Anxiety with baby movements?!

[PuddingPie16]

Hi Everyone!

I am 27 weeks pregnant and have been lucky to have felt my baby move since 18 weeks (with it being my 1st too...). However, recently, I do feel like I am becoming very obsessed with observing movements.

I went into hospital on Sunday as I had barely any movement that day and they said he was fine (heard him kicking the doppler) and booked me in for a growth/reassurance scan the next day which also went well...he was asleep for most of it! However, today he was quiet until this afternoon (when he had a 2 hour party) but I couldnt focus properly at work until this point.

I think I must be suffering a lot of anxiety with this and I know it is important to watch movements but with another 13 weeks to go, I am not sure I will calm anytime soon!

Can anyone recommend the best advice to combat this anxiety/obsession please and is anyone else feeling the same?

I don't feel I can have a heart-to-heart with my Community Midwife as she is quite rude and unapproachable and I worry if I speak to a Doctor they will not understand. However, please advise if you think different!

Thank you x

Hi Pudding

Any change in the pattern of movement should always be checked out - you are doing the right thing to monitor movements and to get it checked if you haven't felt anything when you are expecting to.

No midwife worth their salt will ever tell you that you are wasting anyone's time getting this kind of thing checked out. And if they do, ignore them and ask to see someone else - you can't be too careful with your baby.

That being said, sometimes it is hard to track movements - I am 26+4 with DC2 and hadn't felt baby until lunchtime as I have been up and about all day and thinking about other things so I probably have felt her, just not consciously registered it. I was thinking of going to the hospital for monitoring this afternoon but just to be sure I ate a bag of jellies and 2 chocolate chip cookies to get her moving and since then she has been having a party in there.

Pregnancy is an anxious time - please do speak to your midwife (or GP if you feel like your midwife isn't helpful) about your anxiety - there are lots of things you can do to manage it in pregnancy.

Good luck with everything.

Please always get movements checked out. Our baby was stillborn and I wish I had realised sooner that something was wrong.

In my subsequent pregnancy, when I found myself eating Strawberry laces and guzzling irn bru at 8am, I knew I had gone mad...

I'm afraid I don't have advice on combating it but wanted to say you aren't alone. I'm finding movement to be the most stressful part of pregnancy at the moment. I have an anterior placenta which isn't helping either. I'm 29 weeks and just had a second monitoring which triggered a scan.

It's a shame your midwife isn't approachable, but don't let that put you off calling in if movement is reduced again. The midwife I saw at the weekend was great and stressed that they always believe women and they always want women to call in if movement is reduced. If you need to go in again perhaps you could talk to the midwife there about how you feel?

I was exactly the same throughout my pregnancy and went in 4 times for reduced movement. All was fine but i was never maade to feel silly, in fact there were posters all round the hospital saying you must call if any change in movements.
I had a 'kicks count' bracelet (have a look on their website) where you move a marker along the bracelet each time you feel baby move . This really helped me and I could see a pattern easily. I have a very consuming job and it was an easy way of keeping track.
I was convinced something was going to go wrong but out 3 week old daughter is fast asleep on me as i type.
Try not to worry, but do ring the antenatal unit if you have any concerns .

I struggled with this as my placenta was on the side. Always do go in if you're worried about movement but also I think directly ask your midwife about perinatal counselling - I had a couple of sessions abs wish I'd done it sooner. If you make a specific request harder for her to be an arse about it

I'm 28 weeks, I've just worked out that my baby still flips totally. I have days with little movement when she is head up and just kicking down below, (confirmed head up by mw at today's apt) but yesterday she was head down I think and kicking me in the ribs pretty hard, and at 3pm-ish, somebody pointed out how wonky my stomach was and I think that was another turn to today's head up.

Sorry - in short, I think there is still quite a lot of scope for movement and that can make a huge difference to the feeling of movement.

Not to play down lack of movement, just to try and help the worry!

I am 39+3 today and I suffer from movement anxiety. I have been to MAU so many times that most MWs know me there.

My baby is also measuring small which adds to my worries. I dont really have an advice to be honest. I have been like this since week 28 or so.

I do not understand what is normal anymore. And this is my 3rd baby. I am grateful and angry at the same time at Kicks Count and the like. I follow them on FB and read "lucky escape" stories all the time and every time there is a slight change in my baby's movements I'm panicking thinking that this is the time that I need to be induced that she is struggling etc.

I get so anxious that I cannot tell the difference between anything anymore. I have never had long periods of no movements. She has always moved but some days are so so much quieter than others that the change in movements is so obvious that I have to go to the hospital.

