When should I worry?

[legallyblond]

I know I probably don't need to worry but I am starting to panic because I have not felt my baby move yet. I am 21+1 and everyone is asking if I am feeling it kicking (saying things like "oh, mine kicked so much it kept me awake at your stage" etc etc).

This is my first baby so I don't really know what I'm looking out for. People have said its like a betterfly, but I have certainly felt nothing like that. I have felt a couple of times something that is like bubbles popping agaist the lining of my tummy inside... but that could be wind?

I had my 20 week scan last week and the baby was "active" according to my notes (and I saw it wriggle around!). Also, my placenta is apparently "anterior but not low". Could that stop me from feeling the baby?

It is normal for me not to have felt anything yet? When did you feel your first?

My friend had this and hardly felt anything during her pregnancy. Don't worry! It just means instead of kicking you, the baby is kicking into the placenta, which is cushioning most of the blow, so you won't feel movement as strongly as someone who has a placenta positioned at the back.
If you're feeling the bubbles popping that's probably it though. I usually feel mine at the sides and in the middle, low down - but if your placenta is low, you might not.
Everyone is very different and if the scan said everything is fine, it probably is!

this is my first but at 20 weeks i was only feeling bubbling.

i think it depends on alot of things but sounds completely normal.

please dont worry x

Hi legallyblond -

I know what you mean about everybodies comments - I am also preganant with my first and people were asking me if i'd felt movements from about 16 weeeks which really worried me as i hadn't felt anything.

I had the bubble sensations and thought it was wind but my midwife reassured me it was baby moving. I didn't feel anything until I was into my 21st week, now 25 weeks.

I wouldn't worry and you will soon feel stronger movements - and the main thing is you have seen baby move, just keep reminding yourself of that.

I have an anterior placenta and would say that I only really felt 'proper' kicks from about 22-23 weeks. Until then, I would have said the same as you, like bubbles popping.

This is my first as well and I didn't really feel much movement until about 22/23 weeks even though on the 20 week scan the baby was a right little 'mover and shaker'. I didn't really feel lots of movement until about 26 weeks and now at 30 weeks I have got more than enough! Honestly don't worry it is different for everybody and as you say you have seen on your scan that the baby was 'active'! Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy - soon you'll be being be kicked to no doubt!!!!

Anterior but not low is good for the placenta. Having a low lying placenta could potentially cause some issues later on as it has a greater chance of blocking the exit. Though by all accounts it tends to move itself in most cases.

I have an anterior placenta and didn't really feel any movements until around 22 weeks, so don't panic just yet! Before that the only thing I felt was what seemed like a muscle twitch really low down, almost in my pelvis. As LO got bigger, the kicks and punches I've felt have mostly been to the sides of my stomach or into my intestines. The latter being a rather strange sensation that's hard to describe.

An anterior placenta will prevent you feeling movement as strong or early as others.

Basically the baby is kicking your back and you don't feel it, or your placenta and you can't feel it.

With a posterier placenta the baby can directly kickl your tummy muscles which you can feel.

I'm only 18wks with my first but haven't felt even bubbling, A fellow MN on the oct thread reassured me it can be upto 24wks with the first as you don't know what to look out for as such.

Ok, ok, trying to keep calm and not phone my midwife like a silly thing!

Now 22 weeks today... still nothing definite.... I keep worrying (I read an article about a woman who had a very severly disabled child and she said that she secretly know something was wrong before he was born as she hardly felt him move... ... but irrational I know!!!!).

Like I said, feeling bubbles pop inside, but could be wind...

I am sure that in a few weeks I'll be saying "I can't believe I was worried about it not kicking - it won't stop"... right?

Thanks for the reassurances so far!

Hi legallyblond I am 20+3 and not feeling anything yet either. I couldn't bare the look on peoples faces when i said that I wasn't feeling anything yet and have stupidly started smiling and nodding at the question before rapidly chaning the subject.

For some reason my 20 week scan isn't til 22+3 so I still have 2 weeks of worry if it doesn't start doing something soon.

I am sure that everyone is right though and that there is nothing to worry about, it will happen eventually. I am just starting to feel a bit cheated.

take care and good luck!!