20 week scan - prodding/shaking

[newbie12345678]

I had my 30 week scan today and all was well (thankfully), but the sonographer had to jab at my belly quite hard several times with her fingers to try to get the baby to move into a better position. Now I'm worried that could have harmed her, I saw someone else post something about shaken baby syndrome and now I'm really worried about that. Has anyone else had this experience at an ultrasound? Not pushing with the ultrasound device, but manually prodding the baby quite hard to encourage movement?

*I meant 20 week scan in the original post above

They do do that quite often so it shouldn't cause harm. There's so much protective flesh and fluid between. They did that at my dd's scan and it was so painful for me I declined to carry on. They'd got most of the info by that point anyway

Remember you can always decline any medical procedure.

Yes, I think it’s normal and it happened during lots of my scans.

You cannot get shaken baby syndrome while they are in the womb. Many, many mothers run, ride horses, do exercise classes etc with far more shaking and bouncing than a sonographer

Are you generally quite an anxious person? It might be worth mentioning it to your midwife if you are

Your baby will be absolutely fine op.

Babies are very well protected in there surrounded by fluid.

If you think about all the times you go over speed bumps, or run down the stairs, or are on a bumpy bus those are more significant moves than a poke in the belly.

There is zero risk of shaken baby syndrome in what you have described.

I was given a cup of freezing cold water to drink, laid on my side yhen the other side to get baby moving

I was poked, prodded, ask to jump around and have my belly wiggled...3 scans later they finally got to see everything!

Baby will be fine!

Thanks for the replies. She did it quite fast and forcefully on three occasions, at least one time on the baby's head...so I'm worried that unlike bumpy roads etc where the baby is cushioned these were direct jabs to the womb/baby. So this is something that has happened to other people at scans? She didn't give me any warning she was going to do it and she didn't try other things first - just went straight to that. If I hadn't have been so shocked I would have said something but I wasn't expecting it. I'm not normally wussy about scans either, I can take firm pressing but this felt almost violent.

Your baby won't be suffering from shaken baby syndrome in utero where there are several thick layers of tissue, along with amniotic fluid cushioning your baby. At 20 weeks your baby is about the size of a banana.

If you've ever tried to punch someone underwater in a swimming pool, you'll know it does nothing. Please stop worrying

Baby will be fine, but she should have absolutely told you what she was going to do before she did it

it's fine and pretty standard. Harmless for the baby. Better for you than having something missing from the scan measurements. It does feel weird and worrisome and seems like an odd invasive thing to have done, but just wait until delivery for all the other odd worrisome and invasive things that will need doing..

Shaken baby syndrome is caused by violent shaking of the baby causing the head to move, it cannot happen in the womb. Trying to get the baby to move is normal in scans.

Thanks everyone for your reassurance. From what I've seen it does look like shaken baby syndrome can happen in the womb, but I'm guessing from the fact that this is something that they seem to do as standard in scans (I had no idea, hasn't happened before), that this is unlikely to cause it which is very reassuring. Thanks for letting me know. Those of you who had the manual prodding/jabbing - did your sonographer try anything else first or just go straight to that?

That is not remotely comparable to the force or type of movement that causes shaken baby syndrome.

Where have you read that op?

I don’t know where you have read it’s possible in the womb but hopefully this helps.

my sonographer didn't try anything first. Honestly don't sweat this.

You might want to mentally prepare yourself for the later stages of pregnancy/labour. You and the baby will be being forcefully manipulated all over the show (which you can obviously refuse) but it's by no means a gentle process.....

Exactly so

Think about when pregnant women exercise such as go for runs. If babies could get shaking head syndrome in the womb a lot more babies would be born with it!

I don't think your baby is at risk of shaken baby syndrome, however, I do think that the sonographer was wrong to poke you hard in the belly to get your baby to move without explaining what they were doing first and seeking your consent.

This happened in both my 20 week scans, and one they even made me do a few star jumps in the middle of it to get baby to move position! I would say there's zero chance of any damage being done from a bit of prodding

Yes! Happened to me at my 20 week scan. I worried a bit too but now realise it is nothing compared to the toddler kicks I currently get from my eldest 😂

Thanks everyone. I feel very reassured by your replies. I had absolutely no idea that was a thing so it took me by surprise and then worried me afterwards. I haven't worried about exercise or anything like that because I don't think that would directly prod the womb like I could see her pokes doing in the screen (could see the indent of where she was poking changing the shape of the womb in the screen). As pp have said I think the whole anxiety could have been avoided by her explaining what she was doing!