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Original poster

Reduced movement 34+3 what would you do?

81 replies

Firstpregnancy2014 · 19/10/2014 18:36

I'm 34 and a half weeks,
Yesterday I noticed baby not as active as usual. He normally moves absolutely loads and makes me really uncomfortable, today i felt a light movement this morning but still notbing much so rung the day unit.
They asked me to come in at 1.30.

At 3pm I was still sat waiting for any sort of direction or explanation. Finally at 4 they put me on a monitor for 45 minutes. He moved a tiny bit in this time but still the movements are unlike his usual.
Midwife came to tell me the day unit was shutting and if I was still experiencing the same kind of reduced movement tomorrow to ring up and they would scan me. Have tried everything since I got home to get him to move like normal and nothing
Options are -

Go to work tomorrow and leave if I'm not satisfied to go to the hospital

Organise now for someone else to open up at work and ring hospital first thing and insist on a scan.

I'm abit worried as he normally is really active and I understand he's getting bigger now but on Friday he was fine !
They made me feel like such a pain in the ass at the hospital !

OP posts:
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Pocpocpocs · 19/10/2014 18:53

Definitely go in or as a pp said go to alternative hospital. Sounds like she was trying to put you off because they're busy but that's not your problem or your concern. You must do what is best for you and your baby. Go, be assertive and don't put a brave face on - show them exactly how worried you are.

3bunnies · 19/10/2014 18:57

Are there any private clinics you could go to in the morning if they still aren't willing to scan. For me the scan was just a precaution as they thought he was ok and he had started moving again. I even had dd2 with me, dh was 3hrs away and someone had to collect her when I was admitted.

plinkyplonks · 19/10/2014 19:05

Any luck with hospital? Please let us know you're OK :)

Original poster
Firstpregnancy2014 · 19/10/2014 19:10

On my way back to the hospital.. I'll keep you all posted ! Thankyou for making me feel like I'm not being irrational!
They really didn't sound keen on me coming back on the phone but too late now

OP posts:
cheesecakemom · 19/10/2014 19:12

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

Maiyakat · 19/10/2014 19:12

Please do go in now - they can do another monitoring and arrange for a scan in the morning if needed. Doesn't matter how busy they are, they have a duty of care to you and your baby x

Maiyakat · 19/10/2014 19:13

X-post - glad you're on your way

plinkyplonks · 19/10/2014 19:13

Firstpregnancy2014 Really glad to hear your on the way back to hospital! Don't worry about their happiness or wants - you're doing what's best for the baby :)

CheeseandGherkins · 19/10/2014 19:20

cheesecake they do scan after hours, they just choose themselves when they will or won't. I had a scan after going in with my daughter within about 30 minutes and it was after hours.

CheeseandGherkins · 19/10/2014 19:21

Very glad you're on your way back to hospital, keep firm and assertive.

Original poster
Firstpregnancy2014 · 19/10/2014 20:48

Feel like that was such a waste of time :(
Got hooked back onto monitor and left for 30 minutes
Asked them if they needed a urine sample or anything they said no. No one checked on me, came back to get the readings from the trace and asked me about movement. I explained that I am feeling the odd movement but he's very quiet compared to normal
Then got a massive lecture of 'well we did tell you that we can't do anything till tomorrow anyway'
So they have sent me away again and told me to ring in morning if movement still the same for a scan
They made me feel like such an idiot and I know it shouldn't bother me what strangers think of me but they obviously know better than me and were very clear to demonstrate that!

OP posts:
3pigsinblanketsandasausagerole · 19/10/2014 20:49

Is there no other hospital nearby

Original poster
Firstpregnancy2014 · 19/10/2014 20:53

There's another hospital but they only have a MLU there and won't even see you for monitoring.
I think I'm going to ring back in the morning and insist on the scan regardless of how much/ little movement I feel untill then because there must be a reason for the reduction !

OP posts:
Smartiepants79 · 19/10/2014 20:53

They are not being particularly helpful or reassuring are they?
All I can say is that if the traces had shown any issues you wouldn't have been sent home.
I would try and take some reassurance from this and get some sleep. Phone again tomorrow.
The baby might suddenly wake up in an hour and start doing the fandango.
I remember having the odd day with a very quiet baby who suddenly came alive just as I was going to sleep/working myself up to being worried enough to do something.

