Reduced movements and anxiety

[Barb20]

Evening,

just posting to see if anyone has experienced similar. I am now 36 weeks 4 days pregnant. I’ve been into the maternity assessment centre roughly 15 times since I was 20 weeks- average once a week. I am extremely anxious during this pregnancy as I had 2 bad losses previous to this pregnancy. My midwife is aware of this and I’ve been referred to all relevant mental health people etc so no need to worry there.

I get so highly anxious about baby’s movements that it drives me insane. I convince myself something is wrong. Even tonight, I can feel him moving just not as much as I normally would so I’m considering phoning. I just know they must see my name and think here we go again. I try to calm myself down and tell myself everything’s fine but then I’ll see a video on social media where someone had reduced movements and went in and had to have an emergency section that saved their baby’s life, or similar stories. Every time I go the midwives always say to come in if I have any worries, so I do, but I just feel like it’s taking over every waking minute now.

Is there any way I can limit this anxiety or do I just have to accept I’m going to feel this way until he’s born? All the mental health support I’ve had in pregnancy hasn’t taken away the constant bad thoughts.

@Barb20 I don't have much advice to give but just wanted to give solidarity from a similar position. I am 37+1 and haven't felt good anxiety wise the whole pregnancy. "Luckily" I have had some complications that require bi-weekly check ups, but I still almost call triage once a day (and then he starts moving).

I've had about as much mental health support as exists, and still I'm an anxious wreck.

One tiny thing that has helped me is staying off social media. The algorithm will just feed you stories you don't need to hear. Can you replace that with something else? Loathe to suggest breathing exercises or something else relaxing because I can't say they help me much!

@Orlahoping thank you, it’s nice to hear someone in the same boat- as awful as it is to live with!

my husband says the same about social media but then I think I’d rather know about these things than not know in a way- like I’d rather go in 100 times and everything be fine, than not go in once and that happens to be the time something’s not right. I try to think of people years ago with no access to these resources or no understanding of issues that can happen and they had healthy babies back then. I don’t know- I always feel like I’m being dramatic and wasting their time :(

can’t wait for this baby to be born really and then I can at least see that he’s ok at a glance.

You do whatever you need to do to calm those anxious thoughts, and don't worry about what anyone thinks about it. Hope everything is okay. X

I am the same - once he is out I can see him! It's so hard when you don't know what is going on.

I am having a planned section at 38+1, so I only have a week to get through, but my anxiety is more through the roof every day.

Sending love - anxiety is a bitch.

You're almost there OP, hopefully you will have your healthy bundle of joy in your arms in the next 4/5 weeks and it will all have been worth it.
Good luck

There is less room for baby to move around now. I think it’s normal to not have such strong movement. My go to was having an icy cold drink. It seemed to get the baby moving.

In a very similar boat after a late loss at 16 weeks, and my first born was born with the cord round their neck twice and body once after multiple episodes of reduced movements.

Luckily this time round baby has had a very set pattern of movement at set times during the day but since about 37 weeks (I'm now 39) movement has changed. Midwife tells me movement changing is fine (it's more rolls and bumps now instead of strong kicks) as there is less room for baby to get enough motion to really punch and kick. Just so long as there is a form of movement but my head doesn't like these types of movement, much preferred the undeniable kicks to my ribs.

Today I've felt baby roll around a bit but not much so I'm on tender hooks and if I don't have more movement by 1pm I'm phoning triage. (usually eating lunch will get baby moving)

Just want baby here now. My anxiety has been pretty high since 37 weeks thanks to this change in movements.