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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

First movements

28 replies

lrb92 · 15/01/2018 17:45

Hello ladies,

I am 18 weeks today and I had to call my midwife about stretching pains as was not sure if it was Braxton Hicks and I felt like she was putting pressure on me to feel movements from now. This is my first pregnancy and it is different for everyone, my uterus is backwards and my placenta was in a position that during my 12 week scan the sonographer said this could affect me feeling movements however I know it could of moved between now and then. To be honest, I've had flutters but I am certain it is just wind lol! Has anyone else been in this situation and the midwife frightening you? Kicks count say movements can begin from 16-24 weeks, information can be so contradicting. Thanks in advance

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

mintich · 15/01/2018 17:50

I couldn't even feel proper movement until 21 weeks, little flutters but not kicks

UnitedKungdom · 15/01/2018 17:51

I wouldn't worry about feeling anything till 24 weeks but likely you'll feel it much sooner. Don't be counting or checking patterns till after 28 weeks.

pregz · 15/01/2018 18:02

I wouldn't worry until you were 24 weeks , I didn't feel routine movements until around 30 weeks.

I have an anterior placenta which means it's at the front so acts as a sort cushion to the movements which means I don't always feel them , he moves at night mostly so I always make time to just lie on my side and switch sides every few minutes to get him giving proper kicks

But please don't worry , you will start to feel little flutters now that you're thinking about it

Rumpledfaceskin · 15/01/2018 18:04

Had placenta at front, one flutter at 18 wks. Nothing more until about 22 wks. Rarely felt movement rest of pregnancy and it was just the odd kick here and there. It doesn’t make for a very reassuring pregnancy unfortunately but you can always go into be monitored if it’s out of the norm for you. I did despite feeling silly about it and they were absolutely lovely.

Mcakes · 15/01/2018 18:13

I didn't feel much apart from an occasional 'rolling' sensation until about 21 weeks. Am now 23 weeks and it's more definite now, can feel the odd kick if I put my hand on my stomach but still pretty light and not that frequent.
My midwife also seemed quite keen for me to feel flutters from quite early on. I think she first asked me at 16 weeks! Which worried me a bit as I wasn't feeling g anything.
If all else feels ok to you I'm sure it's fine.
If it helps, I definitely felt less anxious in general after seeing the 20 week scan. Do you have a date for yours yet?

Newbiebaby1 · 15/01/2018 18:45

I’m 21 weeks and haven’t felt anything yet, it’s worrying but I keep being told it’s different for everyone

Original poster

lrb92 · 15/01/2018 18:51

Thanks everyone! For those that have their placenta at the front was this recognised in your first scan? My next scan is the 25th of Jan so not too much longer to wait! I try not to stress but naturally that's how I am and I feel selfish for making my baby feel the strain of it too :( just want everything to be ok! Doesn't really help when you don't have a supportive midwife either, surprised she rang me back today! She usually ignores me

OP posts:

Ellsiedodah · 15/01/2018 18:55

Sorry to hear your midwife is frightening you! That's really bad, they should make you feel calm. Maybe next time make sure you ask all the questions you have even if it feels like you're repeating yourself?! :)

I've got the reverse problem actually... I'm 18 +2 weeks and had the whooping cough vaccination this morning. Since then I've felt more movements in one afternoon than I have in the last 3 weeks. It feels like a little thud-come-twitch in roughly the same place, pretty much bang at the top of my pubic area - where that area becomes tummy. I seem to find loads of concern about reduced movement but nothing about increased movement. I found one thing that said the fetus may be in distress but I was in the hospital for a non-routine scan this morning after an incident carrying too heavy a load and they said everything was fine, heartbeat good, no waters leaked as I was worrying.

So much to worry about!

Original poster

lrb92 · 15/01/2018 19:05

I just feel bad for being a pest lol! Really!? Incredible you're feeling movements though :) I had my whooping cough last week and my arm was achy straight away! Did you have the same problem? Glad everything was ok! I slipped on the stairs this morning but managed to land on my feet, so scary. Sometimes you feel like wrapping yourself up in cotton wool and resting for the whole 9 months! Surprised we can breath! Are any of you having caffeine at all? I had another scan at 14+ weeks and baby moved its leg and the lady asked if I could feel it... couldn't feel a thing lol!

