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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Baby hardly moving. Please help, because doctors just don't!

49 replies

Nadiaxxx · 11/06/2014 20:44

Hello everyone. I am sorry, this is going to be long, but I want to include as much information as possible. I am currently 30+5 weeks pregnant and my main concern is that my baby boy isn't moving. He has never been a big mover anyway, I felt first movement at 18 weeks for about a week, then baby went quiet from 19 weeks until week 22. I would go days without any movement, but I had scans in between which revealed that everything is fine with the baby. I would feel baby wriggle one week and have the baby "sleep" the second week.
Placenta is posterior, so I should be feeling something. My baby wouldn't move his legs, I never got a kick in this pregnancy, just movement like swimming...Baby have active (with moving his head and reacting to sweets and food), I would get loads of episodes of movement. Then baby not moving at all. For the last week baby hardly moves...
No episodes....I have went to the hospital to get monitored, midwife was touching and pressing the baby so she could rule out what position he was at..and baby didn't move, AT ALL. She put me on the CTG machine and left. Machine kept beeping and beeping (I heard could be due not being connected right or problems with babies heartbeat), babies heartbeat had a large variation, it dropped to 112 once. When baby moved, heartbeat didn't accelerate....Doctor looked at the results and said they were fine, however she said that baby wasn't even moving much at CTG machine, baby just done small movements...They had scan performed then...Baby wouldn't move much...she said yes, not much movement there. She even wrote: occasional subtle fetal movement. Baby is growing OK at the moment. I was sent home and told to come back if movements not improve. Well, they haven't. Hardly feel a thing....no kicks, no swimming...no episodes....few pokes there and then a day and feeling his head move. He isn't moving at night. I have a very bad sleep, so I wake up throughout the night - and no movement. Sweets, coke - don't work. AT ALL. He just lies there like a big rock. He is head down. His feet are somewhere on my side, since movement is never above the belly button...It is strange, how such a large baby have enough room in there? Like there is an empty space between my belly button and ribs....
Of course I am thinking the worst. Not feeling my baby move..at almost 31 weeks pregnant. I am looking for advice. They perform a scan at the admissions, but scanners are really bad so there isn't much to see...I keep thinking maybe he is wrapped up in cord so cannot move? Maybe there is something wrong with his wee legs, so he can't move them? At my anomaly scan, baby wouldn't cooperate, so basically they never checked his skeleton and never told me to come back. I am just feeling so down and upset. I will be going to the hospital again, should I demand a good scan where everything can be visualised...should I go private and get a 4d scan to see if there is cord issues, to see if his legs and arms look ok? :(
They said because baby is growing OK, they can't do anything...Not even a doppler scan. :( So worried and lost...Also, protein was found in my urine on two occasions...when I went to admissions my blood pressure was 144/90 or something like this. Midwife just wrote it down and that's it. When I had a scan at 24 weeks in my home country (I am from Latvia), I have asked the lady - is my baby even moving? She said - well, you obviously feeling it aren't you. But nope, I wasn't. But scan reports state that baby movements are visible....So lost and upset...sorry for such a long post, just wanted to give you as much information as possible.
The fact that at the very start of pregnancy, at 6weeks+3days there wasn't heartbeat and just gestational sac measuring 4 weeks (2 weeks behind) doesn't help either. Makes me think that baby may have serious genetic issues and maybe that is why he isn't moving. Again, please any advice would be appreciated. Sorry.

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PurplePidjin · 11/06/2014 20:56

Go to A+E and get checked. Your peace of mind is just as important as your baby's movement, so don't let anyone make you feel otherwise. You say you're originally from Latvia (wonderful country, I had a week there for work when pregnant!) would you be able to take someone who could translate for you to help you understand, or ask for a translator at the hospital? Your English here is good but you might miss things due to being worried.

mssleepyhead · 11/06/2014 21:02

I agree, go back to the hospital and see what they say.
If it helps though, my baby was monitored for half an hour last night and his heartbeat dipped to 112 at one point and went to 186 as its peak! So I think it's normal for the heartbeat to vary a lot. And maybe he's just a sleepy baby? My sister's second one was; she said he hardly moved in the third trimester. He was born very healthy, but continues to sleep a lot!
Good luck.

