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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Foetal Movement

46 replies

Zoe · 26/03/2001 17:50

Hello, I am new to mumsnet. but I am enjoying it very much so far!

I am 21 weeks pregnant with a much waited for baby who I cannot wait to arrive! Everything has been fine so far - in fact I am having a text book pregnancy. One thing that is worrying me is that my baby's movement is erratic - sometimes lots and lots and then for a day or two, hardly anything, which makes me a bit panicky. I have a fab midwife, and I work at doctor's surgery which means that I have great healthcare to hand all the time, but I am frightened that I am turing into a neurotic!

Is this kind of movement normal?

PS the baby began to move at about 17 weeks which I realise is quite early

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Paula1 · 12/10/2002 10:27

Qimble, I could feel movement really early this time, around 12 weeks, I think it has something to do with recognising the feeling from the first time.

WideWebWitch · 12/10/2002 10:34

Mimmi, so sorry to hear about your baby. Welcome to mumsnet.

SoupDragon · 12/10/2002 12:58

I felt movement much earlier 2nd time round and put it down to the fact that my stomach muscles had gone to pot

sobernow · 12/10/2002 14:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Clarinet60 · 12/10/2002 19:41

Mimmi, I'd like to say so sorry about your baby.
And welcome, too.

Marina · 12/10/2002 23:07

Yes, welcome Mimmi. So sorry to hear of your loss. Pleased to hear that you are not letting your suspicions that some hospital staff think you are borderline-neurotic stop you from getting the extra reassurance you deserve. Midwives are mostly fantastic but they are not all like Mears and Leese unfortunately!
Mears, the only time I remember ds1 going completely bananas inside me was at 24 weeks. Turns out that's when he went transverse. As I type this he is sprawled out horizontally across our bed - nothing changes.

ames · 15/10/2002 11:10

Hope you dont mind me asking a semi relevant question. I'm 13 weeks pg with my 2nd baby and last night I was just sitting watching tv when my stomach 'moved' It was the left hand side and a really violent and sudden movement that really frightned me. It felt like one of the big kicks that DD used to give me or if she turned round in the womb. I didnt see what happened but I immediatly put my hand to my tummy and it had definatly 'moved' I'm no sure wether to be concerned about this only being 13 weeks. I weigh about 9 stone. Sorry I've not explained it very well. Just wondered what you guys thought.

Paula1 · 15/10/2002 12:11

ames, I could feel movement this time around 12 weeks, but not big ones, just the ones that feel like bubbles popping inside.

SoupDragon · 15/10/2002 12:56

I once saw a limb poking out of my tummy at that sort of time. I guess it all depends wherabouts they are!

Quimble · 17/10/2002 22:31

ames - i've not experienced that myself although had weird experience in first pg when woke up one morning and the baby was completely over on one side of my tummy and sticking out in a really obvious little ball. It went back when I moved position. I think I was around 14 weeks. I guess if you are very slim then it's much more likely to stick out or kick obviously than if there are a few layers of padding between the womb and the skin. Although not huge, I do have more padding this time round and those eagerly awaited movements have only just started to be noticeable this week (18 weeks)

Sam29 · 22/10/2002 21:23

This is my first pregnancy and started feeling baby move at 18weeks, am now 21wks. It seems really active. Is this normal? Does this mean I am going to have a ridiculously energetic baby???

kkgirl · 22/10/2002 22:21

No necessarily, none of mine moved that much, were active usually in the evenings more than in the day. With my first when I was filling in the movement chart (in last weeks) I would have been ringing the midwife all the time ( you had to mark so many movements in so many hours, I can't remember what now).
My three are the most lively, energetic, tireless children ever. The eldest has just gone upstairs and was up at 8.15. He won't go to sleep for about another half an hour.
So don't worry it won't necessarily a boisterous baby. Its great when it does start to move its an amazing feeling. With my twins, they kept turning and it was a massive churning movement could make me feel quite sick. They were still doing it at nearly forty weeks

