Reduced Fetal Movement - advice please

[Confused1010]

Since Friday I have had reduced fetal movement - I went in on Friday am, where they monitored the baby for approx an hour and then booked me in for daily monitoring until a growth scan on Thursday.
I went back in on Friday evening as I still wasn’t happy with the movement, and was monitored twice over a 4 hour period before going home over.

I’m not sure what to expect or be asking but yesterday I was monitored until the machine went green and that was that. I tried explaining that I was concerned about the movements, despite the ctg being ok, and the midwife just said well the machine is happy, you’ve felt it move once and some women don’t even get that … I presume to reassure me.

Has anyone got any advice? It just seems pointless as I’m saying the movements are reduced, doesn’t feel normal etc but they’re saying the ctg machine is happy with its heart beat and to wait for the scan. Thursday feels like a long way away to wait for any kind of answers/a plan.

Just as a side point - straightforward pregnancy, had one incident of reduced movement at 29 weeks, now 33 weeks. No other risk factors and I’m not overly anxious about the pregnancy generally, however just going with my instinct on this.

I would keep on going back for monitoring. Trust your instincts and dont be fobbed off.

@endofthelinefinally

I would keep on going back for monitoring. Trust your instincts and dont be fobbed off.

Thank you - I don’t want to feel like I’m over reacting or be seen to make a fuss out of nothing but I’m just struggling to feel like they’re really listening to me, and not just relying on a machine? I’m back in today and will keep attending until Thursday anyway, I just had hoped that rather than say the ctg is fine, I’d have a bit more discussion about my concerns… or something!

Don't give up.

I had this and was sent home. They scanned baby and said reduced movement showed to be by 50% but no explainable reason why. I went back every day and then they induced me by breaking the waters, then out gushed loads of meconium. Then they look it very seriously, monitoring baby immediately and sticking me in a drip to speed up labour.

It's really bad of them not to do more, so you're going to have to be pushy. I'm really sorry for anyone who has to fight like this because you're vulnerable when you're about to give birth, but if nobody else is going to do it (like they should), then it's down to you.

What you're NOT being, is 'precious'. This is your baby's life. Are you in a position to gather the medical literature about this to quote to them? I don't know what else to suggest, but it's a real no-no to ignore these things, so well done you for not being prepared to do that.

100% kick up a fuss to be heard if you have to. You are entitled to a second opinion and I'd be asking to see a doctor instead of a midwife. I hope everything works out 💐💐

Having said all that, I was overdue. I’ve just re-read and it looks like you're 33 weeks? I wonder if that could be different maybe, because im not an expert but I’ve heard things can make baby 'disappear' from felt movement, like their position, the weight of Mum, the age of baby, that sort of thing. 33 weeks could be still to small or something? I honestly don't know. But I wonder if they could scan for foetal movement rather than just monitor sound? Again, I don't know if baby had to be bigger for it to pick up on the scan or not. The literature would tell you what gestation you need to get serious about with lack of movement. I'm sorry I don't know that detail.
Good luck to you and your baby. You certainly don't need this stress!

Did they check anything else whilst you were there - eg urine? I went in for monitoring at 32 weeks because of reduced movement and discovered I'd got undiagnosed gestational diabetes, which they only picked up thru checking urine. DD's heartbeat was fine but she'd been growing big which had started to reduce the amount of moving around she could do. If you're worried about reduced movement then always go in - www.kickscount.org.uk/Pages/Category/why-movement-matters

www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/your-babys-movements/

Over 28 weeks remains the same throughout, so being 33 weeks makes no difference to full term

Thanks everyone for your responses -

Urine sample on Friday came back as potentially having an infection (4th time that’s happened). I have no symptoms so they will send it off for testing. Previously nothing has come of that, but it does seem odd to keep getting infection indicators?

I’ve found the RCOG literature, but it says a scan should be performed ideally within 24 hours if a second incidence of reduced movement, but if not available then daily ctg monitoring. And then once a scan has been performed then to just continue to monitor..?

I have felt a shift in the movement from maybe 30 weeks onwards, but this is just… different? It’s so minimal over the course of a day and that’s what worries me - it used to be much more frequent.

I went in for reduced movements a few times in my early 30 weeks. I had UTI each time and the baby had positioned her head snuggly under my ribs and was moving but I couldn’t feel it due to position. Apparently there is still a lot of time for them to move into different positions that we don’t always feel.

Saying that, my first was induced at 37+5 due to reduced movement and turns out she as in 3rd % (wasn’t offered any scans after 20weeka as it was my first). So I’ve had more scans this time which has been reassuring.

I would just keep going back if you have reduced movements, don’t feel like you’re being a burden!! Xxx

@Mncrmum

I went in for reduced movements a few times in my early 30 weeks. I had UTI each time and the baby had positioned her head snuggly under my ribs and was moving but I couldn’t feel it due to position. Apparently there is still a lot of time for them to move into different positions that we don’t always feel.

Saying that, my first was induced at 37+5 due to reduced movement and turns out she as in 3rd % (wasn’t offered any scans after 20weeka as it was my first). So I’ve had more scans this time which has been reassuring.

I would just keep going back if you have reduced movements, don’t feel like you’re being a burden!! Xxx

I did ask on Friday if potentially the position of the baby just means I can’t feel it moving, but the midwife didn’t really give me a yes or a no - I suppose as they wouldn’t want me to rely on that being the reason and then not go in (which is fine - understandable from their point of view!). I just feel a bit hopeless waiting until Thursday and yesterday the midwife made me feel a bit shit, like unless you have no movement then there’s no need to worry?

Are you feeling less movements or no movements at all? I have been to DAU and triage 9 times for reduce movements.