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Original poster

Movement

27 replies

Londongirl84 · 29/12/2013 19:49

I'm nearly 33 weeks and can't stop worrying about what should be normal in terms of baby movement. Some days I have loads and some days I have little. I'm desperate to know what others experiences are...
I have been in twice before for monitoring as I've had particularly quiet days and all has been totally fine both times, but I'm just getting bored of all my worrying!
Thank you...

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laura0007 · 29/12/2013 19:56

I'm almost 35 weeks and mine has some days where he doesn't stop wiggling then others where I barely feel anything. He's been like this since I first started feeling him moving so I don't worry if he's having a quiet day. We all have them! As long as I feel him move a little (a couple of kicks first thing in the morning for example) I don't worry if I don't feel him again until the evening.

tgamble13 · 29/12/2013 20:00

am 36+5 and mine would be the same as urs some days are quieter than others. mines seems to be very active one day then the next day just soft rolling motions.

Original poster
Londongirl84 · 29/12/2013 20:03

Thank you for your quick replies. That's reassuring. Some days I can go hours and hours without feeling my baby whereas other days I have lots of little wiggles. It's so sporadic and unpredictable. I know I'm a worrier and wish I wasn't. X

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tgamble13 · 29/12/2013 20:11

altho if ur concerned ring ur mw or try the whole cold drink/lay on ur side/have something sugary

Julietee · 29/12/2013 20:22

From a different thread it sounds like even the midwives aren't sure what's normal and acceptable for movement levels. What's the most up to date information out there?
I do wonder if we're being set up for panic when women are being told to come in when their baby has a quiet day. Surely quieter days are normal? If I allowed myself to have such a low threshold for ringing the ward I'd be in every week!

Original poster
Londongirl84 · 29/12/2013 20:22

I do sometimes find that I don't need to try and get my baby to move as it's so frequent and other times, the cold water trick doesn't even work it's so quiet! Anyone else share their experience? X

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Original poster
Londongirl84 · 29/12/2013 20:25

Julietee I couldn't agree more! I honestly feel that I could be in a couple of days a week if I let myself. If only we had weekly monitoring on the NHS!

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Febbaby1 · 29/12/2013 20:28

I am the same as you, sometimes I feel lots of movement and at other times it can be very quiet for hours. However, this has been the same since I first started feeling movement and I'm 34 weeks now. I too worry a lot regarding what's 'normal' but I don't think there is a pattern we can really follow. X

Original poster
Londongirl84 · 29/12/2013 20:31

Febbaby1 that is reassuring. I'm very glad I started this thread as I feel that googling only makes me more worried!

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RedRobin1 · 29/12/2013 20:31

I am 39 weeks and have had the same pattern with baby where it goes quiet for a few days after 2 or 3 days of constant wriggling and movement.

It's been like this since about 25 weeks and I don't worry now as long as I feel some wriggles and movement in the day and evening. Night time is mostly quiet except the odd days when it decides not to sleep at night and wriggles away.

I have had days where I feel nothing for 5/6 hours, it is worrying but just as I am about to call midwife it generally moves and wriggles like it knows Smile

ThermoLobster · 29/12/2013 20:34

I would have a look at the Count the Kicks website, as that provides a view of the latest NICE guidelines. The key thing is to know what is normal for your baby, and report any change in this pattern.

Original poster
Londongirl84 · 29/12/2013 20:35

redrobin that's so reassuring too. Thank you for all these replies girls. So long as I feel some movement, may be I need to stop being such a panicker every few days :)

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Original poster
Londongirl84 · 29/12/2013 21:44

Anyone eLse?

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highlove · 29/12/2013 23:25

Interesting thread. The whole "know your baby's pattern" stresses me out as there doesn't seem to be one - as others say, somedays she's non-stop and then the next day she's much quieter. And there's no particular time of day - it's all a but random. I guess if I'd not felt anything at all for 2-3 hours and couldn't get the cold water/lie on side thing to work then I'd call. It does really worry me though that I can't follow the advice about seeking help if the pattern changes - there just isn't one!

Oh, I'm 30 weeks.

highlove · 29/12/2013 23:31

Oh and have been in once for reduced movement, about 25 weeks. Couldn't get any if the usual tricks to get baby moving to work so was pretty frightening. But all was fine, she was just in a funny position curled up in a tight ball with her back facing out so any kicks/punches were in my back and I couldn't feel anything.

whereisshe · 29/12/2013 23:37

Mine was like that - she had hyper days and very quiet days.

