Reduced movements at 20 weeks.

[matildawormwood33]

I'm 20+1 with my second baby and have started feeling quite regular flutters. I had my 20 week scan this week and all looked good. However today I've hardly felt anything and I'm just wondering at what stage you're supposed to worry. There's been no regular pattern of movement yet and it has only started being noticeable at all in the last week or so.

Is it common for baby to go a bit quiet at this stage?

Obviously, if you’re worried they always say to get checked out. But I am 25 weeks and have just started feeling the baby a bit every day. For the past few weeks, I’ve had some movement, and then a couple of days of nothing (which worried me every time).

My midwife said that before 28-30 weeks it’s very normal to have quiet days where you don’t feel anything, so that put my mind at ease..

From memory you're advised not to go to hospital to have movements checked until 22 weeks earliest. If you're really worried / not feeling anything then absolutely call your midwife team and take advice.

Have you tried laying down / drinking a cold glass of water?

Best of luck

Always check if you're unsure x

Ring your midwife/maternity assessment unit and speak to someone qualified. They can make the judgement on whether you need to go in. What is normal/okay in one pregnancy could be alarm bells in another pregnancy. They won’t mind you ringing and may well be able to reassure you.

In my maternity booklet it does say from 28 weeks if movements stop or slow down then you should ring. That's why I thought it might be a bit early at the moment. Plus I literally only saw baby on screen on Thursday and all was ok then. Just been pretty quiet today compared with movements I've been noticing throughout the rest of the week.

Most places won't see you until after 28 weeks - honestly 20 weeks is far far far too early to be getting worried about movements ......

I was barely feeling a thing at 20 weeks. It's just not a reliable measure that early. 28weeks is when they would look into it so I doubt you'd get anywhere if that was your only concern.

I didn’t feel anything for 2 days, and I had a private scan booked. I was sure things would be bad, and was dreading the 3D scan. Everything was fine, and I even watched the baby kicking and punching on the screen, whilst feeling NONE of it. Do you have an anterior placenta?

@Derbee that's reassuring, thank you. No I don't have anterior placenta and up until now I've been feeling regular wriggles :/

I'd ring them, there's no harm in asking them. With DC1 I only felt first movement at 19 weeks so I quiet day at 20 weeks wouldn't of been unexpected. However with subsequent pregnancies I felt movement from 14 weeks so a quiet day at 20 weeks would of felt more worrying.

Go phone now.
28 weeks in your booklet? That's absolutely ridiculous when doctors can keep babies alive at 22/24/25 weeks.
As someone who had a stillbirth. Go get checked out.

I would ring to be on the safe side. But that's me.

It’s probably just because it’s so early and almost certainly nothing to worry about but if you detect a reduction in movements always always call your triage line and let the midwifes advise if you should get checked. I went in and was checked for reduced movement at 24 weeks. It doesn’t do any harm and always better to err on the side of caution.

@LonelySock

Go phone now. 28 weeks in your booklet? That's absolutely ridiculous when doctors can keep babies alive at 22/24/25 weeks. As someone who had a stillbirth. Go get checked out.

I'm sorry for your loss but Doctors won't intervene at less than 24 weeks and 20 weeks is wholly unviable

The baby is likely to have just shifted position - it's only the size of a pepper at this stage and won't have established regular movements at this gestation in any event