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MeadowHay · 15/01/2018 19:20

I'm 18 weeks and nothing yet, or at least nothing that I've recognised. Like you I know that people often don't recognise movements until much later, especially if it's your first pregnancy, which mine is, so don't worry!

Original poster

lrb92 · 15/01/2018 19:22

Thank you! So nice to know other people are or have been in the same boat!

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Ellsiedodah · 15/01/2018 19:42

I know... can feel a bit like that sometimes. You especially worry because you feel like you're in their hands and you just want a good relationship with them in case anything bad happens and you need the right support.

Actually the jab itself was fine but I've had a right ol tum since it... and nausea which has passed.

Yep - I'm drinking a green tea in the morning, the I'll either have an instant coffee OR a take away cappucino which i'm sure has a ton of caffeine in it. Def no more than that (unless I eat choc that day) but as I don't get the jitters, I'm feeling I'm okay with this amount. That said, I finally bothered to learn why we're not supposed to drink too much and I'm not sure the jitters are anything to go by - apparently each trimester our bodies are less and less able to process caffeine, the baby even less so. So we could end up building up caffeine it its young system with bad effects later on. How are you playing it?

I also started out having the occasional 125ml glass of wine (like once every 2 weeks) but I've now got to the point that half a glass of lager will make my legs go weak so I've ruled out all alcohol from now on.

Good luck with it all! :) x

pregz · 15/01/2018 20:07

Nobody from the nhs actually bothered to tell me I had an anterior placenta it wasn't until I went for a private scan they asked me if I had trouble feeling movements! I was having an extra scan for a minor abnormality at 29 weeks when they mentioned it. Now my midwife is constantly urging me to phone the delivery suite because I can go a long period of time without feeling movements but I'm confident in his routine and know how to get him to move so I can feel it if I need reassurance.

So sorry you're having a rubbish time with the midwife mines at the begging was absolutely hopeless I phoned and asked if there was anyone else I could see now I love my midwife never ever makes me feel silly and goes really out her way to make me feel comfortable (really fearful of hospitals / blood tests and just about anything else medical which is great when pregnant ) you don't want an awful midwife tainting your pregnancy

Rumpledfaceskin · 15/01/2018 20:20

I read that my placenta was anterior from my 12 weeks scan notes. But no one actually mentioned it and I didn’t know that it would mean feeling less movement until I googled it. Don’t worry op I was a bag of nerves through whole pregnancy (had a m/c1st time round) so natural but having anterior definitely doesn’t help! It wasn’t until I saw the thing I realised how big and thick it is then it made sense to my exactly why I’d rarely felt a kick!

sausagerollsrock · 15/01/2018 20:24

I’m 21 weeks tomorrow. I’ve got an anterior placenta which was picked up at a private scan at 16 weeks. I’ve had a 20 weeks scan but due to my placenta placement I’m having to go back on 2 weeks as nothing could be seen.
I’ve felt movement I think. Usually in the evenings. I’ve convinced myself it is movement but I can’t be sure. It’s annoying. I wouldn’t be worried by midwife, you will feel something when baby is ready.

PinkAvocado · 15/01/2018 20:26

First pregnancy I didn’t feel anything until around 24 weeks and even then it was tiny. I had an anterior placenta like you and it took longer and more concentration to feel movements than friends who had placentas at the back. You are told to count/monitor movements from 28 weeks and to let midwife know if nothing at all by 24 weeks.

