Baby "shaking" sensation in womb

[madhen123]

Hello, I'm 39weeks and 4 days and from about 34 weeks I've been having this sensation on my lower left hand side of my belly where my baby feels like it's fitting or shuddering or shaking. It usually lasts for a few seconds. As I've got closer to my due date it's got more frequent. She's done the movement about 5 times last night. I only feel it when I lie down. I can also see my tummy shake where i feel it. I'm worried there's something wrong with her. As the frequency of this bizarre movement has increased.

I went to the hospital the other morning and they monitored baby and said they couldn't explain what it was, but that the fact she's moving is a good sign. Not sure why, but it just freaks me out! Has anyone else experienced this please?? I have been quite anxious in general throughout my pregnancy, so my partner and family think I'm just over worrying about this.

I haven't but I've heard anecdotally from quite a few people who did experience it and I think if you do a search on here you'll find posts describing it too. It seems to not be an issue. If your baby is doing it a lot lately it might be some little manoeuvre they've just learned and enjoy repeating or are trying to figure out.

I'm 37 weeks and do feel baby stretching in a shuddery kind of way sometimes, or doing something else rapid but not at the pace you describe. Her movements also make weird audible clicking noises!

Are you sure it's not hiccups? My dd2 had them in there. She still gets them a lot now.

I think you need to contact your midwife urgently and say that you are concerned your baby is having seizures and ask for further action to be taken to ensure baby is well. Also, try and get a video and keep a diary over the next few hours. I don't want to scare you, because it's likely nothing, but a friend of mine's baby was having seizures in the womb and urgent action saved them. Good luck.

I had this with mine, felt like she was vibrating anf was very weird. She turned out totally fine 🙂

I’ve had this with all three of mine. It’s probably just the weird movements they do as they develop neurologically. You see them sometimes doing it once they’re born, they often stretch out and then do this weird jerky shaky movement with their arms and legs on the way back. Hard to describe. But very unlikely to be anything to worry about.

Just to reassure you...baby's having seizures / fitting in the womb is extremely rare. If you have been in and monitored and they haven't seen anything then I wouldn't worry to much. They can see if on ultrasound and the monitoring should pick up an abnormality for them to investigate further. (I know from experience)

Is she kicking trying to move around? I use to get that alot towards the end it would feel like a little earthquake kind of thing as my youngest ran out of room towards the end.

I used to get the vibrating feeling. Best explanation I read was that it isn't actually the baby, it's a nerve being temporarily compressed by the way the baby is lying for a bit. It felt weird but nothing was wrong.

It's nothing like when the baby has hiccups. That's a little jolt every couple of seconds. The vibrating was a proper quick vibration, 100s of times faster than hiccups.

I had this, very different sensation from hiccups or kicks, it was an actual vibration.

I googled at the time and it seemed not to be an issue.
Both my babies were fine although if you are worried no harm in speaking to healthcare professional.

Thanks all so much for your messages. She is still doing other normal movements so that's keeping me sane. It's just so difficult to show any of the midwives or doctors because it's so sporadic and by the time I've got my phone out to record it, it's stopped! I have said I think it feels like seizures and they have said its not likely and quickly dismissed this idea.
Hopefully the increased frequency is because the due date is near and she's running out of space. I also don't feel it when I'm sitting up, only lying on my side. So maybe she's more restricted in her movements then so is just trying to stretch out.

If a she was having a seizure, surely her whole body would do the same movement rather than it always being in the same area??

Also for any one whose experienced the same sensation, how often were you feeling it please?

I also don't feel it when I'm sitting up, only lying on my side
That makes it even more likely it's the nerve thing like I decided was the best fit for what I thought I was having. It's not actually her vibrating, it's her pressing on one of your nerves and making it feel weird.

I had this, baby was trying to get more comfortable as she was back to back and the cord was found to be usually short so poor girl was really stuck in an awkward position.

I had this towards the end of pregnancy, the midwife said it was the baby moving suddenly and water moving. I only had it lying down too, the nerve explanation seems to make more sense. My daughter was born with no issues and is a healthy teenager now.

I am almost 37 weeks and get this quite a bit too with my boy.

I've been getting this probably the last week too...I'm 39+3 today! It seems to be most often when I'm laid in bed at night trying to go to sleep

That’s interesting, both mine were back to back.

Op, I think everyday in last weeks of pregnancy

One of mine did this. 15 years ago! Very odd but totally normal apparently. It feels very strange

Yes I had this, it really scared me.
She did turn out to have benign sleep myoclonus and the jittering looked like how if felt in the womb is that makes sense, however I’m not a medical professional and have no idea if they are linked. She outgrew it by 6 months :)

Was just about to say this. When they do that long armed newborn stretch and literally shake and wobble everywhere. It sounds like baby could be doing this in the womb. Definitely speak to your midwife though and ask if you can be monitored for a long period so they can hopefully witness it happening and put your mind at ease.

Yep both of mine too!

I had this with my first pregnancy towards the end! It was really weird. My midwife had never heard of it before which stressed me out, but Dr Google said it was fine.

When my eldest was born, I do remember noticing that his whole body would shudder quite a lot when he yawned. I think lots of babies do that, but this was quite a bit more notable than most. So maybe that's what was going on in the womb

My first DD would make sudden jerky movements in the womb towards the end of pregnancy. It was like her whole body would suddenly contort. I described it to DH but he only really understood when she was born and did the same thing as a newborn. Her whole body would jerk. She grew out of it pretty quickly.

I’d speak to your midwife for some guidance and support. Best wishes!