Reduced movement confusion

[mistermagpie]

So, I'm 35 weeks, third baby. I'm unwell myself (not sure if this has any impact) and have an anterior placenta. Since Monday the babies movements have reduced significantly in frequency and intensity, I'm still getting 'flickers' of movement but more like what you would feel in early pregnancy and yesterday I hardly had any of those. Overnight I lay for hours (can't sleep!) and waited to feel something but nothing.

So I phoned maternity assessment this morning expecting to be told to come in (which has been the case in previous pregnancies and on an earlier occasion in this one) but the midwife said 'the royal college of midwives guidelines say you should go and lie down for two hours and count the movements and call back'. I explained I'd been doing this overnight with no movement at all and wasn't sure it was worth doing all that again. She said 'well what do you want to do then?' and I said I was hoping she could recommend a course of action, which is why I was phoning, to which she said 'well I've given you the guidelines but it's up to you to interpret them, I can't tell you what to do'. I just felt totally fobbed off so got off the phone.

Surely this isn't right? As a back story I've presented once before with reduced movement and twice for bleeding in the last six weeks, never was I made to feel like I had to decide the best course of action/treatment myself and the midwives and doctors couldn't have been more helpful.

Movement has been slightly more today to be fair but I still feel uneasy and am not sure if I've done the wrong thing by not going in?

Have the movements picked up at all this evening op? I would definitely go and get monitored asap. Hope your little boy is ok too. Stressful day for you

Please go in as soon as you can.
Could a friend stay with your little one?

@mistermagpie how are you?

An update and a big thank you for everyone who nagged me to come in.

So I went in for monitoring, was on the monitor for ages and midwife wasn't happy, she agreed with me that baby was too quiet. Heartrate was fine but baby didn't move once in nearly an hour on the CTG. was sent for a scan this morning. All measurements etc were fine as was fluid and placenta function but the baby did not move once during the scan. Seeing a totally still baby on the screen was not a nice thing at all and the sonographer said it was quite unusual.

So then I was sent for a Doppler scan wug he I've never had before but looked at loads of things in real detail. All looked fine but consultant was not happy with movement so I've been admitted so they can continue monitoring me.

They said if I was further along I'd just be induced now but want me to have a couple of days of steroids before that because I'm only 35 weeks. If the movements improve in the next 24 hours I'll be allowed home with no induction and hand to come back for daily monitoring. If it doesn't improve then I'll be induced.

I'm so so glad I came in. I nearly didn't bother and it has been a very very long 24 hours but it was absolutely the best thing for me to be checked.

Thank you all who shared their sad outcomes with me, you didn't have to but it gave me the push not to take any chances.

I am so so so glad you are in hospital and being looked after.

Look up MAMA Academy they are doing so much work to promote awareness and to reduce preventable stillbirth

So glad you've been seen op, you're in the right place 👍

Ive been following this thread and im so glad you're getting the care you need.

Defo complain about the rude lady when you 1st phoned up

So glad you're getting appropriate care.

I have complained about the first midwife, not sure whether anything will come of it but given the situation I should have been seen much sooner.

Ask to speak to PALS and insist that midwife is forced to read everything on the MAMA Academy website, but her a wellbeing wallet for £2 and ask why she doesn't believe in the advice and guidance written on it....

I’m so pleased that you’re in hospital and being looked after. I have my fingers and toes crossed for you that everything goes smoothly over the next few days.

Thinking of you and hoping your wee baby starts wriggling and leaping around soon. Glad you are being kept in though.

I'm glad you've gone in and they are monitoring everything.

I think it's important to always go in when you have these doubts about movement but I tried ringing and getting 'permission'. They put me off on the phone twice when I was 41+5, I was in slow labour for 3 days and realised that I'd been concentrating on contractions so much but I hadn't felt any movement for over a day, when I insisted I wanted to go in they said well okay but we are full so you will only be able to be seen at the other hospital (not as nice and further away) we went in to the other hospital and my sons heart rate was very low and dropping, at first they said 'oh I think the straps must of moved' and I had to really stand my ground and say no they haven't moved something isn't right, I've been watching his heart drop for 30 minutes! They put the straps on and walk off so they assume the straps move if it's low, very odd and dangerous I had an emcs. He'd poo'ed inside and the cord was wrapped around his neck twice causing the low heart rate.

Hope everything goes well for you, OP and that movements pick up.

It makes me so angry when midwifes roll out incorrect advice. I am so pleased kind posters on mumsnet persuaded you to go in. Fingers crossed baby hangs on in there a wee bit longer, at least until the steroids have time to do their magic.

Gosh realised my post could sound awful. I meant hope baby starts kicking again so they don’t induce before the steroids have time to work.

Another who is so relieved your concerns are now been dealt with properly. One of my DDs twins was stillborn. Reduced movement should never be dismissed and always needs thorough frequent monitoring. I’m so glad you went in and an action plan is in place. Hope everything settles down and goes smoothly. And I’m really glad you reported the first midwife. Her advice is irresponsible and poor practice.

My daughter stopped moving. I’d been in countless times with pains. Only to be told I was anxious mother

My husband begged me to go on when my baby stopped moving. Turns out he saved mine and my child’s life. I had bloods clots all over my body. My brain my spleen my lungs my arms my stomach

If I’d of left it. I would of died. As would my child

Second time I felt really unwell. Was told by a friend who screamed in my face to go hone and chill.....turns out my blood pressure was 240/150

Trust that gut instinct. It is always. Always right. Friend of mine actually brought in count the kicks movement.

It always means something. Always.

God I'm relieved you're in and being checked. Thanks for updating, you've been on my mind all day.

Really shows the importance of getting checked out. I hope you and baby are okay

hope all goes well

Another little update for anyone interested! I'm still in hospital, they've had me on six-hourly CTGs (fun at 3am...) and bar a couple of those they have all been fine. My own heartrate has been very low (in the 50s, which is normal for me outside of pregnancy because I'm quite fit, but low for me in pregnancy) but other than that everything looks ok.

They decided yesterday not to induce, which I am really relieved about - I just don't feel ready and the baby isn't ready, I'm only 35+5 just now. They didn't feel there was enough evidence of a problem to not hold off a bit longer so agreed to wait and see if anything changes. I've had two lots of steroids anyway just in case. I'm really hoping to get home this morning, I'm missing my boys like crazy, there are women in labour on thus ward so I've asked DH not to bring them in, they are only 2 and 4 and women do not need thar kind of chaos going on!

I think the plan is that I can go home but need to come in for daily monitoring for the next while and take it from there. My lovely BIL is a neonatalogy consultant at this hospital (I'm very lucky) so he's been keeping an eye on my too and is confident that me and baby would be fine if induced.

I have been really reassured by how seriously they have taken all this. Unfortunately the steroids make baby a bit sleepier apparently so I'm still not feeling much but the CTGs have been good.

I'll repeat it now til I'm blue in the face - if ever anyone is unsure about movement, and even if a midwife seems to fob you off, go in and insist on being checked. I feel like I'm wasting resources or something here now to be honest, but nobody here has made me feel like I'm anywhere other than where I need to be.

Good luck with the rest of the pregnancy.

Glad you're headed home soon. Good luck with the rest of the pregnancy.

So so pleased you are doing ok and the hospital are keeping a regular and close eye on you both. My DD was born at 36 weeks and her DD at 32 weeks. DGD was very small but strong at 32 and came home after a few weeks of being kept warm and on a feeding tube for the first week. Even if you were induced in the near future I’m sure your BIL is right that baby would do well. It must be very reassuring having him there. I hope that all goes smoothly for you from now on.