Do babies having 'quiet days'?

[Bubbles021]

Hello,
I'm 27+5 and today my baby has been so quiet compared to usual. Due to anxiety in this pregnancy around movements (I am recieving help for), I've been advised to write her movements down as almost proof for myself that she is moving.
Today she moved like normal first thing in the morning and then quietened down so I felt less kicks before dinner. I didn't fret as I had felt her moving, just not as strong or as often as usual. By 2pm I'd only felt her a couple more times and I was getting a bit panicky. I phoned maternity assessment and explained how often I'd felt her and that the movements/kicks had been much lighter and they asked me to go in for monitoring. Obviously once on the CTG she came to life and started bouncing away, and they said everything looked fine.
However I'm sat here worrying again because she is just so much quieter than usual. Again, I have felt her since leaving hospital, but just nowhere near how often I usually feel her and the movements I'm feeling are so light compared to normal. I'm reminding myself she's been checked and was okay (I also had a scan on Wednesday and she was fine then), but I'm caught up in my thoughts now.
Has anyone else experienced this? Do babies have quiet days sometimes? Can they still change position at this stage and could that be why the movements aren't as strong?
Thank you for your help 💙

I'm 30+4 and for me yes my girl has quiet days
Today being one of them
Yesterday she was definitely more active
There's really no pattern !
The ones tonight have all felt cushioned and I know she's moving as I can see my bump and feel my bump move in different angles and bits sticking out
But earlier today I was getting jabbed and kicked
Yesterday it was jabbed and kicked all day
If you're ever worried then the advise is to call in
I've had to 3 times since 20wks pregnant and I'm trying to relax as I've felt pretty anxious
But answer to your question yes I def do have quiet days
My first was always so so very active x

It's normal for them to have calmer days, they're usually making small movements you can't feel. I think if you drink ice water they might wake up a bit? Not sure if that's a myth though

Where is your placenta op?
Also depends on her position. She could be back to your belly so kicking inwards.
I do remember having quiet days, I had an anterior placenta too so was a nightmare sometimes so I was in and out getting checked

@strawberrysummer19 thank you! You've perfectly described what I'm feeling, like a cushioned sensation when she moves/kicks. I'm wondering if she's kicking my back today. I've had extra reassurance scans this pregnancy due to losing my son at 33 weeks last June, and the last one on Wednesday showed she was absolutely fine, along with the monitoring today, so she must be having a sleepier day.

@Lacedwithgrace I think that's exactly what's happening because I've felt her move just quieter. I find it so confusing sometimes what I should be worrying about and what's 'normal' - don't think it helps that she doesn't seem to have a pattern 🤦🏼‍♀️

It's a tricky one for sure as IME yes they can do, both of mine have had quieter days and busier days as part of their 'pattern', but it's also always best to err on the side of caution with movements. Better to go in 10 times unnecessarily than not to in the one time you need to.

It might also be a time of day thing. Both my DC have been active in the evenings and overnight but often very quiet in the mornings, and once I realised that was their routine, it made it easier to work out what was genuinely reduced movements and what was just their usual ebb and flow.

But if you're at all worried then you should call triage.

Advice is always to go back if the movements don’t pick up or you’re still worried. I would call back OP

mine did have lots of quiet days - both of them, my placenta was at the front so I didn’t feel all their movements. But it is always better to be safe than sorry

My girl had very irregular movements. I was never out of MAU from about 25wks because I was always on edge.Writing them down helped me too. She’s 6 months now :-)

If the movements are still reduced/altered from what’s normal for your baby then you should call your maternity unit now (whichever number is 24/7) and be checked over again, please don’t delay doing this, even if you’ve previously had checks which were normal. All babies are different and have their own pattern, you know your baby’s pattern the best.

www.tommys.org/sites/default/files/2020-12/Feeling%20your%20baby%20move%20ENGLISH.pdf

Thank you everyone! Can feel her rolling away under my hand as we speak, I think I'm just having one of those anxious days, once my mind is in that state it's so hard to break out of.
It's also coming up to a year since my son passed away so that's probably not helping my irrational thoughts.
I really appreciate all of your comments and advice 🙂

I had very quiet days with my baby and was in the MAU at lot, but all was fine. I used the ‘time for baby’ app (free version) to keep track of kicks/movements when I was feeling nervous.

I think its perfectly normal to be anxious during pregnancy, but on top of that you have experienced a loss so late in pregnancy, that will put you even more on edge. Im sorry you lost your son.
My daughter is 7 months old now, but during pregnancy she did have some quieter periods. If i needed to get her moving for my own reassurance I ate chocolate or drank ice water. She seemed to react to both of those things.
The advice is ALWAYS to call if you are concerned. Never feel like you are wasting anyone's time.

Pregnancy after a loss is a really hard thing to go through OP and you have had a very hard loss to bare. I found my pregnancy with my daughter very difficult, it took us a long time to conceive and we had a miscarriage in that time as well. My anxiety was sky high throughout the whole thing, I’m anxious most of the time about something or other anyway, but the pregnancy woke it up like nothing else.

Go to your MAU whenever you feel you should, there is no right or wrong way to do this and it’s far better for you to get the reassurance when you need it. You can also send me a PM if you ever want to, sometimes an anxious train of thought can be broken by talking about it.

I’ll be thinking of you and wishing you all the best :-)

If you are worried still then ring them - they won't mind. I am 29 weeks with an anterior placenta and have quieter days where I don't feel much however had a 4d scan last weekend and baby was kicking I just couldn't feel her because of her position. Again at the midwife on Monday she was moving around when they were listening in and I couldn't feel anything. I've been in once for reduced movements and wouldn't hesitate again if I was worried xx

Thank you for your reassuring and understanding messages, it's so lovely to have such a safe community to share my worries.
I will definitely be returning if I'm worried, I've already been 3 times this pregnancy and luckily the midwives are very understanding of my situation.
Thank you all 🥰

I'm glad you feel reassured op
I feel the same as you if that's any reassurance
I constantly worry and then when she goes quiet she does have a little move but at least everyone is aware to call in if you are ever worried
My issue isn't reduced movements
I just feel generally I should be feeling her more !
I've had more than normal reassurance scans in total and she's always so wriggly on screen which I can't feel!
Even at my last 28 wks growth scan
I do have anterior plancenta
I also felt her very first movements very late
But that said when she has her jabby days they feel so strong! But then she may go a few hours and then I'm constantly looking out for them

I feel anxious as TTC 5 yrs nothing and then this pregnancy is a result of second round of Ivf

But trying to relax as much as I can

I've felt her this morning and early hours which is always a nice way to start the day!

Sometimes when I'm busy I don't feel
Her then I stop sit down and eat something and then I feel her

It's such a worrying time being pregnant I feel xx

@strawberrysummer19 it really is so difficult, and I'm so sorry to hear you're feeling anxious too.
My placenta was at the front with my son and it really did cushion his movements a lot. It does leave you panicking!
With such a supportive space like this we will get there! We're definitely allowed anxious days, it's only natural when we already love these babies so much!
I'm always happy to chat if you need to talk to someone who understands the anxious feelings xx

@Bubbles021 thank you, same to you too
I love this place - I've found it more supportive then my real life support and even my midwife who just seems to tick boxes
So I save my questions for here !
X