Anxiety over baby movements

[Eumy]

So, I’m currently 30 weeks, and I’m finding myself getting increasingly anxious about baby movements. I’ve felt baby since about 17 weeks – even though I have an anterior placenta. When they’re having a serious wiggle session, my DP can see them move when they’re sat on the other side of the room. They seem to move about each hour, and have a serious wiggle session a few times a day.

However, as they’re so active, I am finding that if I don’t feel anything for an hour I start to worry that there is a problem. I think it’s because the advice is to call immediately when you are concerned about movements, so after an hour of nothing I am usually about to call triage, but then baby will start moving! If I wake up in the night, I can’t settle till I feel some good kicks.

I have a midwive appt next Friday, and I’m going to talk to them about my anxiety around movements. As I’m feeling movements fine, but still can’t stop worrying. I just wanted to ask if anyone else feels like this? As I feel like I’m going mad at times!

If you are getting concerned I'd phone them, even if they start moving just as you're about to.

Yes I think it is normal to worry. Yesterday I definitely felt my baby less than usual and less strongly. I was fairly sure baby had just changed position and I could still feel some movement but when I went to bed I just couldn’t sleep for worry. I eventually called the triage line and midwife also said it sounded like a change of position and all sounded fine but said I could go in to get checked if I wanted to. I did (at 1am!) and baby was fine (had moved from breech to transverse and all limbs were likely curled up inside whereas before she was all stretched out). The midwife was really nice about it all. I would definitely speak to your midwife at your appointment but also if you are ever concerned, do just call them.

And don't feel like you're bothering them or overreacting, they want you to get checked out if you have any concerns.

I'm 30 weeks also and feeling similar about movements. I went to triage after not feeling much for about eight to ten hours last week. Asked the midwife when is reasonable to come in, as I don't want to be bothering them non-stop. She said if it's been a few hours, try laying on your left side and having a snack and a drink. If you don't feel anything after 20-30 mins, call in immediately. Seems my baby had just moved position, as he was moving I just couldn't feel it. I ended up having to stay in for a couple hours as we then also caught a sleep cycle, so he wasn't playing ball for the monitoring.

It's very scary isn't it, but I'll be doing the above and calling if a snack, drink and laying on the side doesn't work going forwards

You are right to worry and it is really stressful I'm afraid. I was the same and ended up in hospital loads for monitoring. What didn't help me was a friend of a friend lost her baby after ignoring a lack of movement because she had a midwifery appointment the next day.

In my experience the midwives are very welcoming of you contacting them and are always happy to see you if you even suspect reduced movements. Chances of something bad happening are low but the stakes are high, if you see what I mean.

First step advice from MW always seemed to be to eat or drink a good amount of something sugary and lie down for an hour and see if anything changes. So if it's only been an hour you could do that and then when you call them you tell them you've already done that.

It's important that you still feel movement even when you are in labour btw. Knowing that saved my daughter's life. I was in early labour and realised I'd not felt her for a while. Felt a bit 'here we go again, it's probably nothing' but thinking of the story above we went in anyway. Turned out I needed an emergency c section because the cord was wrapped around my daughters neck and that's what the lack of movement was about.

I'm sorry if this plays into your anxiety but you are doing the right thing by being cautious.

Oh gosh I literally could have written this post myself @Eumy ! I’m so sorry you’re in a similar position. I’m also 30 weeks with an anterior placenta and have been feeling movements since around 18 weeks. I’ve been into triage on 3 occasions due to not feeling movements, every time (thankfully) everything has been fine. I’ve even spent a night on the ward as I was so upset and couldn’t understand why I wasn’t feeling anything even though all monitoring was spot on.
I seem to find that baby can be so active for a few days (it’s like watching an alien in my stomach!) and then it seems to go quiet. It’s definitely down to position as over the weekend I could feel everything constantly, whereas yesterday and today I can only feel like a subtle wriggling. It seems to be if baby turns breech, I can’t feel anything! I had a scan at 26 weeks and baby was dancing around (breech) but I couldn’t feel anything- the sonographer said baby literally looked like it was in a washing machine turning around and was amazed that I couldn’t feel them :(
I can totally relate to how stressful it is and I’ve spoken to my midwife about it but the advice is, if you want reassurance, phone triage. I could literally be there everyday but I’m using the above advice of having a lie down, a snack and drink first. I hope you’re doing okay, I’m always here to chat if you like as I’m really feeling the same ❤️

I'm glad that I'm not the only one feeling like this! I was staring to worry that I was worrying too much lol!

I hadn't thought about them having moved position, I do try and poke my belly but I can never seem to tell what end is what!

I have been into triage for some spotting I had and they were lovely, but I am also anxious about bothering them too much. I swear if I rang them everytime I was worried about movement it'd be ever day! I'll have to try the lying down/snack thing first, and if that doesn't help call in.

I think I've just got myself in such a knot of stress after reading so many stories about reduced movement and stillbirth!

@Eumy I am 30+3 today and am feeling the exact same anxiety!! She will be super active for a few days at a time and then go super quiet and frighten the life out of me. I try every trick in the book, ice water etc, and can only get the faintest of movements in response. Get to the point where I feel like its time to ring the maternity unit, and then she starts going mad again. Little rascal has been doing this since about 27 weeks. So yes, I am 100% with you on the anxiety around movements - I guess that motherly worry is just the start of the rest of our lives!

I realised the other day that I hadn’t felt my baby at all since the night before. The horror that washes over you is just paralysing. I tried to have something cold and when it had no effect I phoned triage and was there in 20 minutes. On arrival when they realised I was a red alert for no foetal movements they took it all very seriously - I was announced to the midwives, someone took me to a bed straight away and the monitoring started. Thankfully she’s ok - no idea why she suddenly went quiet but she’s been back to normal since that night.
The midwives don’t mind at all. RCOG guidance says reduced foetal movements can be warning signs so should always be checked out. Knowing this, I wouldn’t hesitate to go in again.