The only pattern I could detect was that the quiet days seemed to happen after I had a big / stressful day and she was super wiggly in response, basically I think she was tired the next day! She's still like that now she's born.

I found belly mapping really helpful - once I could figure out where she was I could find a foot or a hand - they generally move when poked Grin...

You can also buy handheld dopplers for home use.

Anothermrssmith · 29/12/2013 23:42

I could have started this thread,I have days where I barely feel anything then the next day baby literally will not keep still (like today) If I phoned the unit everytime I had a quiet day I would never be home. Now 37+3 and still wouldn't say baby has a pattern of movement so it's hard to know if/when to worry but if I got to a certain point in the day and hadnt felt a thing I would phone - don't ask me when that point would be though.

Original poster
Londongirl84 · 30/12/2013 07:33

This is so intetesting. Most threads to do with movement have women saying that their babies are extremely active and follow a regular pattern daily so it is great for me to see that others share my experiences of movement. I suppose another issue that I worry about is how do we know our movement is strong enough and powerful enough. It's baffling really! Hopefully when pregnant with number 2 I will remember my point for comparison!

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highlove · 30/12/2013 09:02

Yes it's reassuring isn't it? It's my first too. Must confess I've been feeling a bit guilty - hard to explain but basically being unable to identify a pattern might be my fault for not paying enough attention. Which is silly because I'm slightky obsessed with it all but as with all things pregnancy, I guess there's lots of scope to worry you're not doing the best you can. Early parental guilt!

boopdoop · 30/12/2013 09:23

Thanks for this thread, I'm 30 weeks and also the same, no pattern and feeling like maybe I was at fault for not recognising it. Baby has been super wriggly over Christmas (amount of food/sugar consumed?!) which has been nice but generally it's so changeable. I called the hospital once re reduced movement at 27 weeks and got told it's still too small to have regular movements cause there is so much room for it to move around so don't worry... But of course I did, alongside feeling like they thought I was a bit silly to call, but I was really upset as hadn't felt anything for 24 hours. Anyway, nice to know it's not just me!

tgamble13 · 30/12/2013 09:26

i definately cant identify any pattern. when i mentioned this to my mw she said they are trying to move away from the whole pattern thing and get mothers to concentrate on movement. me personally if i get ten movements a day am happy. its all very worrying this pregnancy carry on lol

Original poster
Londongirl84 · 30/12/2013 12:03

tgamble when you count 10 movements, is that 10 sets of movements or 10 individual movements? I'm more haphazard in my kick counting in that I feel happy if i don't have to wait hours for her to wriggle again. I'm not really sure how often I feel her on a quiet day or busy day.
Loving these reassuring replies :) x

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charliedrinks26 · 30/12/2013 12:05

I am also thankful for this thread! I also have not really identified a pattern ! Some days I feel like I've not paid enough attention to her movements and start feeling incredibly guiltyHmm but it's so hard and like most others have said with it being my first I have no idea if they're strong enough etc.
I went in at 25 weeks as if not get her for over 10 hours and was made to feel a total time waster by the very unimpressed midwife! I have anterior placenta too so that cushions a lot of my movements (according to the internet! As no hcp has ever mentioned this to me! I only found out from reading my notes)
It's good to see that others feel the same! I thought once I got pregnant all my anxieties would disappear! How wrong was I! ShockXxxxx

LastOneDancing · 30/12/2013 12:14

The only pattern I have identified is that my baby likes a good kick just as I'm trying to sleep, and when I'm waking up.

Other than that it's entirely random other than he/she stays quiet of I'm bustling about and tends to kick off more if I have a lazy day Smile

SerenaJoy · 30/12/2013 12:26

I'm 40 weeks pregnant with DC2 and feel exactly the same.

I tend to feel more movement in the evening but other than that I tie myself in knots, questioning myself and wondering whether I should be getting checked (I haven't reported anything so far - baby waits until I'm good and freaked out then starts wiggling). And now that I'm past my due date I'm starting to wonder if the quieter days are a sign that labour is on the way, so I've got an added element of confusion!

You'd think I'd know better second time round. DS is only 2 but I can't really remember what his movements were like to compare Blush

Can't wait till baby is here - this sole responsibility is one of the many aspects of pregnancy I do not enjoy.

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