Flexibilityisquay · 19/10/2014 20:57

That is appalling OP. I casually mentioned at a routine MW appt that DS was not moving quite as often as he had been, and was told to go straight in to be monitored. He was moving around fine on the trace, but I couldn't feel it as well as he'd moved position. The thing is that I was told to come straight back if I was at all concerned, and it was made very clear that they would rather check 100 times and find there was no problem than miss that one baby who could be in trouble. I very much doubt there is any problem with your baby, but the least you should be able to expect is that it be properly checked so your mind is put at rest.

ShadowKat · 19/10/2014 21:12

They sound a bit rubbish.

I'm also extremely sceptical about this "can't" do a scan business. All my scans with DS1 were done within the maternity unit and carried out by midwives or obstetricians, so I would have thought that if there was an urgent need for a scan out of hours, they'd be able to find at least one person on the maternity unit capable of doing a scan.

I hope things are okay with you and the baby in the morning. Please don't let them making you feel like an idiot stop you from going in and getting checked out properly tomorrow.

ItsNotEasyBeingGreen · 19/10/2014 21:16

I posted this the other day on another thread... I had similar but much more advanced in pregnancy. I was hooked up to a monitor and given lucozade. The lucozade 'woke' the baby up in about 10 minutes. It really got him moving.

plinkyplonks · 19/10/2014 21:18

Firstpregnancy2014 - Which hospital is this OP? They sound terrible :(

Do you have a Doppler at all?

lupo5 · 19/10/2014 21:55

Firstpregnancy2014----that is really bad.I was in hospital due to pain in my left side of the back (history of kidney stones) and my pain was not severe or constant ,community midwife send me to a day unit .They were monitoring baby,checked my urin and blood .At one point midwife asked me why I didn't come earlier on and I said that I didn't like to bother anyone.She said she would rather have me there being checked over and over that that I stay at home and something goes wrong.
I am 34 weeks +4 days.
PLEASE insist on them checking on you ,PLEASE....make extra drama if needed....

CheeseandGherkins · 19/10/2014 22:30

I'm sorry but that isn't an acceptable answer from them, stats show more babies die in the night, so they should actually be more bothered now. Which hospital is it?

Do you have another you can go to? Did you speak to a consultant? Ultimately, it is you that has to keep on at them, I know it's hard but noone else can do it. Do you have a partner or friend that can advocate for you? Honestly, you cannot piss about with this, it's serious. If the movements are still low then get back there or go elsewhere insist. Tell them you will not leave until you have spoken with a consultant, take their name, and say your baby isn't moving well.

Believe me, if your baby dies, you won't care what anyone else thinks. Just get back to a hospital and make sure your baby is ok. I'm sorry for being harsh but I've been there and it's shit.

goingloombandcrazy · 20/10/2014 00:10

Please listen to cheese and gherkins :-(

capecath · 20/10/2014 08:44

I would say if the trace and tests are ok the scan won't be much different at this stage- they are so big, the scans arent very clear at this stage, and the trace monitors the heartbeat which is the important thing for movement anyway. It sounds to me like your baby has just changed position...

ShadowKat · 20/10/2014 09:22

How are things this morning, OP? I hope things are okay with you and the baby.

capecath - from what OP's said it sounds like they haven't done urine tests or bp tests when she's been in for the trace.

Pocpocpocs · 20/10/2014 09:47

Hope everything ok. That sounds completely unacceptable on the part of the hospital staff. I would definitely go in for a scan - contrary to what a pp said scans can/do reveal things a trace can't such as blood flow across the placenta and some hospitals scan women routinely in their 3rd trimester for this reason.

Jersey37 · 20/10/2014 12:09

I agree that they certainly haven't given you enough of an explanation to stop your concerns. When you were on the monitor was the heart rate ok? I do think you get reduced movement as you get closer because of the less room available for baby, so it could be that. But either way, they aren't making you feel better. Sometimes some midwives and consultants are only concerned with how they 'FEEL' about it... and don't pay attention to ensuring that the mother is 'HAPPY' about it.

I hope it is getting sorted today!