Worrying about baby movements.

[pie]

How long should you wait before starting to worry that you haven't been feeling your baby move, is it 24 hours?

Also do babies move less after orgasm?

I've noticed that the peak time for my baby moving is 5pm. DH and I had some rumpy pumpy at 4pm and I haven't felt the baby move at all since and its 7pm, so I'm freaking out.

I know everything is probably fine, but I would like to know what the prevalent attitude towards regularity of movements is.

pie, I don't know the answer, just wanted to sympathise really, you may know that I panicked about this recently and everything was fine. 2 hours doesn't sound long to me though. This is a complete out of the blue guess but I'm wondering whether orgasm does help babies sleep for a bit? If you think about it, lots of endorphins are released and they can ease pain (i.e. sex can sometimes get rid of period pain) so maybe the baby gets a nice endorphin rush and has a kip? I'm probably talking absolute cr*p though! I hope someone can give you a better (and factual) answer!

Eat some chocolate, drink some fruit juice and lie down on your left side for an hour or so, and if you still don't feel anything, and are worried, call the midwife!

I've just spent 5 minutes poking my tummy and nothing.

I know that 2/3 hours is not long, but I've just got so used to the 5pm interbelly football match.

www, I thought that the hormones from the orgasm may have sent the little one off to sleep. God I'm never having sex again.

known fact that orgasms often calm baby down, endorphins and soothing effect of uterine contractions apparently.
have supper, watch the telly, if he/she hasn't come out of her post coital stupor in a couple of hours let us know - he/she will still probably be alright but we can all marvel about the high quality of your orgasms!

musica, had some mini cheddars, a nectarine and lay on my left side, and now am being lovingly kicked/punched in the cervix. YEAH!!!!

Just for the record though, how long do midwives etc tell you is 'ok' not to feel movement?

I wonder about those ladies who didn't even know they were pregnant and then out their baby pops. I'm assuming there was hardly any fetal movement.

Whats 'normal'???

BTW thanks everyone. DH just rolled his eyes, and coming on here is just what I need not to get to the point of hysteria!

You and your dh, pie!! honestly, your health problems, pregnant, and you're still at it like rabbits... er, can you tell I'm jealous..

LOLOLOLOL

Well its the best way to enjoy yourself, even when your broke and sick!!!! Actually its the only way.

There is no previse length of time to worry when feeling no fetal movement. Babies are all individuals and move at different rates. When kick charts are used after 30 weeks, then women are advised to call the midwife if they have not had 10 kicks by the end of the day. These charts often only induce anxiety because women lose count or worry if they get all their movements in the first hour (like I did).
Really I think women have an intuition when their movement patterns have changed. Babies have quiet periods for all sorts of reasons, so learning what prompts the baby to move can be useful for the times of extra long quietness. Drinking cold water, eating chocolate and lying on your left side ( either individually or together) often prompts the baby to move. I always found that lying in the bath prompted the baby to move. Try not to get over worried about it but remember the midwife can listen in for reassurance if you need it.

Glad everything's ok - I get all panicky when I can't remember the last kick, and then babe starts thumping me like there's no tomorrow and I wish it would stop again!

Well, glad I gave you a giggle after all this. Still genuinely jealous though :0

sobernow

Need some advice, I am 21 weeks and haven't really felt much movement at all, just the odd flutter...is this something I should start to worry about or should I put it out of my mind for a couple of weeks? Would appreciate advice/ reasurrance.
Thanks

Sobernow, its a girl. Mind you DH is always telling me I act like a man in the bedroom, what ever that means

Thanks for the clarification Mears.

1stimer, there is a thread here about first fetal movements. I'm assuming from your user name that this is your first baby? I remember when I had DD that I didn't feel anything until about 20 weeks and it took a while before I recognized any regularity in her kicking, or until it became stronger than those first flutters. This time I felt a rumble at 16 weeks and then nothing at all until 19 weeks. I think it takes a while to really get going. I'm sure everything is fine.

Maybe you could try the things Mears suggested and see if you can encourage some movement?

I think I was getting all freaked out as reading the pregnancy after miscarriage stuff reminded me of how scared I've been for most of this pregnancy. I'm 24 weeks today and my confidence is soooooooo shaky!

Also DD kicked so much more than this baby is doing. Still maybe it means that she won't be a hyperactive force of nature like her older sister.

Pie, thanks for the thread I had actually found it after posting this message, and it has reassured me so much. After work I will try mears suggestions and see if that makes a difference.
I have had my 20 week scan and bump was moving a fair bit so I really shouldn't worry too much.
Thanks again for that am feeling better

1stimer - at 20 weeks it is normal just to feel flutterings now and again. As the pregnancy progresses you will be more aware of definite movements, so it might not be for a couple of weeks yet that you will really be aware of when the baby moves.