Antenatal assessment unit

[Mumtobelee]

Hi guys
Has anyone had to go to an antenatal assessment unit before for lack of movements ? ( uk) I'm wondering if they keep you in over night or if it only takes a few hours ?
And what exactly do they do for the assessment .

I've been told if I get to 26 weeks still not much movement I should go there .

I've been in for reduced movements before. They just put me on a chair with a monitor for baby's heart beat and I had to press a button each time I felt any movement (if there was any). After about 40 minutes they were satisfied everything was fine and I could go home.

I'm not sure what happens if you've never felt any movement though!

I haven’t been in the UK but please go if you are worried. My second arrived my emcs after I went in for reduced movements. They said that they would rather I had gone in 100 times and nothing be wrong than wait and find out there is a problem.

They monitor with a band over bump that tracks heartbeat and you have to press a button each time you feel movement (or at least that’s what they did for me in HK).

Please get checked out asap. Xxx

Did you have to stay in overnight or was it a one day thing . Trying to work out if I need to book time off work if I have to go there ?

I went a few times with reduced movements and you don't have to stay overnight unless there's any problems with baby when they do the monitoring.

I went at 30 weeks for reduced movements- went from an hour of activity each evening to zero movements. My DS failed multiple ctgs so they did admit me for the night. Then at 4am I had high bp so they kept me two days while I started bp medication until the bp was manageable.

I would say they only kept me because he failed the ctgs. If it passes and most do then they let you go home. So most go home. I was the only one admitted that day from the assessment centre.

They monitor you for 30 minutes to an hour, they wouldn’t keep you in unless there was something wrong.

I'm just wondering because I only ever feel like 3
Times a day if that so I thought what happens if during the monitoring time there's absolutely nothing .

I went in a few times with my first - she had an anterior placenta so when she was in certain positions I really couldn’t feel her. Also was late to feel her move at all because of it and her movements were always much more subtle than I’d been led to expect by others (and later her younger siblings).

I recommend a really cold drink and sitting somewhere quiet to see if baby is moving yourself, especially if you have an anterior placenta.

But they’d still prefer you go in if you are worried - and don’t wait to book time off at work, go now. If there is a problem the sooner they catch it the more likely you have a good outcome.

I’m not the UK but every time I went in I had similar to those above, being hooked up to a Doppler for an hour or so and given a clicker for when I felt her move.

Just go and take the time off work if it comes to it. Chances are all will be ok but better to get it checked out. Let us know how you get on x

Sorry boss, i have limited movement
Im in hospital and they want to keep me in, my babies life could be at risk so i wont be coming in tomorrow

@Mumtobelee I went in last week for reduced movements as I hadn’t felt her for over 24 hours. I do have an anterior placenta so i thought it was probably down to that. They hooked me up and she was bouncing all over the place, I just couldn’t feel her at all. So it’s probably the same. If you’re really panicking then give the maternity unit a ring, i
don’t think they’ll do much until post 24 weeks though.
If it helps at all, my baby was super active and moving all the time all day every day, and then recently she’s got more of a pattern where she only really moves a lot at night and a little in the morning. She’s also really really low down at the moment so I seem to feel her less down there too. It’s so stressful worrying about them constantly isn’t it! Hope yours starts getting stronger so you can feel them soon xx

Oh and you don’t need to book time off work, you can just treat it as an emergency and say you need to go to hospital for checks, they can’t stop you or punish you for that!

I think the key here is “reduced” movement, so if there’s a change or reduction in what is usual for you. If it’s usually 3 times per day that you notice, and it remains so, then it’s not reduced movement.

I went to the hospital yesterday and they used a Doppler but said they won't properly monitor until 26 weeks at least . I have posterior so I thought I would be feeling by now

I’ve been several times to the Fetal Assessment Unit and to Triage for Reduced Movements.

They do your obs, blood pressure, urine test, CO reading. They then feel your tummy to locate baby, listen to your tummy to find their heartbeat, then put a monitor on your belly for baby’s heart rate, then one on your belly for your heart rate, they pop a clip on your finger, and give you a little buzzer to press when you feel a movement.

You’re usually on it for at least 20 minutes as they have to meet a certain criteria, but if necessary, they keep you on for longer, sometimes asking you to change position.

I haven’t been kept in overnight, but I have been kept there for several hours, depending on the results of the trace, and whether a Doctor was needed etc.

If you are concerned, always give them a call. It’s much better to be safe than sorry, and they will always encourage you to contact them if you think there is an issue.