Anxiety over baby movements

[wondering7777]

I started feeling my baby move at 16+4 and have felt sporadic movements, bit like air bubbles, ever since (I’m now 21 weeks). However, waiting for movements each day is making me feel really anxious - I’m constantly worrying if I haven’t felt anything for a while and the movements are at such irregular intervals that it’s a bit unnerving. There doesn’t seem to be any pattern to them at all.

I preferred the earlier stage of pregnancy when you weren’t expected to feel any movements, because now I’m constantly waiting for and obsessing over them and worrying about it.

Does anyone else feel the same?

There will be no pattern until 28 weeks but will start to get a bit of a pattern from about 24 weeks as long as your still feeling movement and there just as strong as normal then it is all good your baby will start to get a pattern o or next few weeks your still very early especially if this Is your first xx

Yes pretty much everyone feels the same unfortunately. I don't think I started to relax until 30 weeks when it was almost constant. But then I started getting anxious about the birth

Yeah, I was (am) the same. It’s an awful anxious feeling. Maybe try and take 10-15 mins every day (or more frequently, if you have the time) to settle down, relax & concentrate on the movements?

Thanks. Yes, this is my first.

I feel like I only just got over the worry of making it to the 12 week scan, and now there’s a whole new thing to worry about! Good to hear that I shouldn’t expect an established pattern at this stage though.

Personally I have found it to be a constant worry! From worrying over the 12 weeks scan, to then the 20 week scan. To then worrying daily about the movements! I’m nearly 35 and can’t wait to give birth to see him/her... and then I’m sure I’ll worry every day over new things!

Prior to pregnancy I was never an anxious person so have no advice but just to reassure you I think it’s quite normal!

Have you had your 20 week scan yet? I felt the same this time round, had some movement very early but then I was working a lot and didnt feel much, just the occasional movements. I said to midwife at 18 weeks and she thought I might have an anterior placenta, she also checked his heart rate to reassure me. It turned out to be an anterior placenta at 20 week scan and you dont feel a lot of those little first movements if the baby is tucked behind the placenta. They tend to be at the side or very low if you do.

Yes, I’ve had my scan and don’t have an anterior placenta. I have an app to monitor the number of daily movements but am wondering if that will just make me more stressed!

The apps are only really meant after the pattern is established so 28 weeks really 24 weeks at earliest so I would hold off using if your going to use it xc

I felt a bit like this, I think I found 18-24 weeks the hardest. I often had days where I felt little to no movement, especially when busy at work. I talked to the midwife and she reassured me about it at that point. What I would say is that although you might feel like you are getting quite a bit of movement now, it will get lots more (assuming you don't have placenta in front). By 30 weeks, where I am now, it's impossible not to notice movement on and off throughout the day, big movements as well, like it feels the baby is pushing its whole body against the outside of my stomach or I can see knees/elbows poking. If I put my hands on my stomach, I can feel the babies body and feel it move

Sorry, didn't quite finish that! What I was wanting to say is that at 21 weeks the baby is still quite small and has limited strength so you only feel the odd thing. It will get much stronger and hopefully then you won't feel as anxious.

Thanks so much for the reassurance! x

I’m the same. This is my 3rd baby but it’s been 11 years since my last. I’m 18+2 and been feeling movement for nearly 2 weeks. Some days it’s lots and other days much less, which makes me terribly anxious. I keep trying to hold on to the fact that I have another 10 weeks before there should be any regularity to the movements so it’s really early days.
You just get so attached, don’t you, and want desperately for everything to be ok?

Not sure if this will make you feel better but I am exactly the same, 36 weeks today and i've got to the point where i'm convincing myself that baby hasn't moved in x amount of hours, even though i know rationally that the baby has been moving. If you are genuinely concerned go and get checked out, I went to the MAU at 22 weeks and although I was less than 24 weeks and a pattern of movement wasn't expected the midwives were amazing and monitored the heartbeat with a doppler.