Sudden 'frantic' fetal movement at 40weeks for hours - should I be concerned?

[daisy5]

After quite a surprising amount of fetal activity during the daytime yesterday, my baby went into overdrive last night. Between about 10pm and 1.30am it went crazy, constant strong movement, almost thrashing around or 'breakdancing' - all limbs going at some points, stomping on my bladder, arms up and down around my pelvis, legs fully kicking, bottom moving from side to side.

This is my second child and I had never felt anything like it. The books seem to say that the baby's movements are usually less in the last few weeks (I am at 40 weeks) as it is confined more.

But when I googled on the Internet last night, the general message seemed to be that the concern is when there is less fetal movement, not more.

I did not have any coffee or chocolate or any stimulants at suppertime (soup, bread, ham & cheese) so that isn't an issue.

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge of this? It was the 'frantic-ness' of the movements that alarmed me.

My ds did this at around this time - my waters went a few hours later.

You have been warned!

Sounds like someone is getting ready to make an appearance. Good luck!

Actually I remember saying at the time "good lord child - if you don't calm down you are going to do Mummy an injury."

my dd would do this a lot as it got nearer the due date and especially if i was lying down on my side, it was clearly making her uncomfortable and once I found a position she liked, she stopped kicking the hell out of me! Think its just so cramped in there by that time, they do all they can to get comfy! And maybe trying to get in a good position to arrive!

If you were alarmed, then please speak to your midwife and have her check things over

Good luck! X

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I was in various positions during this time, watching tele, in the kitchen, lying down etc and it still kept going so it really was determined to kick up a storm!

It has started up again this afternoon (although not so 'busy' as last night), so I will wait for a couple of hours and see what happens and may call the mw later for some reassurance if get concerned again. The good thing is that the movements, although active, feel more 'normal' today.

This alwas happens to me just as I am about to go into labour
Good luck!

Can you still tell which way the baby is lying? When one of mine did a huge amount of movement at 37 weeks it turned out to because they had flipped over and were now breech!

daisy - my DS did this during an electrical storm once. We were sitting indoors, there was no thunder so we had no idea there was lightning flashing like crazy outside. Then something prompted us to look outside and we noticed the flashes. After it was over, DS stopped fidgeting.

How insensate we adults are!

There could be lots of normal reasons for this, but if you're worried just go to your GP to get the heartbeat checked out.

Good luck!

If baby seems Ok today then it probably is...but I have heard about babies doing this wildly energetic thing and suddenly going very quiet and it was as a result of getting tangled up in the womb, so please get checked if you are concerned.

Thanks all for more input. I must be close to going into labour given 3 weeks of heavy BH contractions etc so I am hoping it is that. I was scared last night that he may be distressed or something like that.

I was actually just at the mw yesterday morning and baby in correct position (although 'free' yet again - it seems to pop in and out, although this afternoon it feels very much engaged) and good heartbeat etc. It all 'kicked off' just after I left the midwife. Although after all that activity, I suppose anything could have happened to it's position. The midwife didn't like the fact it was 'free' again.

lockets and morningpaper - I will call the mw if it starts up again - it is more back to normal now.

nationalflight - your expression 'wildly energetic' is spot on. That is exactly how it felt.

This happened to me at about 10.30pm the night my contractions started. I described it to the midwife as "baby went nuts". Your description is much better!