Nadiaxxx · 11/06/2014 21:03

Yea I will be going to admissions again. Can only do it tomorrow though because I am travelling by bus and hospital is an hour away. My relatives seem to believe that if everything was ok, baby not moving isn't an issues. I do plan to "live" in the hospital until I will get some sort of answers.
I have nobody to take to translate and don't think they will be able to arrange translator since it is usually the admissions I am going to....

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PolyesterBride · 11/06/2014 21:05

I'm not surprised you are worrying but there may be nothing to worry about if the doctors are not doing anything.

Are you near more than one maternity hospital? Could you go to a different hospital to get checked out? I would write down all the questions I had and make sure I got concrete answers. Eg, "what could the reasons be for the baby's lack of movement?", "how exactly should I be monitoring the baby's movements and at what point should I contact the hospital?" Have they given you a kick chart and told you how many movements to count per day?

As for encouraging the baby to move, I remember being told to drink iced water (I think) but tbh it sounds like you have tried all that.

Good luck, hope all works out ok

Nadiaxxx · 11/06/2014 21:05

I would go to the hospital everyday if there was somebody to take me, but I am getting bus all the time. My partner while worried about the baby, keep saying that I am paranoid and everything will be ok, however I feel it's not ok. What everyone thinks about private scan anyway?

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Nadiaxxx · 11/06/2014 21:08

About sleepy baby...hm I thought he could be, however sleeping for weeks and NOTHING gets him moving, even midwife that just pressed so hard on him? Doctor agreed it was weird how he didn't move much, so I asked "should I just assume that he is lazy then?" and she said "If no improvement in few days, come back" So I guess I shouldn't be just assuming he is a mellow baby.

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Nadiaxxx · 11/06/2014 21:10

PolyesterBride, apparently I am only allowed to go the hospital to which I was originally "signed on".
Writing questions down is a great tip, that's what I'm going to do. I have asked the doctor, why baby isn't moving, but they said they don't know....and because he is growing well and ctg results look fine, there isn't much they can do at this stage.

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InspirationFailed · 11/06/2014 21:10

I think I would book a private scan, it will hopefully put your mind at rest x

OnlyWantsOne · 11/06/2014 21:14

Go to a different hospital / ask for a second opinion / go private

Good luck hope all works out well z

Nadiaxxx · 11/06/2014 21:14

Yes, going to consider it then. Maybe scan will rule out cord issues..and if I see his legs and arms are ok I probably feel better....

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imip · 11/06/2014 21:16

Yep, just book a private scan... Will alleviate concern.

Ask about the position of the placenta, that can prevent you from feeling the baby.

Sometimes a cold glass of orange juice will make the baby move.

Do you have a busy job? That an distract you from the movements.

Iirc, they will do a Doppler during the private scan.

I've had five dcs, the movements can vary from baby to baby, some more active than others. If your baby was wrapped in the cord, the drs would be able to see it on the scan.

Fwiw, dd2 was very active, she'd hold the cord so they couldn't easily do a Doppler. She same out holding her cord (c section!).

Nadiaxxx · 11/06/2014 21:16

Thanks everyone for your advice and support!

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PurplePidjin · 11/06/2014 21:18

If you can afford a private scan, go for it :)

And assuming you're in the UK at the moment, you're "allowed" to go to any hospital you want to! If you can't get to one till tomorrow, it might be worth a call to the switchboard now to see if you can book a translator for the approximate time you'll be arriving. I'm in a fairly rural area and there were ladies waiting for their scans at the same time as me who had translators with them. It'll vary between areas but can be done.

