Baby movements - 18 weeks

[ejmay90]

Hi all,

I've been having popping/flutter sensations near enough every day for the past week/week and a half. I haven't felt anything today and i know it's not full on kicks as seems a little early.

I know it's early for my boy to be in a pattern but is it normal for the pops/flutters to start and stop daily?

When do you usually start to notice a pattern?

Previous miscarriage has made me a little anxious about everything! :(

Mine started like this and I didn't feel them every day. Now I feel them daily at nearly 22 weeks but still irregular times no set pattern yet.

It can be really on an off at the stage you're at. I had the same at that point. I called the midwives anyway and they said there won't be a pattern for a few weeks yet. At least 24 weeks I think they said. 28 weeks is the definite, by which point you definitely need to take note of the pattern and if it changes you need to ring them immediately. I wouldn't worry about it too much now. But always call them for reassurance, it helps !

Just to add, I had my first noticeable ' that's the baby ' sensation at 19 weeks and would then feel something every other day or so for a the next couple of weeks. It then went to ' feeling something ' ( at around 24 - 25 weeks )every day to then feeling something morning noon and night from around 27 weeks I started noting it down and now it's every 2-3 hours I feel something.

Mine started sporadically at 18 weeks, which was lovely after 10 weeks of hyperemisis!!
I used to say it was like having lemonade in my veins.

I could go a whole day without feeling anything until 23ish weeks. I'm now nearly 29 weeks and although I know when shes going to be active I still dont have a definitive pattern as she seems to be on the move constantly. I know she is busy In the morning very early, and at lunch time and after 8pm, but I havent been able to narrow it down to a smaller time scale yet, her active phases seem so spread over a few hours which then feel like they just merge into one! My placenta is anterior though, it masks a lot which is frustrating

I didn't feel much at all until 21 weeks now Im 23 plus 2 feel him every day

Thanks ladies has definitely reassured me its normal for it not to be every day at this stage :)
I have the midwife on friday so will talk to her about it then.

Pregnancy is one big worry it gets slightly easier psst the 20 week point well it did for me but that worry never fully leaves. I'm sure everything's fine and anterior placentors don't help

Thanks @Jesskir89 after a miscarriage I'm so much more anxious about anything and everything!
Luckily I dont have an anterior placenta otherwise I would be even more of a worrier if I couldn't feel moments!

Hi @ejmay90 . I'm 18 weeks too with my 4th baby. I felt some flutters so far but not every day. But I'm not surprised, with my first started feel movements at 18 weeks, my second at 13, my third after 20 weeks. So it all depends. So far I know I have an anterior placenta with this pregnancy( from 16 weeks scan), didn't with the others.

I'm assuming it will all start to be more regular soon.

@R2D2abc just panics me somethings not right but I know im being silly as definitely to early for a pattern. Hope so, thanks :)

You're not alone in panicking! I was getting vague pops etc from about 17 weeks then nothing at all for four days at 18 weeks which sent me into a panic so booked a private scan. As soon as I'd booked it I started getting strong frequent kicks and have for the last week now. We have a history of infertility and miscarriage and I get so worried 😟
Hopefully we both get a pattern of nice strong kicks from now on x

Please don't worry, that is completely normal. We had fertility issues and multiple miscarriages so I understand your concern 100%. I started feeling this baby at around 16-17 weeks but those were just small pops that I wasn't even sure to be real things. Until 23-24w they'd be on and off. Twice there was a period of 1-2 days where I didn't feel much or anything and I freaked out only to feel the baby the next day. From 23-24w I felt her frequently and by 30w we had a pattern.

@janey15 It's awful isn't it!
I just get so worried and can't seem to stop :(
I had a few early scans due to previous miscarriage but can't keep having them as i'll go insane lol!
I have the midwife on friday so she will listen to the heartbeat again and then i have my 20 week scan 2 weeks on monday!
Hoping he starts to wriggle more soon and we both get into a pattern! x

@Aneley Thank you, it's so hard not to worry but i'm trying.
I think because i had lots of pops/flutters over the past week, not feeling any is worrying. I know there won't be a pattern for a while but thought i had a wriggler as at every scan he was on the move constantly!

@ejmay90 when I asked about it my midwife (and then a doctor I went to see privately) they explained that babies are on the constant move at that stage - what changes is our ability to feel them. It depends on where your placenta is but also how is baby positioned when it kicks. For example, women who have anterior placenta feel weaker movements or feel them much later. I didn't have an anterior placenta so I was worried about these intermittent movements. The way they explained was that baby sometimes turn to face your spine and kicks inwards (and since it is very small still - in that position it rarely reaches uterine muscles with its hands) which makes it more difficult or impossible to feel. Just as they said, when baby turned again - I was able to feel the movements without a problem even after 2-3 days with barely any registered. Hang in there!

@aneley Ohh really that's interesting. I don't have an anterior placenta so should be ok feeling them, as i have been feeling them quite regular but what you said does make sense. Hoping he rolls over and starts to kick outwards soon lol!

Thank you :)

I am also 18 weeks, Haven't felt any movement yet

@caspianberg Do you have an anterior placenta? I have read you don't always feel movements this early on, especially if it's your first pregnancy.
I'm only worrying as i've felt movement and then he's stopped for a while.

I totally understand how your feeling, due to a previous miscarriage I also analysed every little detail at the beginning.

Your baby is still very small and sometimes it's hard to feel every movement. Some days I never felt a thing until I lay down at night and even that was just little flutters.

Drink a fizzy drink or cold water and a sugary snack and lie on your left side for about half an hour & you should feel your baby wriggling.

Good luck ❤️

@ejmay90 - not as far as i know. Just haven't felt anything yet. My consultant a few weeks back said movement is usually 17-24 weeks, so i hadn't really thought about it yet.

Also, I am currently 39 weeks & my baby still has no pattern! I just found that when I'm on the go he's less likely to move or kick, when you settle down & concentrate on the movement you will feel them x

@xxxbabyno1 It's terrible, i just want to properly enjoy it and i feel happier now i've felt him move but now he's stopped a bit i'm having a panic. I'm sure he's fine just hard to not worry.

Does the drink and lying on your side still work this early on?

Thank you :)

@ejmay90

Yes, the feeling of the cold drink or the sugar rush will encourage the baby to move around, as your earlier on just make sure you lie down & concentrate on feeling him. It will defo put your mind at rest.

I ended up down at the hospital with reduced movements at the start of my pregnancy, around 16 weeks, I hadn't felt him in a couple of days & the second I sat my bum on the seat in the waiting room he started doing back flips 😂
They like to make us worry!

Good luck! 💙

My baby reacts when I eat an orange or clementine and drink cold water. Funny, but she doesn't when I just drink cold orange juice. She also gets more active if I lie on my back or right side then on the left, even if everyone claims that's where babies are most active. So doesn't hurt to try. When I'm really desperate to get her moving, I take a piece of chocolate with cold water. :)