Really, really worried :(

[Ishacoco]

Just as the title says. I'm 16 + 6 and everything has been going swimmingly. I've had numerous private scans and she's been growing fantastically.

I started feeling flutters about 3 weeks ago but they've got less rather than more. I'm also concerned because I don't seem to have a bump growing. This is my third baby but last one was 16 years ago!

Saw my midwife last week and uterus was normal and so was the heartbeat. I feel like I've got smaller since.

I know the hb is there and normal because we have a foetal Doppler at home (partner is a GP so it's def being used correctly).

I'm just worried that she's stopped growing or the placenta is failing. Surely I should be feeling more movement by now? An increase at least? I do have anxiety and I'm heavily medicated so I don't think that's the problem. I just cannot shake the feeling that something is wrong 😞

I have a scan booked for tomorrow but I'm almost too scared to go!

Where is your placenta? Mine was anterior, and it made feeling movements tricky- I definitely had periods when placenta grew and it would change how everything felt, and then it would settle back down.
I am sorry you are struggling with anxiety- it’s a really hard thing to manage.

Sorry you’re so worried, OP.

Some people don’t feel any flutters until weeks later, you don’t need to track them yet. Your tummy getting smaller was the end of that first trimester bloat.

I’d recommend speaking to your midwife about your anxiety. Hope you feel better soon.

I think your baby is just still so tiny at this stage and even kicking in the "wrong" direction would mean you don't feel much at all!

One of mine was like this and it's because the placenta was cushioning all the movement. I started feeling regular movements from about 19 weeks.

My placenta is posterior. You're all right and I should just calm down but I can't! I just can't shake the bad feeling. I was feeling flutters almost daily but now I might get one or two every few days 😞 Just a couple of movements would make me calmer! Scan is 10:45am tomorrow so not too long to wait....

DP is being very reassuring but tbh it doesn't make much difference! I mean, he doesn't know everything is all right does he?

I felt my twins pretty early on 14/15 weeks, flutters like you describe. Then it all went quiet and I was quiet concerned and luckily I had a scan (had lots of scans due to a previous late loss, and cervix monitoring plus extra scans because it was twins) and it turned out that as the uterus had moved up there was more room and so I wasn’t feeling movements as easily as earlier on when they were lower down in my pelvis and more squished. One twin placenta was anterior and the other was posterior and posterior twin had turned into towards my back so was kicking the placenta which of course I couldn’t feel.

This sounds pretty normal. It's very on and off at that stage. I know it's hard not to worry. I remember thinking at least when they're here I can stop worrying but it just gets worse then 🙄

Just an update - scan went well, all fine. She's measuring spot on for dates (11cm long head to toe and weighs approx 6oz). The sonographer used to be a doctor and she talked me through everything about movements, etc and really reassured me.

I don't think the anxiety is going to get any less throughout this pregnancy. I'm just going to have to find ways to cope with it.....suggestions welcome!!

I wouldn't be concerned at 16+6 sounds normal & has been confirmed by your scan which is great. In terms of coping - have you got anxiety in general or are you just anxious because of the pregnancy etc? I would suggest working on that through therapy or something as it will only get worse if left untreated! The worries never go away & if anxiety is left unchecked you will spend your life constantly worrying about things.