movements?

Well, my DS1 didn't move much, in hindsight! At the time I didn't know the difference. And his personality matches that, be is very laid back. He only stood at 12 months, walked at 17 months, fed loads and was chilled out.

The DS2 came along! Very very active when I was pregnant with him, walked at 10 months, into absolutely everything, does not sit still for a minute!!

I don't think you have an angry baby, just a very active one!

Just go with the flow, it's very interesting to see the different personalities develop!

This question is one I've asked. Or wanted to ask on mums net. My middle sister has a personality disorder and is violent. If theree was ever an 'angry baby' it Would Be her. I've quizzed my mum about any differences in fetal movement in her three daughters she can't recall any difference - though she's not super sharp in that way to notice or neurose about such things at the time, let alone remember them 45 years later. What I have heard is that active babies often will go on to like walking, running, biking, marathons, skydiving, etc. I think your midwife was meddlesome to say angry baby.

Anyway i am also trying to read the signs of personality. My current baby -I'm 36 weeks - is more consistently active than my first but much gentler. The alleged she pushes back if I squash or poke her. I've seen her wriggle in a slightly 'leave me alone' way during scans whereas the first skipped about like a bird. On the other hand maybe she was just asleep, and the pushing back is she is just very sociable. She wriggles if there is noise whereas baby 1 was quiet during noise. ??????

I think you do feel second pgs more I also felt her from about 7 weeks in a way, and definitely the popping and swishing from about 12 weeks.

I would love to hear

My Dd was awful during pregnancy. She flipped, turned, kicked constantly, that I was actually bruised! And she's now 8 months, and not stopped since birth. Always on the go, can't sit still. And nearly walking

Also, I could tell the difference right from the moment they were born as well. DS1 just wanted to feed and sleep. All the time.
Ds2, when I tried to feed him after he was born, turned his face away and went to sleep and he was never into feeding the way Ds1 was.

DS was absurdly active in utero - the MWs on the antenatal ward always looked a bit shocked at the violence of his kicks and movement!
He's 10.5mo now and everyone comments that he is the wriggliest fidgetyist baby they have ever known.

Ds1 was quiet in my tummy, he certainly wasn't quiet or chilled when he come and was very active, walking for 9 months.

Ds2 was very active too but movements felt a lot more fierce, but he was born totally different size to ds1 (ds1 6ib 8 2wk over, ds2 9ib on time) he was also the same very active none stop walking for 9 months.

So it had no pattern with me

Why do MW say these things...telling a pregnant woman her baby will be 'angry' for whatever reason is irresponsible, it could affect how you perceive your baby and your relationship with them.
When DS1 was born my MW told me he was 'at it' and a chancer because he wanted to feed and be in my arms all the time. As a confused and exhausted new mum I took her at face value and it really affected how I felt about him initially. I feel so bad about it now but for the MW it was just a throwaway jokey comment.
FWIW DS1 was very active in the womb and remained so after birth but certainly not angry.

Dd and ds1 used do somersaults inside me, brace their legs on my spine and stick their bums out as far as possible, spend hours shifting and turning. I was in pain on a regular basis because of their antics. Ds1 even tore my stomach muscles at 34 weeks [ouch] I could feel both of them from first trimester.

Ds2 was much slower to make his presence known. He moved plenty but less aggressively and he didn't do nearly as much poking and shoving.

Ds2 crawled on hands and feet at 7 months, was walking by 10. He was permanently shouting and screaming, in fact he still is at 4! My mother named him 'The Diva' as a baby and it fits.

ds1 was totally chilled as a baby, very calm and relaxed and easy going. Always slept loads and laughed a lot.

Dd was a miserable baby, screamed for most of her first year. To the point that our neighbours were commenting on it she had reflux though do was in pain, she still has a tendency to go from fine to hysterical in a fraction of a second though

Oh, And ds1 never crawled, walked at 12 months
Dd crawled at 9 months, walked at 14

So not particularly fast

Also it depends where you placenta is, an anterior placenta 'dulls' movement, a posterior one means lots movement at the front.

It didn't happen that way with me. DS was relatively active and was the happiest, most chilled baby. DD was very quiet in the womb, and cried her way through most of the first year

My DD was never still inside me. She's 13 months now and shows zero interest in walking, crawling, moving. The most placid child ever.

