A Grrrrr about baby movement!

[Thandeka]

I can't figure out her pattern at all.

Am 35+4 weeks pregnant.

She seems to like to trick me by spending about 3 days completely bonkers and constantly going and then for the next three days she is very chilled with gentle movements. Last time I ended up being hooked up to a tracer as I reported reduced fetal movements (which weren't really reduced as they were about the same as the previous quieter days before she has her mental days!) and all was absolutely fine and am sure it will be this time too.

But at mo I am in quieter time and worrying because she isn't as active as she was last week (and just to be contrary she is having a good wriggle as I write this post! Bah!) Defo had 10 movements this morning before I got out of bed and she was fairly active throughout the night so I know she is probably fine but its the worry when her pattern changes that is stressing me a bit.

Sorry just wanted to rant. I will of course be phoning mat unit if I don't get the 10 movements and have an appointment on Wednesday night so may ask them to double check her then.

I'm having the same thing at 31 weeks, seem to have a few crazy days followed by a few quiet days, and I always worry on the quiet days!

Hi Thandeka, just to report that at 37+3 weeks mine is doing exactly the same! Last week she was wild and subjecting me to very uncomfortable kicks and delightful head rotations on the bladder however these past 2 or 3 days she's been a lot quieter but then I haven't had as much energy either sooooo perhaps the two are related? I really wouldn't worry about it. TBH I get a little fed up with the constant pressure one gets when asked 'plenty of movement?' by sundrie midwives. After all how long is a piece of string, if you get my drift?

oh phew you guys have all made me feel much better! plus she is going mental now- perhaps because I am pretending to work at my desk instead of lying on sofa eating chocolate. She is mimicing her mum's busy-ness!

Man this pregnancy malarky is stressful and then a baby is born and you have a whole extra tiny dependent person to stress about! Gulp!

Not just me, then... My baby hardly moves at all for 2 or 3 days at a time (i.e, only when I prod it ) and then spends 48 doing the Jane Fonda work-out! My midwife told me to report any change to the pattern of movements, but there doesn't seem to be a pattern at all!

Sorry, that should be 48 hours

I'm sure I'm carrying a cockerel not a bayb as the last 2 mornings he's woken me up at 5.30 with very energetic movements!
Generally the movements have no set patterns but he donesn't like to be squashed so will wriggle when I'm sitting hunched over and loves it when I stretch out. Also typical male, loves it when I've just eaten! Happy days.

Well this is my second pregnancy and I've been worrying about the movements (or lack of) since week 17. I'm now week 26. My first started kicking at 17 weeks (hence the benchmark I created for myself) and this one started at 20 weeks. Even in scans this one barely moves unlike DS1 who kicked the sh*t out of me the entire time!

However I do recall with DS1 that I'd spend an entire day waiting and worrying cos I'd felt nothing. Then it'd all start again .. ho hum.

I think we all have to accept the fact that the second we get pregnant we all worry no matter what! Not the best piece of advice but just wanted to say I think we all do it as we can't help being like that.

I am sorry you are annoyed about midwives asking you about your baby's movements, but it is an important indicator of fetal health. There is no 'right' answer and the 10 movements per day is misleading. It is an arbitrary number and not based on evidence. It is more accurate to determine whether the routine of movement (i.e. does baby usually move in the bath, when you eat your tea etc) and has this changed. Because it is entirely subjective, we rely on your expertise to let us know if anything is amiss. I would say to the OP, if you are worried trust your instincts and please do not put off going in for monitoring because you feel as if you are 'making a fuss'.
Itcertainlywas, please understand it is not for her benefit but yours that the midwife wants you to contact her. Only last week I looked after a woman who had not felt her baby move for 2 days before deciding to come in and I'm afraid to say the baby had died. We can only act on what you tell us. However, the vast majority of mums who come into our unit reporting reduced movements spend 30 mins on the monitor during which time the baby leaps about constantly but it puts their mind at rest. The position of the baby in relation to the placenta can play a big part in feeling or not feeling movements, so if yours is anterior (at the front) it may be acting like a cushion at times. Good luck, I am sure you have nothing to worry about.

Reikizen thankyou very much for taking the time to write that post. Baby does move a lot when I have a bath or when am lying on my left hand side in bed so will do both of those each time I am worrying about it (heck am on mat leave now so bath and bed sounds like heaven!) and if nothing after half an hour I will hot foot it to maternity day unit.

It would be a pleasure to see you both there

I'm glad I'm not the only one going through this. I actually went along to the maternal assessment unit today because my baby was unusually quiet yesterday and this morning - there were movements but they just seemed fainter and less frequent. I felt daft going in because I was sure it was going to be fine (it was, he jumped about loads when the monitor was strapped on) but they couldn't have been nicer and I kept saying sorry but I had wound myself up to distraction and needed to be reassured. Amazingly there wasn't a queue either and I got seen straight away.

I think if anyone is worried it is much better to go along and be reassured.

Mine just woke up while I was reading this thread...has been a quieter day today, but it must know I was wanting to feel it move!!!