So far it has always been OK. I have induction booked on my due date this Sunday.

I can honestly say that this has been the most stressful part of the pregnancy and a lack of "normal movements'' definition has created this anxiety. The fact that they say every baby is different and there is no way of knowing what is OK and what isnt just drives me totally mad.

I cannot remember this being so stressful in the first two pregnancies. I totally understand why Kicks Count is there and what good they do. But at the same time the message they spread gives impression that problems are so common and that every change in movements means something really bad is about to happen.

I have addressed my struggles with my MW but all she says is to go to the hospital every time there is a change. It is good she says that of course but with my anxiety and paranoia there is change virtually everyday.

Sorry for not being of much help.

xxx

Never be afraid to get checked out. Even if you go every week from now until the birth (or every day). Never feel like a pest.

I had bad anxiety during my first (full term) pregnancy and regularly got checked. Unfortunately I had a lazy baby that barely moved throughout and so was always worrying, right up to delivery!

Chances are that all will be fine so try and relax a bit but always take any concerns seriously.

Could you try keeping a diary and see if there is any patterns to the movements? I have never done it so don't know if it would end up making you more paranoid.

As everyone is saying you can get checked out whenever you worry without feeling bad about it - it's encouraged and you're doing the right thing.

I know how you feel too though. I'm 31 weeks and spend a lot of time on my back in bed poking my stomach to make sure she's still moving. I get paranoid as I have health problems too and she's measuring big so I have a massive fear of stillbirth (I don't like to say it out loud/think it!)

I think it's just about keeping as calm as you can and checking patterns. Mine has quiet spells in the morning and I wouldn't properly worry unless she was quiet in the evening as that's when she likes to have a good boogie.

It's easy to obsess over but try to learn what's normal for you and your baby. Movement can change too (not regularity as much as type). Mine went from flips and kicks to just rolling under my skin with occasional kicks but when I got checked it was just cause she had less room to flail around.

OP 💐💐💐
I hated (to the point of nearly having a mental breakdown) being pregnant because of monitoring baby movements. I can honestly say that there was not a day from when I began feeling her till when she was born that I didn't want to go to hospital for reduced movements. 13 weeks might seem like forever but it isn't. You'll get there. Just take each day as it comes.

I can completely understand you! I am 26 weeks + 3 and get daily anxiety about movement.. I have now found myself unable to even start the day until I’ve felt movement! I’ve been in twice with reduced movements as I also have an anteria placenta but when he’s kicking I always feel it so strongly!

I have started noting down at work when I feel him move as I do feel this helps remind me and put my mind at ease! I think Mum knows best - and you should always act on your instinct.

I think this may just be an anxiety I will always feel until he’s here!

It might not be anxiety it might be actual reduced movement. They can only tell so much off ctg and growth scans according to the consultants I saw during my pregnancy.

I had the same and was induced at 37&6 after 5th episode.

Even on the last episode I went in and was monitored for numerous hours and still couldn’t feel baby’s normal pattern though ctg was fine and growth scans were fine so far at 37 &6.

Multiple doctors / consultants told me the same thing & also explained many women speak of reduce movement in the case of still birth. Numbers of still birth are still high in the UK for a western country & so there’s been a bigger emphasis on ensuring any reduce movement is observed & monitored.

No doubt they would have told you too.

Any reduce movement keep going back. Isn’t worth the risk.

Hi,
I'm 24+4 days today and I've not felt any movement for a couple of days. I felt some movement while we were away last week but nothing since. It's making me anxious and keeping me awake at night. My husband keeps telling me everything is ok but I'm stressing that something is up with her.
Am I just being overly cautious?

I currently haven't got a midwife I've seen various different ones which doesn't help with my anxiety and stress levels.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

My midwife said once you start feeling movement you should feel it at least once in every 24 hours, until about 28 weeks when it should be more regular and in a more noticeable pattern.
If you've started feeling movement but haven't noticed it for two days I think you should go and get checked out 💕

Hi Rebecca100,
I went to see the community midwife this morning and everything was fine. Little ones heart beat was fast at first but soon settled down. No issues at all. The midwife was lovely she put me at ease straight away and was so kind. I was worried that they might be frustrated when everything turned out fine but she said if you feel like this again call us as we would rather check you both over.
We have a midwife appointment next Wednesday.
Typically since this morning she hasn't stopped moving.
Thank you for the advice. ☺️

@LittleLauraR ahhh that's great news, you must be so relieved x