Kicks Count Advice

[Babyno2mamabear]

I'm currently 17+3 and for the last week I've been feeling movements, mainly I can feel where she is and if I prod or poke her gently she will move and other times I get definite small kicks to my sides. I get this 3ish times a day where it's really noticeable. This is my second baby and my second anterior placenta. With my son I felt him at 19 weeks and at 20 weeks he stopped, I didn't hesitate in calling the midwife, luckily all was fine but she made me feel so stupid going in so early especially with anterior placenta. Now, this is day 2 of feeling nothing...but I did think yesterday maybe I was too busy to notice as was out 8am-10pm. Today I've been at home and felt nothing. What do you advise I do? I know I'm still early to feel movement and I'm not even sure what the midwives could do because if something is wrong....it's too early to do anything anyway. Sorry for posting, my husband who is normally my voice of reason is away with work and uncontactable this evening. Many thanks x

I’d call the maternity assessment unit and then go in to get checked by them.

@Riskit4biscuit our out of hours assessment unit doesn't see anyone prior to 20 weeks so it would be A&E and then wait to be seen then if they decide a referral to maternity they will...i really feel like id be a time waster in a and e with such early dates. Would you still head in? Or wait to call midwife tomorrow? She isn't based at the hospital, they're at a midwife unit near me x

Do you not have some contact numbers in your maternity notes from your midwife?
In my notes, there’s a phone number to call if worried and not in labour, and my midwife noted that it could be used after 16 weeks.
I don’t know what your notes look like, but there is an Information tab in mine with those details. Same phone number is listed on a page regarding monitoring movements and what to do in case of reduced movements.

I wouldn’t want to wait if I was worried.

At 17 weeks it’s really easy for the baby to move a place you can’t feel. Advice on kick counting doesn’t kick in until around 24 weeks (this I think may also be due to the fact there isn’t much they can do before this time) why don’t you call your GP tomorrow and they might listen in with the Doppler to put your mind at ease? :)

Thanks everyone, unfortunatlely our midwifery team has joined 4 others so now they only do urgent care over 20 weeks, otherwise it's via A&E. I felt one kick last night and it was a very strong one. Phoned midwife this morning and she thinks baby has moved to the back a bit as my bump is now very soft not quite as hard, she said I could go in if I wanted to listen to the Doppler but it's still early days. Going to go in this evening if things don't pick up again. Thanks for your messages xx

The counting kicks/monitoring movement advice is usually from 24 weeks-ish onwards as this is when baby's tend to display some sort of pattern and movement should be strong enough to be felt regularly. Also, a lot of women don't feel movements until between 18-22 weeks (not that it's not happening they just can't feel it). Prior to that, the small side of the baby can make the kicks harder to feel and they have more room to move around and kick where you might not necessarily feel. That's likely why the out of hours starts at 20 weeks.

That being said, of course always go in and out your mind at rest if you're worried but at this stage, as long as you are feeling baby now and again and it's becoming more regular as you go along, everything should be fine. I hope the midwives can put your mind at rest and your little one is healthy