Movement/reduced movement

[Champagneformyrealfriends]

I was 32 weeks yesterday.
I am feeling quite frustrated today-I've been in for monitoring twice due to reduced movement. On Friday we went because, although my baby had moved, it wasn't as much as usual or at my normal times. I rang the hospital and they asked me to go in. DH said I was imagining it but I felt as if they thought I was a time waster and that I shouldn't be there. The MW commented that it was quite difficult to monitor babies at 31 weeks (they had no problems!).
On the back of Friday I got a phone call yesterday to come in for a growth scan which is this afternoon. Yesterday the baby didn't move a lot but it moved loads over the weekend, then last night it was moving and kicking again.

Sorry if this post is disjointed I'm just so frustrated because I feel as if one day my baby is flipping about and kicking and the next it's really quiet and still and I can't keep rushing to hospital every other day! But then I worry in case there is something wrong and I'm ignoring it!

Has anybody else not really got a movement pattern at 32 weeks?!

First your DH is being irresponsible - how on earth does he know what you're feeling (or not) and why would he say that? His child's welfare should be his first priority, not the inconvenience of you going to the hospital for an hour.

I'm 35 weeks and have been feeling clear regular movements for some time but had a quiet spell a couple of weeks ago that I went in for. I think ive got an anterior placenta & DC sometimes hides behind it. I also don't register movement when I'm busy so often have to have a quiet sit down and really poke 'listen' for the baby moving.

I'd speak to your MW to establish what's normal and get a clear guide for when you need to go in. But if you have to keep rocking up to the hospital so be it. The possible consequences of not getting checked far outweighs the inconvenience IMO.

I'm 37 weeks and my baby still hasn't got a clear pattern. He or she is most likely to move at 8am or 8pm (with a hot drink) but has days where this pattern is not stuck to. I have only been woken by hiccups during the night and never kicking.
My midwife even struggles to feel the babies position. She has always said though that if I am unsure go and get it checked out even though she knows I have no pattern and the baby is well hidden!

If you have any concerns over movement then please get seen. Rather be an 'inconvenience' than the alternative

Lastone I think the op is saying that her dh thought she was imagining the hospital staff attitude to her, not the issues with the baby.

I think you're absolutely right to call the hospital if you're concerned. My midwife said they'd always rather see you and everything be fine rather than either you not go in when there's a problem or you sit at home worried sick about it when they could have reassured you everything was okay.

The midwife also said to me that if you haven't felt movement in a while you can try drinking a cold drink and lying on your left side as that often wakes babies up if they're just sleeping. But if you still feel no movement after that you should always call the hospital.

Thanks Nishky - hopefully you're right and it was my misinterpretation. Sorry if that's the case OPs DH!

Just to add my two cents, DS didn't have a movement at all whilst I was pregnant. He moved every day, some more than others, but never at a particular time. Midwife couldn't comprehend this & looked at me like I had three heads when I told her. The cold fizzy drink trick always worked if I was worried, & I did go in to get checked once - at 32 weeks I think!
So you're not alone with lack of pattern, and I think you'll know if there's anything to monitor (& don't hesitate!) as you almost get used to the randomness. My boy was born late, large, & perfectly healthy!

Nishky is right lastone-he meant I was imagining the midwives reaction but thank you for being so lovely-I can see why you'd got the wrong end of the stick! It's nice to have people on my side too!

I've tried cold drinks etc and sometime baby does start to move but also sometimes it doesn't!

Thank you all for your support-if I'm worried again I'll just go in-it's not worth the alternative if I don't!

It's worth also trying hot drinks. My akward one doesn't move for cold drinks!

The drinking cold drinks advice is out dated. The advice now is if you experience ANY change in movements (reduced or increased) is to go to hospital and get checked out. Count the kicks is a good website to refer to.

Count the kicks have changed their name to kicks count.

www.kickscount.org.uk/mums/your-babys-movements/

This drives me to distraction. Sometimes she is happily thrashing about and sometimes she is so quiet. I think I'd have been in about 10 times now if I went every time I felt like she had been quiet.

I'm learning that sometimes she must be so far down and curled up that I have to really concentrate after laying down and eating sugar. Sometimes she is high up and kicking me in the ribs which is much easier to spot!

If you're concerned, go in.
I was talking to a friend who's a midwife about this.

She said that there are women who come in with every worry and get monitored once a week, and there are women who don't want a fuss, who come in after 2 or 3 days without movement with a cold hard bump and a dead baby.
It's awful but it happens. The midwives would rather monitor 1000 women who are actually fine than have to deal with that one who leaves it too late. NEVER feel bad about going on if you're concerned.

fluffypenguinbelly babies have a regular pattern of movement, and they'll be periods where baby sleeps and is quiet. If there is a change in your baby's normal movement pattern please get checked out.

Eating sugary foods, drinking cold drinks, laying on your side and counting kicks is all out dated advice.

Please refer to the kicks count website - for evidence based advice.

I find the general advice on movement 'patterns' really frustrating, even on the official NHS leaflets and with the charities.

I'm 33 weeks on Thursday - she's quite wiggly in general at the moment (getting comfy with her head down I hope!) but there is no real 'pattern' as to when she moves with the exception being meal times AND bedtimes when I'm guaranteed some sort of movement*. I'm also hampered by an anterior placenta and sometimes me and my DH can only feel movement when my hand is on my bump.

Personally using the rule that if I feel no movement at all in 6 hours, I'd do the cold/sugary drink and lie on my left side thing then seek advice but I haven't needed to do that, thank goodness.

• I guess that might count as a pattern of sorts, but they make it sound like she should be on some sort of schedule. I don't think people as a rule move on a schedule, let alone babies!

I am a very anxious person. I had a private scan at 34 weeks and she was moving about. Couldn't feel a bloody thing even though I could see her on the screen. I only noticed the huge jolting kicks and punches.

i think the best advice is probably to go with your instincts!

if in doubt do get checked; the staff may seem a bit grumpy, but they're probably just overworked and underpaid and it's nothing to do with you.

i find the weekends the hardest to monitor as my 'routine' is different - sitting at my desk at work it's easy to notice every nudge, but when out and about, shopping, cleaning etc it's easier to miss them...it's a minefield!

I found weekends really hard too and once had to leave a weekend away to be checked. My DH picked me up, tools me to hosp and took me back to weekend away. It took 4 hours but I felt much better. I was in another twice - once for reduced and once for increased. I think they thought I was mad too but now I have my baby boy, I can't remember any dirty looks, the inconvenience, waiting times or anything. I just have a happy healthy boy so I'd say if you go in every day between now and the baby coming so be it - you will forget all about it when baby comes and the alternative does not bear thinking avout!

I had exactly the same at 32 weeks (I am now 34+5); really sorry to hear that the hospital made you feel like you were wasting their time. Our experience was very positive and they told us to come back as many times as we wanted to if it ever happened again. Perhaps you just met the wrong person on the wrong day - as others have said, don't let it put you off going again if you feel you need to. Good luck :)

Im having same problem at the minute my lo is not moving at his regular times as he usually does or with as much force. I have midwife tomorrow so will see what she says. I still feel him just not as pronounced or as much as usual