When do they scan for reduced movements?

[Nc4post99]

I just went in for reduced movements, hadn’t felt anything for like 24 hrs. They did the doppler, heard heartbeat and they sent me on my way. I’m 25 weeks. I thought after 24 they scan you but they said no? My previous baby was small potential iugr so I’m extra cautious for placental dysfunction xx

I've only been scanned for reduced movements once and have had it multiple times in both my pregnancies, I don't think it's standard practice to scan. They normally put you on the tracer thing (no idea what it's actually called) for half an hour and have you press a button every time you feel a movement. Movements were being picked up on the tracer with my 2nd DS but I wasn't feeling them which was why they sent me for a scan. Tommy's suggests they do the tracing thing after 28 weeks, just a full check up including listening to heartbeat before then www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/pregnancy-symptom-checker/baby-fetal-movements

I never actually went in for my first, she was super active but this make sense, I’d probably just assumed/ heard it somewhere they did. Thank you! Very reassuring xx

It's usually 28 weeks onwards i was told as before that still not easy to establish a pattern

At my hospital it was after 4 episodes of reduced movement. I ended up being scanned twice because I was in and out so much. I couldn't feel her at all. Second baby much more movement.

When I phoned about reduced movements at 26 weeks I was told to go in but all they did was listen in on the Doppler. I was told they don’t even put you on the monitor until after 28 weeks as that’s when the movement pattern should be more regular.

I went in again at 32 weeks with reduced movements and they put the monitor on me for 30 minutes to do the NST (non stress test). After that all came out ok I was sent home.

In my trust they scan you after 2 episodes of reduced movements in a row after 28 weeks. I had several growth scans with my son as I had an anterior placenta and didn’t feel him much x

Where I work we will scan you after the first episode of reduced fetal movements if you are 24 weeks +. Below 24 weeks it's listen to heartbeat and maybe monitoring (not sure about this).
At 24 weeks plus a growth scan including Dopplers is done within 72 hours. CTG daily until the scan is done.

It’s Doppler here for reduced movements, and a scan if they can’t find the heartbeat on Doppler or they have concerns.

@Cyclewidow46

Where I work we will scan you after the first episode of reduced fetal movements if you are 24 weeks +. Below 24 weeks it's listen to heartbeat and maybe monitoring (not sure about this). At 24 weeks plus a growth scan including Dopplers is done within 72 hours. CTG daily until the scan is done.

That sounds really thorough? Are you based in the Uk? If so, which part?

The midwife today implied after 28 weeks they scan you, the definitely had ultra sound equipment there. I wonder if they used to scan 24 weeks like your hospital as I’ve got it in my head that’s a ‘thing’ xx

Curious though? If so many hospitals just use a Doppler to check on the heartbeat, why are home dopplers so discouraged? Am I being daft, surely it’s the same thing? All the posters and warnings from midwives ive seen have said a heartbeat can falsely reassure because if baby is struggling it’s movements that are one of the first things to go, heartbeat obviously being the last. Am I missing something?

You can hear your own heartbeat, the placenta pulsating and your baby heartbeat with a Doppler at home, all sound different but only a trained ear can know what they sound like and what a concerning sound is. If you have little to no medical background, then you can miss something worrying quite easily. You should always always get checked at hospital.

Also when your baby is 24 weeks, it is still tiny and can easily hide and reduce how you feel movements. Which is why they don't scan you if they can hear a healthy heartbeat. Also a 24 weeker is viable, but sadly doesn't have a great life expectancy overall. As you get closer to 28-30 weeks, the babies survival rate increases greatly, and that's why they properly monitor you then, and record movements too because it's easier once they're bigger and if any concerns then, can scan you and decide after that what needs to happen.

Makes sense @HalloHello. I thought the survival rate for 24 weeks was something quite remarkable like 65% (obviously with medical intervention)

I'm East of London OP.

When I mentioned Dopplers in my post I meant measuring blood flow through the umbilical cord and in the baby's brain (Middle Cerebral Artery)

At my 24 week appointment last week I was told it was a Doppler test until 28 weeks, then 28+ would be a hospital scan with in 72hrs.

@Cyclewidow46

When I mentioned Dopplers in my post I meant measuring blood flow through the umbilical cord and in the baby's brain (Middle Cerebral Artery)

Yeah I thought so, my first baby was small for dates so I had regular arterial dopplers.

Wish I was at your hospital by the sounds xx

I had an anterior placenta with a lot of fluid so quite often didn’t feel movement, they’d scan every three episodes of reduced movement.

There is also a really good app called kicks count which I used, that way I could give them accurate information about movement.

As your previous baby was IUGR have you had Uterine Artery Dopplers done at 20-23 weeks and have serial growth scans booked?

@Cyclewidow46

As your previous baby was IUGR have you had Uterine Artery Dopplers done at 20-23 weeks and have serial growth scans booked?

I think they decided she wasn’t iugr in the end (she was 7th centile for gestational age) 5lb 1 at 37 weeks when born. All her dopplers were normal and she was consistently small but grew at a steady rate from 3rd trimester, between 5th and 10th centile. I’ve had no uterine dopplers this far (I read they weren’t particularly effective before 24 weeks anyway) but I do have a growth scan at 32 weeks, then I think I get one at 35 and then again at 37/8? (The latter 2 aren’t booked yet)

I don’t think they will scan you till after 28 weeks (they don’t at my hospital). I phoned at 26+5 for reduced movements and they didn’t even want to see me and suggested if I was worried, phone my midwife and she could check heartbeat with a Doppler. I was really upset tbh as they ALWAYS drum into you how important it is to report reduced movements and then when I did, I was basically told it wasn’t a big deal? I’d had a growth scan the day before the reduced movements so they said that was enough reassurance.

I had four episodes of reduced movements with my last pregnancy, starting at about 34 weeks.

I had a CTG each time - that tells them enough. I did have a scan but that was a precaution after an inconclusive CTG.

DS is now a very cute 19 month old PITA.

Where is your placenta sitting op?

@Thefaceofboe

I don’t think they will scan you till after 28 weeks (they don’t at my hospital). I phoned at 26+5 for reduced movements and they didn’t even want to see me and suggested if I was worried, phone my midwife and she could check heartbeat with a Doppler. I was really upset tbh as they ALWAYS drum into you how important it is to report reduced movements and then when I did, I was basically told it wasn’t a big deal? I’d had a growth scan the day before the reduced movements so they said that was enough reassurance.

Oh that’s really bad! They always go on about any reduction in movement get seen, even if you were scanned earlier that day. How disappointing!