Struggling with movement - Anterior Placenta

[NatiBarden97]

Hi all,

I'm currently 28+5 with an anterior placement and I'm really struggling with the movement at the minute.

The beginning of last week seemed to be settling into a pattern but things seemed to have changed since Thursday/Friday. I still feel movements but they don't seem to be as strong and very unpredictable. Whether he's just changed position I don't know but it's so worrying!

I have been for a private scan and also seen my midwife today and she sent me to the day unit for monitoring. Everything was fine and apparently I couldn't ask for much more at this stage and they were happy to send me home but haven't felt much since which has made me a bit anxious again. The scan confirmed he was growing perfect and is currently measuring about 2lb 14oz.

Has anyone else really struggled with feeling movements at this sort of stage with an anterior placenta? I just want to know I'm not alone with not really having any patterns.

Thank you 😊

I had an anterior placenta with my son and there was never a pattern with him at all. The scans would show him moving but I couldn’t feel a thing! I am now pregnant again and have another anterior placenta. It’s too early for me to feel movement but I’m expecting the same anxiety filled pregnancy! As time goes on you’ll get used to things feeling different. Later on if I could feel a foot sticking out I would press it to make sure he kicked back. Poor thing, I must have woken him up so many times in there!

I’m 37 weeks in to my second pregnancy with an anterior placenta and both times I’ve gone in with reduced movements around the same gestation as you. There was a definitive pattern which suddenly changed, still occasional movement but not as strong or frequent. Every time baby was totally fine.

However, whenever you are concerned about reduced movements you should 100% go in to get checked regardless of how frequently that is! Even if it’s later the same day!

Ifs better to be safe than sorry, and that’s what they are there for. Never delay it :)!

Yeah I had it for both pregnancies. The midwife gave me some advice, can’t remember the specifics but lie on my side…left I think , for a set period of time and count the movements. I was surprised actually how many there were, it’s just they were so subtle that when I was busy I was missing them. Have you had this advice? If not maybe ask about kick counts.

Definitely keep going to get checked though if the movements stop. I did that and there were happy to check. Also note that maybe baby’s presentation has changed, I’d check nearer the time with a scan to make sure your baby isn’t breach / back to back etc!

This sounds exactly like me! I still feel movement but they're different than before and very up and down. Like during the day on Monday he was very quiet but went crazy at night, Tuesday was a bit more lively during the day but not as much as night. It's so unpredictable!

I'm really hoping we just have a lazy baby!

The CTG was picking up what suggested movement which some I felt but some I couldn't feel a thing!

Hoping it gets a bit more regular over the next few weeks but now I know what it entails going in to be checked, I would be happy to go again.

Thank you 😊

I've read a lot about lying on your left and counting movements but the midwife hasn't really said anything about it. The midwife at the hospital did say it could all be because of the placenta why I'm not feeling as much. Movements haven't completely stopped, I still feel them everyday just different to before.

The scan on Sunday and the midwife yesterday confirmed he was head down but I was wondering if maybe he had his back to the placenta too and that was why I couldn't feel as much??

@NatiBarden97 Midwife may not have mentioned it because this was the advice given 4 years ago when I was first pregnant. Have a sugary drink and lie on your side, kick count etc, but when I was in a few weeks ago the hospital told me that now they don’t want you to do any of that and wait for movement, they just want you to go straight in to be checked.

I never felt much movement with my son at all because of my anterior placenta. I ended up visiting triage two or three times in the last two months of pregnancy because of it. Every single time he was bouncing away in there but I couldn't feel a thing.

It's very infuriating how they go on about "just make sure the pattern is normal for you" when my pattern was "I feel absolutely nothing except for a few random tiny flutters at completely random intervals many days apart".

My first pregnancy I had an anterior placenta. I only started to feel regular strong movement from about thirty weeks. Before that I remember getting frustrated because I had no pattern at all.

I'm pregnant again now and hoping it isn't anterior again!

I had an anterior placenta, and I never had a problem feeling the movement. However, I never noticed any pattern. I was never sure what people meant by it: baby is sleeping at the same time? Kicking around at the same time?
I just always felt random kicks and if she was quiet for a longer period, I moved around or was touching my belly to make sure she was ok.

I think as long as you’re feeling movement, even if it’s small subtle ones it’s fine but definitely get it checked and follow the most up to date advice!

It is different with an anterior placenta….it’s annoying but with my second I got some really big movements when I was 30 plus weeks!

Hello. I barely felt Dc through pregnancy. Gave birth to a healthy baby :)