I had a lot of extra monitoring in my first pregnancy as some days he was kicking into the placenta and I’d feel nothing. They never minded me calling and going to hospital to be linked up and said even if I think it’s because of the placenta, to go in.

pacempercutiens · 16/01/2018 10:16

At my 12 week scan my notes said anterior placenta but by 20 weeks I had an upper rear placenta

I felt gas like feelings from 15 weeks (very intermittently) but nothing I could say was definitely movements until about 24 weeks

Ellsiedodah · 16/01/2018 10:55

Update: I was awake in the night (mind on overdrive on non-baby related stuff) and my stomach was gurgling away, the baby was active. I had to get up at 4am to have a bowl of cereal (note: not usual for me!) and suddenly the baby calmed down and stopped moving. So, I have a theory on why the bub was moving so much yesterday afternoon... as it went, after my whooping cough vaccination I had a right ol tum all afternoon which possibly meant I had an empty tummy. So maybe the baby was hungry?

There is a reasonable possibility it was also the coffee I had at lunchtime, though up til now coffee hasn't got the baby moving so I'm not sure about that. The young puffling is also moving again this morning. Since the scans to date have shown a very active baby I guess mine just must be located in a place that I can feel.

Conclusion... eat enough and give up coffee! x

AKP79 · 16/01/2018 10:59

You ladies seem to be the people who may know the answer to my question about anterior placenta. I had this with my son 6 years ago, but can't remember when I was told. Is this something you find out at the 12 week scan?

In terms of movement, like other have said I wouldn't worry until around 24 weeks.

PinkAvocado · 16/01/2018 11:05

They check placenta position at 20 weeks but can do so earlier if you have a scan before then. I don’t think they tend to say for sure at 12 weeks. At 20 it gets written on you notes so that must be when they’re sure.

AKP79 · 16/01/2018 12:50

Thank you. I've had my 12 week scan and nothing was said, but must have been the 20 week when I found out. x

PinkAvocado · 16/01/2018 15:37

Just looked back and it was at 14 and a half that a (private) scan was able to say mine was anterior. But as the uterus wasn’t very big by then, she couldn’t say where exactly it would end up. It’s not that the placenta itself moves around but as the uterus grows it can ‘move’ higher with it depending on where exactly it is attached. So at 20 weeks, they can more definitely say it’s position and how that may affect things. Last time my anterior placenta stayed right across the whole front which was a pain but my SIL’s was much higher and she felt lots of movement!

Original poster

lrb92 · 16/01/2018 19:16

Wow lots of responses ladies thank you! Been having stretching pains, had a horrid pain near my belly button last night when I rolled over and vomited some blood this morning then felt faint at work! My belly button has suddenly started pulling more on one side so not sure if this is where baby is positioned! It's so tight! Anyone else had the same thing? Doctor wasn't concerned just said stretching pains, I have no bleeding or anything. Going to worry myself to death at this rate!

OP posts:

Shanners123 · 16/01/2018 20:00

Another worrier here!
I've anterior placenta too and didn't start to feel movements until after 24 weeks. At 28 weeks now I feel little jabs and kicks along the sides of my belly or deep down in my groin every now and then, but not in any recognisable pattern. I think realistically I won't be able to even attempt counting kicks until the baby is bigger, so probably fron 30weeks plus. I found out my placenta was anterior at the 20 week scan, and there's been nothing said of it since. The midwife at my GP surgery doesn't seem worried in the least but said I could call her anytime I needed to if I was panicking. Tbh I don't think there's a "normal" so dont get stressed out comparing yourself to others or what "should be" happening according to your midwife.
Also Ellsiedodah I have had to get up at 3am or 4am so many times for cereal you wouldn't believe it's a whole new level of hunger!!

PinkAvocado · 16/01/2018 22:01

Never think an anterior placenta is the reason for no movements though. It’s so important to get to know your normal. It won’t be the same amount or intensity as a non anterior normal but as long as you recognise and can monitor what is normal for you then that’s ok.

I was monitored so much for not feeling movements and every time (thankfully) it wasn’t that there were reduced movements it was that I couldn’t feel them but there’s no way of knowing unless they attach you to the trace machine. The midwives at the hospital said to never worry about calling them as they can find out, we cannot.

Hope that is in no way patronising-I just got so stressed in my first pregnancy about the anterior placenta and not getting to feel kicks. It’s anterior again this time but I am focusing on what this baby’s patterns are.

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