Extreme anxiety over baby movements

[Riddles33]

Hi all,
I'm currently 34 weeks and keep having awful moments where I realise I haven't felt the baby move and then work myself up into a terrible panic and anxiety attack. It's worse at night, I'll wake up to go the toilet and then realise I haven't felt baby move and get myself all worked up, so then I can't get back to sleep. There is no regular pattern to baby's movements, but it usually responds to some poking and prodding, but when it doesn't move back straight away I start to think the worst has happened and my mind starts racing. I know I can go in to maternity unit whenever I have any concerns, and I have been in already once this week, but with other children at home it's not easy to drop and go!
Just wondered how many others had been in a similar situation? and if there's anything that can be done? I'm not due for another 6 weeks yet, potentially 8 and I don't think I keep living like this for all that time!
Thanks.

I’m only 25 w and my midwife said regardless how many times you’ve been . Get baby checked, it saves you the stress . I know how horrible it is worrying . It’s the best thing to do

I second the previous poster however try and have a routine you can work through when you haven’t felt movements.
Ice cold drink, lie on your left side. I used a baby kicks app because often it showed me that there had been more movements than I thought when I was just loosely paying attention in my head.
But if you’re concerned always phone up and go in. I was in and out quite a bit in the weeks before my baby was born, the midwives were always absolutely lovely about it and happy to reassure.

A lot of women experience tremendous anxiety during pregnancy in general, and especially around movement. Are you generally an anxious person? Because this does not sound like a case of actual reduced movement, but of a mind in overdrive. Going to the unit every time you feel anxious isn't actually going to help you, because it sounds like you will feel the same way as soon as you have left again.

Have you spoken to anyone about your anxiety? Have you considered CBT for example? I am not saying don't attend the unit if you have genuine concerns (I'm assuming you know that if you are worried about movement you should focus on it for 2 hours and feel 10 movements in 2 hours) - but it doesn't really sound like that is what is going on here.

I share your anxiety! I am 38+4 and have been in twice so far, thankfully all has been well both times. As the PP has said always go in if you’re unsure. The midwives do drum it into you and when I’ve been in they have always been lovely and reassured me that I’m not being a nuisance.

However, I totally get what you’re saying. My two trips were close together and I started to think to myself I’d be there every other day. My baby still doesn’t really have a pattern to be honest and it’s hard. There have been a few occasions since my last triage attendance where I’ve nearly gone in again but then it’s started booting me! (Thank god).

I think part of the problem for me is that I was very busy at work pre mat leave. Sometimes I didn’t even have chance to give movements a second thought until I got home from work and then I’d be worrying if I’d felt it enough. I started to make a note in my phone of every time I felt movement. I know some people will say that this is obsessive and will fuel your anxiety but it really helped me to see it in black and white. I soon realised I was actually feeling baby a lot more than I was paying attention to. I started maternity leave at 35 weeks and feel since I’ve been able to slow down my anxiety has eased and I’m a bit more in tune now.

I also found that part of the problem for me was around my trips to triage the movements changed in nature. As I’ve progressed baby’s movements have gone from kicks to more roll/wriggle type movements with the odd kick. That took me a while to get my head round - I’d say to my husband it’s not kicked me properly, panic and go in.

It is really hard and I genuinely think that I’ll be anxious until the baby is in my arms!

I know exactly what you mean op, been like this ever since I have started to feel movements and now even though 36 weeks it's not getting better.
Anxiety is through the roof at night as baby is very quiet at night (hope it stays same after birth) and although I know it's always like this I can't stop myself from thinking the worst.

Like others have said, if in doubt go get checked out, does not matter how many times you go, they are more than happy to monitor you and baby and make sure you are both fine.

I used to think my baby did not have a pattern but then started using the Kicks Count app and noticed that there is usually a pattern through the day as I can see for the last few weeks I have
on average 7.5 sessions per day. So now I kind of know what to expect on a daily basis but I would still go get checked if something doesn't fell right.

All the best :)