Reduced Movements - General Advice

[MagicalCreatures]

So I’m 25 weeks with my first baby and yesterday my midwife mentioned to start taking note of his movements.
I’ve read loads of threads on this board from people worried about reduced movements but I still have no idea what I’m really meant to be watching out for.
Maybe some experienced people can share there knowledge on this.
Hopefully it will help some other ‘inexperienced’ people like myself too.

How long is it you should wait (without feeling anything) before you call triage?

What classes as reduced movements?
When there’s no kicks?
Less kicks?
Change of pattern?

Do they still recommend to drink a glass of cold water if you’ve not felt anything for a while, to get baby moving?

Is it normal for movements to change and feel different as baby gets bigger?

How long is it you should wait (without feeling anything) before you call triage? if you’re worried call

What classes as reduced movements?
When there’s no kicks? yes
Less kicks? yes
Change of pattern? yes

Do they still recommend to drink a glass of cold water if you’ve not felt anything for a while, to get baby moving? if you’ve been busy and may have missed movements then lying down and focussing can help reassure you, if you’re not reassured then call

Is it normal for movements to change and feel different as baby gets bigger? it shouldn’t suddenly feel totally different. If you’re worried call!

Essentially the advice is whenever you are worried then call. The midwife would rather hook you up to the ctg for 30 mins then tell you your baby has died.

DD was born via emergency c section at 34 weeks for a variety of reasons... these were picked up due to reporting reduced movements. The consultant even said if we hadn’t have reported it he isn’t entirely sure we would’ve taken a baby home. DD is now a happy, healthy (all be it small) 4 month old. If in doubt, report it!

Reduced, increased... Any change from the normal really. Always worth getting checked out. Always.

Take a look at Kicks Count website - this will help you

You can get a chart online, but essentially you count 10 movements / kicks and note what time of day you reach that. This helps you discover your babies pattern. You are looking for a change in this pattern or anything unusual.

I've posted my story a few times, so won't repeat. Suffice to say, counting kicks saved my daughter's life.

The advice is anything that feels different. Can be less movement/kicks/rolls or increased movement.

Some babies are really active at night and quiet during the day. If this pattern changes, call.

The idea that babies run out of room is totally wrong.

To lie on your side and drink a cold can of Coke is to focus your mind on the movements. And the cold can make them move.

If in doubt call.

Never use a home dopplar to check the heartbeat. Always phone midwife and get checked.

Even if it's the next day. Get checked again.

Thanks so much everyone. Already some great tips.
I’m so worried I won’t notice the change though.
At the moment baby has already gone from being really active straight after dinner at between 7-9pm to being more active between 9-11pm but I barely feel anything throughout the day. He wakes up to my alarm though each morning which is funny.

Is there an app I can use to count kicks etc?

You shouldn't 'count kicks' that makes it worse just monitor movements always think when your busy have I felt him/her move? if you don't know lay day have a cold glass of juice and wait, my DD had me go in 2 times with reduced movements and every time I'd wait and wait and as soon as they put the monitor on she would have a party lol xx

I found it really hard to get my head around this (and still do!). As PP have said always ring if you're worried. I found that sometimes he would roll/kick at different times and places but still be active. Also found that a large meal (e.g. a carvery) sends him into hibernation mode (cue our first visit for RM!)

I find it helpful on busy days to physically write down when he moves as sometimes you might just miss it and then be worrying later.

@magicalcreatures I have the “kicks count” app. It was free and you count movements rather than individual kicks.

So any time baby starts to move, you tap the feet on the app and it records it. You can then see whether there’s any kind of pattern based on the times you have recorded movement.

I know, for example, that he’s going to move between 10-15 times a day.

Hope this helps x

@Stephisaur thanks Hun. I’ve downloaded the app so I’ll see how I get on with it.
Funnily enough, baby has been moving a lot the last couple of days and it’s quite consistent. Like every 2 hours he’s having a good move around then he goes Quiet for abit again. It’s making me abit more confident though about noticing if something could be wrong x