28 weeks - my symptoms not matching the app updates

[xMrsxHx87x]

Morning all, I'm looking for a little bit of reassurance/experience from others. I'm currently 28 weeks pregnant from IVF, FTM. I admit I've been very fortunate in my pregnancy to date, with no problematic symptoms and all scans so far coming back normal. Today is the first time since the first trimester I've questioned that anything might not go well, and it's because of my bloody pregnancy tracking app! Two things have stood out to me in this week's update that just don't ring true:

1. "You have little room left in your abdomen so you won't be able to manage much more than small meals" - I'm still starving, I'm snacking all the time in between meals, and I'm eating regular sized portions in my 3 main meals.

1. "Your baby is full of energy and you'll be feeling every bit of it" - I feel movement on a semi-regular basis. I have a busy job so maybe I just don't notice it during the day, but I generally notice little kicks and wiggles around 3.30pm when I finish teaching and again at 8pm which is usually when I've just had tea. But it doesn't feel "full of energy" to me, just the same as it's always done since it first started about 6-7 weeks ago.

My 28 week midwife appointment got pushed back to 29+2 due to lack of availability, so I still have over a week before I'll be flagging this with her. In the meantime, any 28+ weekers out there, or people who've finished a pregnancy, who can offer me some reassurance that
it's not abnormal to still be eating loads?!

And how much movement at this stage should I actually be feeling, as until this morning I was satisfied with what I was experiencing, but now I'm questioning if it should be more? Thanks all!

Apps like that are ridiculous. Everyone is completely different. Just look at how some suffer in the first trimester whilst others sail through!

I was bloody starving in all my pregnancies. Never felt too full to eat!! I was also only a size 8 (with my top button undone) when I gave birth to my eldest at 28 weeks! My next baby I put on 3 stone!

With baby 1 I'd wake up gagging but never felt sick, with baby 2 I couldn't eat for 2 weeks with morning sickness and with baby 3, I felt sick constantly.

What I'm saying is that there is no right or wrong way to be pregnant. In my experience, your body does what it does!

Try to relax. You are pregnant, not I'll so there are no "symptoms" to have.

Please try not to worry! Your symptoms seem very similar to mine at that time (IVF, now have a gorgeous little three month old!). Also a teacher, and you’re so busy all day sometimes I found it hard to track movements, also LO used to be asleep the busier I was, no wonder she likes to be rocked to sleep! Those apps are good for reading for interest but honestly don’t take them too seriously, the list of symptoms is endless, each pregnancy is different. Also, with it being your first, it’s only at the 28wk stage that it’s recommended to start tracking movement because it’s harder to feed them earlier on! I understand that feeling worried comes with the territory so sending big hugs but I’m sure all is well x

I didn’t feel loads of movement throughout my pregnancy. Placenta and baby position can have a huge impact on this. I even saw the baby kicking out during a scan at 30 weeks but I didn’t actually feel it. I had a low placenta though so maybe that’s why.

You should only be concerned if it isn’t normal for you. If the movement is about the same as it was 7 weeks ago then that’s considered normal.

If you think movement has slowed, please contact your maternity unit and they will ask you to visit for some monitoring and a scan.

With all due respect, you're comparing a computerised application working on generalisations and averages with an actual human being and your own real experience here! Delete the app if it doesn't apply to you.

There is no one size fits all with pregnancy - I've been pregnant twice and have had literally opposite experiences both times so can only imagine the differences rolled out over an entire population. Honestly, I can't even see anything worth mentioning to the midwife in what you've written except maybe your heightened anxiety. Maybe they could arrange for you to talk to someone professionally...

My mum had 4 kids and barely a symptom with any of us (as she kindly reminds me when I'm still throwing up at 38 weeks!).

You are pregnant, try to enjoy it..... and definitely stop comparing your entire experience tp an app.

Those pregnancy time lines are a guide op, everyone's different. Some symptoms you'll never have some women get them all. Obviously monitor your babies movement, it's about you noticing their pattern and noticing and change from this 😁

Thanks everyone, good to hear there's plenty of other hungry people out there 😂

For clarity I'm not feeling "anxious", so I don't think I need to discuss my mental health with my midwife (one of my friends is pregnant at the same time and she says she feels stressed on my behalf because she thinks I'm being too relaxed about everything!). I just wanted to hear other people's experiences for reassurance that I'm not deviating too far from the "norm". The app has been useful to this point, and I do understand that everyone has different experiences, it's just the first time I've read something that didn't remotely seem accurate. Other than the expected concerns that come with IVF (will it implant, will it develop etc) I've generally enjoyed my pregnancy so far.

The apps are majority sort of thing, not textbook, don’t worry. I was sick every day for 17 weeks despite the app telling me ‘you’ll have lots of energy today!’. Nope.

Pregnancy is different on everybody, as is the child itself. The apps will tell you what your x month old ‘should’ be doing. But the baby won’t read it or know! As you go through the weeks now, note what is normal for you. When baby does move, note the patterns. Get a feel of what is right for you and focus on that. If you think ‘oh baby usually moves a lot by now’ and hasn’t, that’s when you calmly phone triage for advice.

Good luck with everything xx