Very quiet baby / never moved much

[Ivfgottahope]

Has anyone ever had a baby where they’ve felt very limited movements constantly throughout the pregnancy? I’m 35 weeks and I do feel some movement (more pressure than anything) but not a huge deal and definitely not big kicks and without any sort of pattern. I have fortnightly scans and had numerous CTG monitorings which all come back ok I’m just baffled by it. I do have an anterior placenta and she’s frank breech (with her legs in front of her face) so wonder if that’s the reason but can’t help shake the feeling this can’t be right as she’s quite big now! Just looking to see if anyone has experienced similar?

When they are bigger you are more likely to feel less movement because they don’t have much room and it’s more rolls and wiggles than kicks, that’s what midwife told me, if you have an anterior placenta that will be cushioning a lot of movement too.

If all the monitoring has been fine I wouldn’t worry too much though don’t feel silly by being safe and going to historical if you think there may be anything wrong.

If you feel something isn't right, ring MAU and get checked.
I had an anterior and I was feeling constant movement at that stage.
Don't hesitate to get checked.

Yeah I am getting checked regularly - this isn’t anything new or different. I’m just wondering whether anyone else has experienced similar.

If this is your first pregnancy then is it about expectations?

If it’s been the same / constant “limited” movement throughout and you are being monitored and the HCP haven’t noted it as an issue then maybe it’s fine / normal. But as PP says if any changes that concern you ring your MW.

Was just coming on to say is baby breech and then see from your full post that it is. Both my breech babies didn’t move much and the second one hardly at all - they kinda got stuck in that position and then that was that. So I would say YES it can totally be okay if that’s the reason. But I would also urge you to get it checked out if you feel baby is moving LESS or if you’re unsure in any way: better to get confirmation from the medical professionals than the internet and they NEVER mind being asked about movement.

My second pregnancy was like this. Anterior placenta, breech until later on, fortnightly scans and weekly cgt monitoring. Her normal movement pattern was 1 or two kicks a day, but also normal to go days without movement. I would see her moving on scans but not feel it even as late as 38 weeks because she was kicking into the placenta. Every midwife appointment I got sent to pau for one reason or another. I've never had as much worry as when I was pregnant but shs here safe and sound and she's a pretty chilled baby.

@PiratePetespajamas thank you! Yea I go to the hospital whenever i feel things have changed but my baby has never moved much. We’re either of your breech babies frank/extended breech?

My midwife told me that the 'less movement at the end as they have less space' is completely untrue and quite dangerous.
Where is your placenta? Mine was at the front and I rarely felt big movements, she'd be kicking away in the scans and I couldn't feel a thing. If it's not out of the ordinary for you then I would try not to worry. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!

My mum never really felt me move her whole pregnancy & I was not breech & quite small (6lbs), though my mum was also tiny.
I was her first and that was normal for her but she/I was checked & monitored at every midwife appointment because they were all horrified that she couldn't tell them when she'd last felt me move. They told her off quite a lot but she's always been very blase as a person & said that she'd be in the hospital everyday for monitoring if she worried about not feeling me move.
Some babies are maybe just less active than others? I think the pattern of movement and what is 'normal' for you and your baby is probably what's most important since you've been checked a few times and things have been fine. Obviously if you're worried it's always good to get checked out but I don't think it's necessarily unheard of that people don't feel much movement, particularly with an anterior placenta.
With my younger sister, my mum had a late miscarriage and then accidentally got pregnant straight after and as her uterus hadn't reduced back to it's normal size yet my sister had a ton of space & my mum was huge with her so didn't feel any movements again, though she's convinced she must have been more active than me because she'd completely tied herself up in the umbilical cord.

My little girl was exactly the same, feet by her face, and I felt very little movement throughout my whole pregnancy either. So difficult when they have no real pattern for you to follow x

Yeah just another one jumping on to stress what another person has put; please don't ever believe the old wives tale of when they get bigger/nearer their due date they move less, it's totally not true, your baby should move the same right up until they are born. Just in case anyone else happens to come across this post. Op sounds like your doing all the right things, it probably is the placenta but if in doubt get seen, the hospital will never turn you away for worries about reduced movements xx

Hi op i'm in the same position as you at 34 weeks and frank breech. Have very little movement or some days no movement. Like you i have scan every 2 weeks and monitoring every now and then to make sure baby ok. This is my 5 child but the 1st one in breech position.

Yes I felt little movement, never had a kick under the rib or felt uncomfortable. Used to see the feet poke through sometimes but worried constantly.

Hes literally never sat down since he was born 13 years ago and is fine but moves non stop!

My baby was breech with legs over his head and I felt both rib cracking pressure and little flutters and punch type movements from his hands. He was still able to move his legs a bit though.

My dc2 was breech and I didn't feel her as much as the other dc. She did turn head down and then a few days later back to breech which I definitely did Feel!
Dc3 is back to back so I get the uncomfortable hands and feet scraping along my tummy which actually really hurt sometimes. Dc1 was head down and I felt plenty of movements then too but never painful.

And yes to repeat pp, I'm 37 weeks and movements haven't gotten any less, there's definitely less space to move but I can still feel that baby us just as active as earlier on.

Hi @ivfgottahope, I commented on your last post about this and funnily enough was thinking about you last night (not sure if you remember, but I was in a very similar situation to you).

Last week my baby moved from Frank breech to head down (which felt like a mad squirm in my stomach) and I couldn't believe the difference in how I felt movements before and after. I think the combination of Frank breech - I have no idea, but feel like my logic says that must be the most squashed position for a baby as surely they can't move very much - plus anterior placenta makes movement really hard to feel.

I still don't feel loads and loads, but definitely more and more what feel like kicks rather than just slight movements. If I've had a busy day at work though they're slight enough that I don't feel them at all.

I am not sure if that's helpful to you, but i suppose wanted to sympathise but also try and reassure you!

If it doesn't feel right, go get it checked out. My dc1 rarely moved. Perhaps less than ten minutes around 4 pm and then about ten minutes around 10 pm. Might wiggle a bit with cold or hot drinks, but not for long.

Hoping for the best for you.