Reduced movements - long sorry

[GKite]

Hi all, new here.
I'm 33w & 6d pregnant with my third. Since Thursday I've had reduced movement, to the point I can count on one hand how many movements I've felt.
I got checked over on Friday, booked in for an emergency growth scan which showed everything was fine (cord/placenta working beautifully the lady said, lots of fluid around baby, baby swallowing and doing lots of deep breaths in) and was checked over (by this I mean put on those monitors) again yesterday (Mon) which showed baby heart rate fine but a very sleepy baby - was on monitor from 12.15 to 2.30 and had 7 movements. In that time I started contracting so was given steriod injection as precaution but I'm so worried about not feeling anything, even now the last movement I remember feeling was about 5ish. I've tried laying on my side, going for a walk, having cold drinks and ice poles, eating something sweet, eating anything, rubbing my belly, talking to belly, poking belly. Do I just now suddenly have a sleepy baby? Is this at all normal? I'm back to hospital tomorrow for another monitoring & steriod injection but I've never experienced this before, has anybody?
V stressed

Just checking in to see how you're doing

You okay OP?

Hope everything is ok OP. I keep checking for updates hoping they have given you a section and you and baby are all safe

How are things

Hello all, I'm so sorry for not replying sooner. I am unfortunately still pregnant.
Had another growth scan on Friday just gone, babies growth hasn't gone up as much as they'd have expected.
Went for another monitoring today and hate rate for 15 minutes was constantly 170-190 yet discharged back home

Great to hear from you @GKite! I keep checking in several times a day.

How many weeks are you now? Surely it's better to be safe and to get baby out?
I'm assuming they know more what they're doing than we do though

36&5, 15 days until my c section. I can't understand why they are so hesitant, especially after agreeing the weight has dropped and it was the consultant who said that!

Oh goodness. Been thinking of you. My baby’s growth slowed but they wanted two growth scans (so four weeks apart) and then when it was clear she wasn’t growing, they induced her and she was born at 37 weeks. They took lots of precautions during the 4 weeks. Scans of the placenta and daily monitoring. What plan have they put in place?
Really feel for you as I can well remember the anxiety.

Could you push at the 37 week mark to go in then.. Technical at 37 weeks you are full term.. Express how anxious you are about babys wellbeing and as you are now full term you want an elective c section.. Don't know if it will work but could be worth a shot!!
You are doing so well, keep checking to see how things are

I've got another scan just to check fluid levels and ctg monitoring on Wednesday, I'll be 37 weeks then. No other appointments have been made
Was supposed to see the consultant 5 days before c section but only found out today that the appointment was cancelled 🤷

I was supposed to have 3x a week monitoring but they said that was too much and 2x was fine so only got today and Wednesday
Last week was Tues and Thursday.
I want my baby out, but I'm scared of there being a bigger problem and baby needing scbu for example. I barely have child care for a 10 minute midwife appointment let alone have enough in place that my partner could visit etc. Everything is one big stress but it's now been over two weeks and movement is still the same, if anything it's decreasing. This weekend I got 6 movements, I'm back to 2. With no movement when on the monitor.
I've tried cold drinks, hot drinks, cold flannel, cold shower, talking to my belly, playing music, shining a light on my belly, laying on my left side, laying on my right, an orgasm sorry tmi, tried spicy food, tried poking my belly, tried just doing nothing, tried doing lots and baby doesn't react a jot to these things.
I don't know what's for the best anymore, so much for mothers instinct

Oh OP I’m so sorry you’re not being listened to. This is v similar to how I lost my son. Repeated episodes of reduced movements that the hospital kept ignoring. A subsequent investigation found they had dropped the ball on noting it was repeated episodes - so the consultant who sent me home the night before my son died didn’t know I’d been in 3x that week for reduced movements because the midwife didn’t tell him. It is possible that you’re just not feeling the movements because of the baby’s position changing etc but I would keep going back to the hospital every day that you don’t feel movements and insisting they address the issue.

I haven't read your entire thread, but I just wanted to share my experience. I had my baby last Thursday at 40+3 after being induced for 6 episodes of reduced movements, 3 during the last week before I had her.
Each time I went in they couldn't find anything wrong with her, the monitors always said she was fine but I just felt her movement was so up and down so they decided to induce.
Whilst I was in labour I ended up being checked by various different doctors and midwives as her heart rate was so up and down, and she even managed to hide from the monitor at one point and the midwife couldn't believe it!
She is perfectly healthy, and they couldn't find a reason as to why she was like it, she just was!
I would maybe speak to them about the options for induction (if you haven't done so already, and if that's something you would want) and Just see if you can put a plan in place, there is nothing worse than worrying constantly!

