27 Weeks & always worrying about fetal movement

[MsBranwen]

I'm wondering if anyone has any advice about how to have a 'healthy' attitude to monitoring fetal movement. I know it's important to be aware of but I'm finding that I am just constantly anxious about how much my little one is moving. He doesn't seem to have much of a 'pattern', he just tends to move a bit every hour or so (maybe that is the pattern?) but some days seems a bit more active than others.

It didn't help that at my midwife appointment last week I got given a big sticker for my notes giving stillbirth risk related to reduced movements... that has definitely made things worse for me.

I really want to be enjoying my pregnancy but am not quite sure how to do that :-(

Unfortunately there is nothing I can really say to stop your worrying but all u can do is the best u can n keep an eye on movements, for example if baby is quiet lay down n have a drink of cold water, I've found that baby seems to be more active when I'm not, for example been walking round all day felt nothing then 5mins after laying down he started kicking which is lovely cos it re assures me! Chocolate also can help, n if ever in doubt that movements have been a bit slow then contact ur local hospital and arrange some monitoring, it only takes about 30mins to an hour but it's well worth doing n puts your mind at rest, don't care what anyone says better to be safe than sorry, apart from that try not to drive yourself insane worrying, easier said than done I know but save that for when baby is here, sleepless nights n feeding, haha!! Hope this has been some help to you

Ruth x

I know how you feel OP, I do understand the importance of monitoring and why the midwives make such a big deal of it, but for those Mums to be who are already anxious, I have found that they really know how to word things to scare the living daylights out of you

It doesn't help that because everyone varies so much, they can't even give you number of movements to look for or a set time period, which makes things even more vague and complicated - and stressful!

I am trying to focus less on tracking a pattern (which my baby certainly doesn't have) and more on checking for any extended periods with no movement. If that happens I try to focus on feeling the baby/having a lie down/cold drink etc... and so far that seems to have done the trick, but if I still wasn't feeling baby move then I would give them a call straight away and get checked out.

Other than that I am trying my best to worry less and enjoy pregnancy more, but I know that is easier said than done!

I feel your pain. I've kept myself awake at night, downing ice cold cans of pop trying to provoke movement. He'd been moving all day long but had been really quiet on the evening so I'd gone into panic mode.
It's really hard, but all I can say is that if you're ever really worried, give the maternity dept a call.
I've also read that you can try to lie on your left hand side and if you don't feel ten separate movements over the course of two hours, make that call.

I'm 28 w and was feeling the same last couple of weeks. I'm so busy with work/DD I worry I've forgotten to keep track of movements. If I feel like this I lie on my left side or drink cold water and soon feel movement. Hard to give advice but just be aware of movements, try and keep track with a diary or phone notes. It's the right attitude to know you need to be aware but hard not to obsess!

Honestly, I think you should be anxious about baby's movements. I think everyone should be.

It's when people become complacent and idiots start doling out awful advice like 'they move less towards the end because they're running out of room' etc that disasters can happen.

If you're worried just call, you aren't wasting anyone's time or bothering anyone. Don't wait till the morning or ask for anyone else's opinion on what's normal for YOUR baby, just call.