DS was very active - when at work once he kicked forward, hit the edge of the desk and pushed me so much that my chair rolled back a couple of inches. On the day he was born he could lift his (very large) head off my shoulder for a few wobbly seconds before slamming it back down - he sat independantly at 4.5mo. He didn't walk until he was 14.5mo but started running on day 2 so clearly waited until he'd really sussed out how things should go before trying. He was a fairly contented baby (excluding colic) and was happy to sleep as long as he was in your arms or the pushchair (moving) - certainly not angry in the least. He is still extremely active at nearly 8.

No.

DD was incredibly active in utero. I don't think she was still at any point, really.
After birth she was a happy little thing, just always on the move. Didn't walk until 15 months-ish but like mistlethrush's DS she was off immediately: completely skipped the toddling stage. (did roll from room to room at 4 months though - it was quite funny to watch)

Never slept much as a baby (think grinning and waving arms around not-sleeping rather than screaming in distress not-sleeping), except outside in the moving pram, but a happy soul and certainly not 'angry' - just really, really wriggly. Still is at 3.

Cripes I hope not. I'm 25 weeks with DC2 and he's a wriggler. DD was very quiet in utero and very loud outside the utero!

I can't believe someone would say that, especially a MW, who's supposed to be an authority on these things! Totally agree with PP above that any personality expectations can be projected onto your baby when they're born.

I am 21 weeks and have a very wriggly baby, even with an anterior placenta I can feel it really strongly an awful lot of the time, all over the shop. To the extent that the sonographer remarked at both scans that it was an exceptionally wriggly baby. One whack woke me up at about 19 weeks, and on other occasions I've seen my tummy physically 'jump'.

I have made a huge effort to not project strong personality traits on the wriggler. I refer to it as Baby Bear as we chose not to find out gender and it's a gender and personality neutral phrase. When I get kicked and pushed and somersaulted, I see it as baby saying hello or trying to make contact.

My mum recently told me that when I was in utero, she 'knew that I had a temper' because when she would grab my foot, I would kick back until it was released. As a child I was stubborn and, yes, had a temper and became known as an angry child by other members of my family. But it's impossible to know if I would have had that anyway, or if I developed that because that was what my parents projected onto or at the very least expected of me. Now, I'm (usually - I have my moments) renowned for my calm.

It's been proven by gender neutrality studies and sociology studies that the way someone is treated can have a profound effect on how they actually behave - if everyone in the office told someone (who was really perfectly fine) that they looked ill, quite often that person will eventually agree that they feel under the weather and actually become ill. Equally, when children treat the nerdy kid in the class as if they're the most popular, that nerd becomes the most popular kid.

So I'm choosing to see this 'wriggly baby' of mine as a baby that is looking forward to getting out and meeting us, and someone who hopefully will join mummy and daddy in outdoor pursuits. If this is wrong, that's fine, but at least I'm starting with a blank sheet of paper, not one with the word 'angry' listed in the personality column.

Thanks for all the replies! Some of them really made me giggle, especially the baby nicknamed "The Diva"! Cool.

So to round up it seems a bit random. But either way active doesn't equal angry! That's reassuring. I'm still wondering if a fast heart rate means an angrier baby though. Any thoughts on that? This baby was up in the 170s until about 25 week. DC1 was always closer to 140.

I know my placenta is at the front this time, not sure where it was last time. I'm also carrying extremely low this time and baby has been head down since about week 28/29.

But I agree that midwives should be more careful about off the cuff remarks. It's funny how comments like this can stick in your head, despite your better judgement. It's awful that your midwife said your DC was a chancer just for wanting to feed. He was just following his instincts. Anyone who knows about breastfeeding knows that baby sets the pace and you nurse on demand. No two babies are the same, and no too boobs are either. So lots of variables there. It would be so much worse if he hadn't wanted to feed. I for one am hoping for a "hungry baby" again. I loved nursing. I found it incredibly satisfying (most of the time).

Thanks again girls.

Thanks BraveLilBear, very interesting post. We've also chosen not to know the gender. We didn't find out first time and I very much want to treat the kids the same. I know that's not really possible since DC2 will have a sibling from birth so our time will be divided. But your post has given me lots of food for thought.

I do know never to tell my child "he" is bad when he misbehaves. We are careful to tell him the behaviour is bad or unacceptable. To be honest it wasn't something I had ever thought of until I read it in a parenting book. I think your approach expands on a philosophy I already buy into so thanks again for sharing.

I'm very much looking forward to meeting DC2 and finding out who he/she is. What could be more exciting!

MammaCici great thread here - I have a wriggler too and can't wait to meet her and start getting to know her.