Nadiaxxx · 11/06/2014 21:21

Placenta is posterior, so movements defo aren't cushioned...
Sweets, cold drinks, coke, food - don't work.
I am not working, staying at home, very mellow person at the moment - so no distraction from movements
They don't do a doppler during private scan :( :( I live in N.I. just two private places to go to and it says that in Belfast they cannot perform doppler due to local guideline restrictions
I keep hearing that 2d scans usually don't pick up babies being wrapped in cord. For the last while they have been scanning me using old machine where hardly anything can be seen, let alone the cord

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Nadiaxxx · 11/06/2014 21:24

I don't really think I need a translator! I talk better english than I write. :) And nope, I had pains at 17 weeks so called the nearest hospital and asked to be seen, but they said - you only able to go to your "own" hospital
Anhway, all hospitals require bus or a car. There is nobody that can take me:( just the bus.

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imip · 11/06/2014 21:32

I've def seen my dcs cord clearly on a 2d scan. I could be wrong, but if the flow of blood was constricted in some way, the baby wouldn't be growing, or the waist/brain circumference would be out of whack.

Local guideline restrictions, that's odd? Should be standard throughout the uk? No contentious religious reason why it wouldn't be done?? I really think a private scan would give you price of mind. I think you'd prefer a very detailed scan, you probably wouldn't get that on the nhs given that you have no 'official' reason for it. I'd try to book it for tomorrow.

I understand, I've been in a similar situation and have had a disasterous maternal history. I've had a number of private scans for reassurance. The best money you can spend if you have doubts....

PolyesterBride · 11/06/2014 21:38

Can you switch? I mean, not go to the "wrong" hospital but officially transfer to the other. If you think it could be better, that is.

Otherwise if you can afford it, then yes why not get a private scan.

Was all ok at the 20 week scan? I would assume that if there was cause for concern they would be monitoring you closely. But if you are worried, you need to get answers to your questions.

Good luck tomorrow, let us know how you get on

Nadiaxxx · 11/06/2014 21:46

I cannot switch. I mean, it would be pointless. I am signed on to the big hospital in Belfast (capital of N.I) as I have graves disease. This is the only hospital that runs joint midwifery-thyroid clinic and I was advised by endocrinologist to go to this hospital since if baby develops problems they have can provide good neonatal care and there neonatal poediatrics on site if baby develops graves disease after birth....
There are closer hospitals yes, but I will still need to get a bus..the close hospital actually you then need to walk an awful lot to get there...

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Nadiaxxx · 11/06/2014 21:50

Babies tummy measuring behind babies head throughout the pregnancy. At 28+4, head measured 29w1d and tummy around 28w2d
I was thinking that baby might have got wrapped in the cord in the past week, since this is when movements dramatically decreased. Bad admission scanner is so bad to pick this up, since it's even hard to see the baby.

So bad the way my partner keep calling me paranoid and saying I am mad to spend money on a private scan.....seriously ....

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Nadiaxxx · 11/06/2014 21:52

imip, well it says on the babybond scan website that they can do an internal colour doppler scan if there is a concern over vasa praevia and then it says - cannot be performed in Belfast.
They don't offer doppler with their scan packages. I think I wanted my cervical length checked at one stage, but they said - they are likely to run out of time since cervical length wouldn't be main purpose of the scan

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Nadiaxxx · 11/06/2014 21:55

I think what I would do - go to the hospital tomorrow and if there are no answers after this, I will book a scan. Money will be coming in on friday anyway.

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Nadiaxxx · 11/06/2014 21:59

Everybody is so supportive with great advices. Thank you all!!

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squizita · 11/06/2014 22:01

Go to a hospital with a maternity and A&E. Reduced movement is an a&e appropriate condition. They will process your case and scan you.

You are 100% allowed to do this.

NorksEnormous · 11/06/2014 22:30

I'm from ni too, I presume you are with the royal hospital? I had my children in Antrim hospital and was always told if I had a problem I had to go to antrim as that is where I was booked in. I had a private 4d scan done during pregnancy with 352 healthcare on the Lisburn road, Belfast, quite expensive but worth it for peace of mind

Nadiaxxx · 11/06/2014 22:31

Yea. I am with Royal and that's where I should be going. 352 is far too expensive for scans, babybond is a wee bit cheaper xxxx

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