Anterior Placenta- How do I know if baby’s ok?

[LittleRobins]

I had my 20 week scan last week where baby was measuring perfectly and moving around a lot. I have an anterior placenta which is why I haven’t felt any movement yet. I was told in some cases women with placentas like mine never feel movement or feel very little. How will I know if baby’s okay without being able to count kicks and movements? I’m not comfortable using a Doppler at home. Is it just a case of being patient and waiting for each midwife appointment for her to check the heartbeat? And so long as my bumps growing assuming everything’s ok? Sorry if it’s a silly question, I’d love to hear from anyone else who has been through the same

I had one op.

I felt my first hard kick at 22 weeks, I then didn't feel much for another week or two and even after that it was few and far between. as he grew and got stronger I felt movements more frequently and fell into a pattern and it got to the point near the end I couldn't sleep for getting kicked
I also felt more of the bubble sensation than actual kicks.

I know afew people who have have one also and they've all felt kicks, we just feel them abit later than if your placenta is placed elsewhere.

Not going to lie, it was hard. I did go to get checked afew times. They were more than happy to see me so don't feel your putting anyone out as they want you to be seen and checked no matter where your placenta is.

I’ve always had anterior, I didn’t feel anything really until later than you are now, but would often feel kicks in my rib cage around 38wks . Even with non anterior, the stage you’re at isn’t unusual not to feel kicks. You will feel something in a few months and then it will start to develop a pattern. If you get worried at all in a change of pattern, I found lying on my side easier to feel. If I was concerned I would phone up and they are always so helpful. They will prefer to see you than not, but at your early stage, this is perfectly normal.

That was supposed to say 28wks!

It takes longer to feel them but you will feel them, promise! And don't even think about a Doppler- they are not at all recommended unless you're trained in how to use them

I had anterior with two of mine and never felt any movements or kicks. I did feel hiccups but that wasn’t every day. I did use a Doppler at home because otherwise I would have lost my mind and had weekly midwife appointments with my second seeing as the first was born early. I can’t lie, it was a very worrying time. I tried to keep busy and not think about it too much. I also had extra scans because I felt no movements at all. Some nhs and some private.

I had an anterior. You don't feel kicks but still feel movements, it's hard to describe. You'll know if baby is moving

I'm almost 30 weeks with an anterior placenta and do feel movements everyday but they aren't as defined and usually in the same area. Felt first movement at 21+5 and then felt something everyday since - been in for reduced movements once but baby was just tucked away so I couldn't feel her. It is quite stressful but if I ever feel worried I will be going up to the hospital to be checked x

I have same fear. I have anterior.

Is e had both anterior and posterior and it’s a very different experience. With posterior placenta loads of movements and kicks and could even see my belly move. With anterior pretty much nothing all the way through.

You can still feel movements, just not as many. I would be very surprised if a woman never felt any movements throughout the whole pregnancy, even with anterior placenta. I had it with my first baby and was also quite overweight, I felt movements from around 22 weeks and by the end could see movement from the outside and feel a lot.

You get used to what is normal for you/your baby so you can spot changes.

I knew I had an anterior placenta before the 20 week scan, as the few movements I had felt by that point were all very low down and to the sides. I gradually felt more, and stronger, movements over the following weeks. But I never felt any strong movement where the placenta was. Bear in mind, it's still early days for you to even be feeling slight movements. Give it time.

Also, definitely don't use a Doppler. I spent the last 10 days of my pregnancy in hospital (36+2-37+5), with a well grown baby. Trained midwives with years of experience struggled repeatedly to find baby's heartbeat. We knew he was fine as we could see and feel bump movements, and the Doppler was picking up cord and placenta. But the heartbeat itself was so, so difficult to find.

I had a anterior placenta.

You do still feel movement, its just not as pronounced.

You still feel rolls, or big movements, hiccups and you get dull kicks and punches still to the cervix, diaphragm, ribs and so on.

You also still get used to babies rhythm and sleep/awake cycles.

Don't worry, you won't feel absolutely nothing I promise.

Definitely don't get a doppler!