I wish you all the best x

Thank you for sharing your experience, I can't be induced though so it has to be a section which is why I think they are less reluctant to do it.
@bisquick I have had some pretty horrifying dreams about baby coming out not breathing and all the midwifes just repeating "but the trace was fine" it's got to a point now where I don't even sleep at night because I can't handle the dreams, it's constant. I even broke down and told a midwife this and she went away and said to another midwife "I think she's hearing things tutted then said typical young mum"
It made me cry even more. I've spoken up as much as I can, even begged the consultant to consider doing section earlier but it wasn't my actual consultant so she didn't want to disrupt the "plan" and just said you'll get reviewed Wednesday. I repeated these exact words to the midwife today but she didn't really know what I was talking about 😐
Feeling very weak and pissed off tbh

It's probably not a priority for you right now, but at some point I'd make a formal complain about that comment by the midwife. You can contact PALS at the hospital and complain through them.

Just to also add, my son was very small for gestational age (5th centile) so that obviously is a massive complicating factor. Hopefully your baby is well above that. The RCOG guidelines suggest that in cases of recurrent reduced movement where Fetal liquor and heartbeat CtG are all fine it’s up to the consultant to decide on an early induction (or section in your case). It looks here like your only option is to keep presenting at the hospital each day you feel movements are reduced and just grow a very thick skin to them acting like you’re being a nuisance. Trust me, I’ve seen all the midwives who were super condescending to me initially suddenly leave en masse and never show their faces again when things go catastrophically wrong. So don’t mind what they say - they are trained yes, but they do regularly miss very important cues and a mother’s instinct is valuable. Not meaning to scare you obviously but stay firm for your baby and keep going in (as difficult as that is).

Oh my word, my heart absolutely goes out to you. I want to bloody come and shout at the medical team and tell them to listen to you!!!!!
You're practically 37 weeks. Why would they not want to get the baby out and safe???
Kick up a fuss constantly. Who cares if they think you're making a fuss? It's not their precious baby

I've just read the full thread with my heart in my mouth this sounds so stressful for you, OP. I'm shocked at how you've been treated and that you're still pregnant today. When this is all over (and you have a healthy babe in arms) you need to make a formal complaint. The lack of communication is a massive factor in how stressful this has been for you, if they genuinely have no reason to be concerned then they need to explain why that is to you and answer all your questions to reassure you. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you and your baby.

I know that things are very difficult but this really sounds like someone needs to step into the breach for you. Could you see your GP? Are they useful? Someone needs to communicate to them all that you are going through. Or try and get hold of the team leader of the community midwives or something.
Write down everything you want to say (as I know it can be really hard to keep track when you are emotional). You need support, you need someone to listen to you and the hospital just aren't doing that.
I'm so sorry that it is like this for you.
Don't worry about all the other stuff scbu etc, the thing is that you don't know how you will sort that until you have to, so don't borrow anxiety if you know what I mean. Try to stay focussed on your current situation.

@miami81 "don't borrow anxiety" best line ever, it's exactly what I've been doing.
I don't know if the GP would be any use, I only moved a few month ago and haven't actually met the gp.
@firsttime the reason they say baby is happy is because of the heart tracing, that's all they are going on. But even my partner is now realising that the tracing doesn't mean that there isn't another problem.
In the scans baby doesn't move, she even shook my belly and nothing.
I will write things down that's definitely better for me, I tend to loose my voice when there's 5 senior Dr's standing around discussing you. And they always seem to pop up at a time that my partner isn't there!!

@GKite maybe try to ring the gp for a telephone appointment just so you can sound them out on whether they can help at all. Also totally get dp involved in chasing some of this up for you. You can't carry all this stress alone.

What about speaking to the head midwife of where you go for monitioring?
Its utterly disgusting that youve been left like this op

My partner hasn't come to any of these appointments as we simply don't have the childcare, if he could be there I know he'd insist on my behalf which would make me more confident.
I've already been seen by senior midwifes but they say it's up to my consultant to bring c section forward but can't seem to get an appointment with her x

I think your partner definitely needs to go with you now. You need someone speaking up for you. Good luck

Op, ring the hospital and asked to be put through to the superviser/director of midwives. Explain your situation and ask to see her. Take your husband with you and all your children, don't stress about childcare, take them with activities and food and drink. She should listen to you and be your advocate and help you move forward with this difficult situation. I wish you all the best.