39w, baby doesn’t move much at all anymore?

[kaseymaria]

Hello ladies (long read but I need support/advice).
So I’m 39 weeks pregnant & for the last week or two I’ve noticed a drastic change within my babies pattern, she used to wake me up kicking, kick throughout the day & kick me at bedtime, recently this has not been the case.

on the 12th may I went in for CTG Monitoring as I noticed reduced movement, the results came back fine and she had a fair amount of movement which reassured me.
Yesterday I went into the hospital again as my midwife sent me up as she thought my waters broke (false alarm)
I again told them that her movement has reduced even more than last time to the point I barely feel her AT ALL.
They again put me on another CTG monitoring and it came back fine again? Which I don’t understand as I literally felt like 2 movements throughout the whole 20 minutes of monitoring…
They then sent me for a ultrasound scan as they needed to check everything was okay with baby, they said her growth is spot on, my amniotic fluid is completely normal & my placenta is very healthy and getting everything she needs, including a healthy heartbeat… they told me they don’t need to keep me watched under their care now for reduced movement as she is healthy & fine…
there is no explanation to why she has reduced her movements, they also told me it was a huge myth that babies cannot move much at this stage because they don’t have much room..
Now I’m crazily anxious because what if they have missed something, what if something happens and I miss it myself? I don’t know what to do I’ve always been an anxious person but believe me when I’ve tried everything, lying on my left side for 2 hours, cold drinks, food. EVERYTHING, if she is healthy, why ain’t she moving?
I have a sweep booked for next week, fingers crossed she’s actually okay…

My second didn't move much but she was healthy, there wasn't really a reason why.

You do need to keep going back in though when you experience reduced movements. I was put onto daily monitoring. Luckily she arrived at 39+2.

Would you consider an induction or an elective c section?

This is offered to women in my trust at this gestation who have repeated instances of reduced movements, exactly to prevent something being missed and also to acknowledge the effect of worry on the mental health of the mother.

For your own peace of mind and also because it’s the sensible thing to do, please call your maternity unit and go in to be monitored. That’s what they are there for - to provide safe care for you and your baby. Your baby will probably start leaping around the moment you step into the unit - but you still need to call them.

You need to call triage again. Now. And report reduce movement. This is important. Please do that.

Ring them again and say you have still had no movement and you would like it to be checked again.

Please go any time you're concerned for reduced movement.
I got told often by midwife's they'd rather see me every day if I'm worried, than me ignore it, especially at that late stage in the pregnancy.
Better to be safe than sorry, and if it's all fine, then good.
It's not worth the risk by ignoring x

Go to maternity assessment.

Hi ladies, they told me she was fine when I went yesterday due to the ultrasound and didn’t need to be checked as she’s come back healthy, surely that cannot be correct, the only problem is the closest triage centre to me is 16 miles away and I cannot always get there! There isn’t a birthing unit in my town, I’m at wits end and am completely fed up of going back and forth for them to dismiss me :( x

I had similar but was turning 38 weeks. I saw a consultant and told them that I would trust them if they said it was ok (I was monitored similarly to you), but that I knew my baby was a good size and could be born heathy and I'd never forgive myself or them if something did happen. She had me come in a few days later to be induced. I don't have any regrets, I was worried, and it might have been nothing, but I felt instinctively that inducing was the right thing to do.

If you're not happy, push for induction.

they also told me it was a huge myth that babies cannot move much at this stage because they don’t have much room..

But it's not a huge myth - are you sure they said this?

Babies can't move as significantly near term. They don't have the space.

They will still kick, move / turn.

So if you still concerned and not feeling any movements, you need to keep following up. However, given that their monitoring was satisfactory could it be that you are expecting more dramatic movements?

You are not sure everything is OK, go back and ask for another assessment.

What do you want them to do? If you specify what you want, you can ask for it.

If they do all the checks and all comes back OK, then they are going to trust those test results. However if you still have no movement, get rechecked.

Please go back. A scan with a heart beat is a seconds long snapshot of time. Things change and your baby is not moving, please go again. Keep going back every time.

@EarringsandLipstick this is really incorrect and dangerous advice. It is a MYTH that babies don’t move as much near term.

Is it possible to go back for another CTG if you're concerned? Don't let anyone fob you off if you're not happy with their response! This is your baby's safety in question, and if you're not comfortable with what someone has told you, then you question and you push until they listen!
I was induced at 38+1 due to repeated reduced movements. Honestly, every single midwife I saw told me to come in every day if I'm worried. The look that some of those midwives gave me in my eyes when they said it too, told me that they took my concerns seriously and also told me without words just how serious reduced movements could be. I don't want to scare you, but if there's any doubt in your mind, it's worth checking.
Unfortunately not every healthcare professional is the same, so trust yourself and trust your baby. If you're not happy, speak up x

OP, you asked for advice and you’ve been offered really good advice on this thread.

Just because your baby appeared healthy when scanned yesterday, doesn’t guarantee you anything today. If she’s not moving much go back, every time, even if it is a hassle. They are using experience and scan equipment, they can’t no 100% that nothing is wrong, you have to act on the information you have in front of you and if that is that baby isn’t moving much, you go back for monitoring.

Definitely take yourself back to be checked and monitored. My daughter has RFM regularly and they induced her at 38 weeks because the Dr pointed out that monitoring can only tell them so much about the health of a baby.
Grandchild was absolutely fine but regular RFM can be a sign that baby is struggling.

Go back.

I had exactly this with my third. They checked movements and said everything was fine. I was pushy and said everything didn't feel fine. I asked them to get the doctor.

The doctor (forever bless that woman) very crossly told everyone that if a lady on her third pregnancy says that everything feels off we bloody well listen to her and take that seriously. They did a different scan and found reduced fluid. They induced me immediately, I didn't even go home. Baby in my arms 6 hours later. Dr said I was right to insist.

Towards the end of my pregnancy I went in multiple times for reduced movement, usually in the middle of the night. Each time it was because she moved position and was kicking my placenta instead of my belly - I got to the point where I could feel her roll around and was 95% sure the reduced movement was because she’s done it again. But each time I went in. And each time they told me I’d done the right thing and not to hesitate to go back again if I I needed to.

I agree with PP. just because she was fine yesterday doesn’t mean she’s fine right now. So if you haven’t felt movement for 2 hours you need to call your triage line and tell them you want to be checked again.

For my third, I went in with reduced movement at 39+3. Everything se ed fine but baby wasn't moving much while I was being monitored and they induced me straightaway. Better be safe!

Please go back to the maternity unit. This needs to be checked

My babies had low movement days. Three just did. My first, I was checked over and decided not to go back as long as I felt some movement.

My second, I presumed followed my first's patterns of lazy days and I didn't rush in.

I was wrong. All was ok with both my babies (I'm lucky) but it is better to get checked with every single low movement worry. I worked with midwives and they told me it's always better safe than sorry.

Please get checked out. Just because there are people who say it was ok for them, it does not mean it will be ok for everyone.

Do you want to be in a position to say "I went to the hospital daily with lack of movement and everything is okay, but I was lucky" or do you want to be a cautionary tale of heartbreak?

It's more likely everything is fine, but it's better to be sure, a small chance of a problem is still a chance and better to be ruled out.

It's totally a myth, but i think it can be that they movements are different.

Baby is no longer doing huge kicks and somersaults, but is wriggling, or rubbing their face, or stretching. So you should still feel as much, but the nature of it is a bit different sometimes.

Please, please go back