I didn't feel anything at all until 23 weeks. I'm 28 weeks now and the other night my partner was finally able to feel baby's movement with his hand on my stomach.

It is frustrating and anxiety inducing but you should start to feel things once baby gets a bit bigger.

Thank you so much for all your lovely replies, it’s very reassuring. I’ll patiently wait to hopefully feel something in the next few weeks. It’s very odd watching him move about so much on the scan and not being able to feel it at all.

@LittleRobins It is weird. My midwife was using the doppler and he kept kicking but I couldn't feel a thing! She even said if I didn't have the cushioning from the placenta I'd feel like a football!

I'm the same, anterior placenta. I felt sort of weird bubbles/flutters on and off and sometimes had the sensation of something moving inside me from around 20 weeks. But I didn't feel anything really tangible until 24 weeks where I was fully relaxed on holiday (lounging around a lot), and my husband and I both felt the first few kicks. But they were erratic, certainly not every day, and really I'd say it's only since 28 weeks that I've been feeling regular kicks and been able to feel from the outside. Now 29 weeks and can sometimes see belly moving! Found that cold drinks and lying on one side and actually resting are the times when baby moves - some rather hard kicks these days as well ...

I had a few private scans to reassure myself that baby was still definitely there - also my bump didn't really appear until 24/25 weeks, when that happened, I felt better. All I can advise is patience and also letting your midwife know how you feel so they can do what they can to reassure you.

I have anterior and preavia though don't know what the last one means except more scans. I'm twenty seven weeks and am just feeling movements. I love feeling him and have been so anxious until now.

Oh also my bump was late to appear. Even now I only look pregnant in tight clothes.

My first was an anterior placenta not low.

Before scans, you would never have known, but one of the things they have to do in the scan is to locate the placenta.

There is a belief that they baby tends to face the placenta, and if so at labour you could have a back-to-back labour. This wasn't the case for me - my labour was just 3 hours.

Placenta previa is where the placenta is low and possibly covering the os (outlet). Usually, as the uterus grows, the lower part grows more, so the placenta clears away from the os. If it doesn't, you'd need a c-section. The extra scans are exactly what you need.

I have anterior (38+1) and have always felt movement just not as much. Also depends on the baby really as well as mine doesn’t have a pattern! Depends how they are lying also, could be lying and kicking you where you can’t feel it, or they could move and you could feel it a lot easier. I’m 38 weeks now and have quiet days and active days, you definitely will feel movement, but kicks and the alien like bumps you see on videos are hard to come by with an anterior placenta.

I had anterior and didn't feel proper movement until about 28 weeks, even then it was when she was kicking either the bottom of my stomach or my ribs. From around 30 weeks I would see my stomach moving but not actually feel it which was a very weird 😂. Even though you won't feel every kick you will still find a rhythm with baby, for example my DD would always be kicking my ribs at night and I hardly felt anything during the day x

It’s so useful to hear everyone’s experiences. I can’t wait to feel movement, most days at the moment I don’t feel pregnant at all which messes with your head. I always thought by 21 weeks I’d feel different somehow

Ah thank you for posting this! Could have written your post myself and was considering posting about the very same thing until I saw your thread!

I’ve been feeling flutters since 16 weeks which I THINK are movements but still can’t be sure and they haven’t got any harder or more regular. Had my 20 week scan last week, baby perfectly healthy and wriggling around, also have an anterior placenta! Been a little bit concerned about it but everything says not to worry until 24 weeks.

Husband is desperate to feel a kick but I told him it will probably be a while as I can’t even feel them properly yet 😂

I'm 26 + 2 with an anterior placenta that is doing a damn good job at cushioning movements too! I will say I have felt the little guy turning over, a few times. I could feel pressure over my belly while he was moving over. Recently I have started feeling kicks down very low late at night only really. It is weird to be so disconnected, and my doctor today had to search for him with the doppler for our checkup, and it took some work. She said he was "hiding behind his pillow". They haven't told me to do kick counts as I assume it just isn't possible and will stress me out, but they just ask if the feelings are getting stronger when I do feel them, which I am.