Azzie · 23/10/2002 06:29

The ONLY thing I miss about pregnancy is the baby kicking inside me - amazing feeling. Dh used to find it quite weird when he woke in the night and I was fast asleep but the baby obviously wasn't .

winnierose · 15/01/2008 17:39

I'm ten weeks into my second pregnancy and have felt movement from about 6 weeks. On one occassion a little hard lump even bulged out at the base of my uterus. According to statistics, movement normally occurs at 15wks during subsequent pregnancies. Im much bigger during this pregnancy as i've already started showing and suffer from extreme fatigue. Waiting for my scan at 12 weeks. Do you think this is normal???

littlealbs · 07/10/2008 16:30

I'm currently 35 weeks pregnant and new to mumsnet. My little one has been really active until yesterday. It was still fairly active yesterday but not as much as recently, today its has been very quiet, i think i have still felt spells of a few wriggles and odd kick but its so scary cause all of a sudden its so quiet, think i have counted 10 moves not sure and the movements feel more internal today (as if there towards my back) Should i be worried and how long should i leave it before i do worry or could it be baby is just facing my back so feel less movements??

Juliette108 · 08/10/2008 16:39

Hi Mimmi
I am on my second pregnancy after a stillbirth at 24 weeks; like you, alerted by a lack of foetal movement. I really echo all you say, and thanks on behalf of all of us out there who have experienced it for saying it so clearly.

A general question though which really plagues me, particularly after my experience..kick counts are a really good idea, and reassure you that the baby is moving and alive. But how much can be done if one (like me, and Mimmi), does not feel movement and gets to hospital? Is it ever NOT too late?I know every experience is different, but surely if a baby has stopped moving long enough for you not to feel it, sadly not much can be be done?

kazjam1982 · 06/03/2009 21:30

At my 3 month scan, my due date changed (brought forward 17 days). That means I am 19 weeks pregnant. This is my first pregnancy and I am getting really worried. To my knowledge I haven't felt the baby move. I had a scan last week and the baby was fine. Should I be worried that I haven't felt the baby move? Also I haven't put on any weight.

BlackLetterDay · 06/03/2009 23:09

I had the experience of not feeling any movements late on, I hadn't felt movement for a day then the next day went into labour. Dd was in distress when we got there, heart decelerating, meconium in the waters. I think I was quite naive as she was my first, if I hadn't gone in to labour that day who knows?

MsG · 07/03/2009 11:40

Mimmi and Juliette, so sorry to hear about your losses. It must make subsequent pregnancies more stressful than they are anyway. I hope you are both coping OK.

kazjam, I wouldn't worry about not feeling movements yet - I think I felt a few movements, just like bubbles really or wind, before 20 weeks but not much and it was really only after my 20 week scan that I started to feel movements regularly. When are you next seeing your midwife? You could always ring the midwife team if you are concerned. Re weight, everyone puts on different amounts and it depends on what you were to start with, if you're eating more than usual, all sorts of things I'm sure. It sounds as though a chat with your midwife would reassure you, though, so don't be afraid to book one even if you're not due one for a while. xx

brettgirl2 · 08/03/2009 08:11

The stillbirths are really awful stories but just to redress the balance my mum says that my brother was an incredibly quiet baby and he is now a very healthy, intelligent 28 year old. He also slept all the time after he had been born. However, obviously if you are worried you must get things checked out, because movement is an important indicator of well being. (BG feels for being annoyed by being constantly kicked in the ribs.

I don't know what is 'normal' because this is my first pg, but I think my baby is really active (I'm now 35 weeks). At early 20s weeks though the movements are a lot less regular because the baby is moving around. I had felt nothing the day of my 20 week scan and was a bit worried, but when I had the scan the baby was quite curled up, which was why.

bexc29 · 12/05/2009 21:26

hi mums to be,i am 18 wks pregnant with my 2nd child.I had been feeling movement every day for a couple of weeks but now havnt felt anything for 4 days should i be worried?x

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