Keeping track of movements

[OptimisticRealist2024]

At a recent midwife appointment, midwife really emphasised how important it is to keep track of baby's movements (when I start to feel them). I get this, but she told me that I should really be keeping an informal log on my phone of how often it happens until I start to recognise a pattern and then, when I know what patterns are, checking previous logs to see if there are reduced movements.

I didn't question it at the time -- but I'm starting to wonder how the hell you do this and do other stuff (like concentrate at work?!) say if baby kicked 30 times a day? Is this what every other pregnant woman is doing? Logging every movement and comparing it to the day before? Am I being thick? Is my midwife unhinged?

...I never did track them. But would notice if they were less than normal. I went in twice with reduced movements, and naturally she did a conga the moment I got admitted!

They are trying to make sure you pay attention and go in for reduced movements, and not wait or not realise it could mean something is They'd rather you go in 6 times with false alarms, than ignore it and it be too late.

That sounds like a lot of pressure being put on you when in reality you just need to notice the pattern and be aware of it. Tracking each movement would be exhausting on some days!

That is an awful lot of pressure to put on you and not necessary - there are apps for this and I've heard of some ladies keeping a diary of sorts but I think most women just get used to what is normal for their baby each day and instinctively notice if something has changed.

The general advice is to start paying attention more from 28 weeks, at which point baby has less room to move so you should establish more of a regular pattern. This does vary between different women though.

In my first pregnancy I had an anterior placenta and struggled to ever establish much of a pattern.
This time round, my placenta is posterior and it's been much easier to feel movements and identify a pattern- i'm 31 weeks now and it's not a case of every day being exactly the same or having 'X' amount of movements etc. It's more that I know I'll feel her at certain points in the day, after certain foods/ drinks, that kind of thing. We have quieter and more lively days but I'm happy if I feel her moving regularly throughout the day.

If in doubt, always trust your gut and call for advice if you're worried about a change or reduction in movements.

Thank God. I completely understand the need to have an idea of when baby was moving less and been told to call the hospital if I think something's wrong, but had a feeling this was a bit much. Almost like she was trying to get me to have hard evidence of reduced movements before I went in?

I'm only 18 weeks and think I can feel small flutters, but they're so fleeting and faint I couldn't tell you a) if they're happening at all or b) how often they happen.

Anyway, thanks everyone! Glad to have people there for my own sanity. 😊

I've got a wristband from kicks count which is a charity. It's got numbers on it and you slide it up a number when you feel some movement. In my first pregnancy I would then have a notes log in my phone which had the total from each day. Was reassuring to see her was hitting similar amounts of movement. This pregnancy has been harder to track with a toddler though