Baby movements massively reduced at 34 weeks

[SalisburyMum]

Baby's movements seem weaker and lower. I'm 34 weeks today.

Anyone else had this? I'm terrified, she's usually so active around this time of night...

 

[Emily0505]

Any change in babies movement and you need to go in for monitoring.

Give triage a call ASAP.

Could well just be that she's moved position but better to be safe than sorry.

XX

 

[SpiritedAway]

Um hard to say really.. baby's movements are a lot firmer and I now feel a lot more I guess? I certainly notice them more in the day now too but he has been a very squirmy baby.

I have in the past 3 weeks had panic attacks that he's not moved and then he finally does but I've been so busy on my feet ive probably not noticed.

If you are concerned they say to drink a sugary or ice cold drink (orange juice or lucosade I try as i cut out all sugar drinks), lie on your left side and count how many movements in an hour (under 10 times you should contact a midwife).

Or if i poke or hold my tummy gently I can usualy get a poke back.

Try not to worry, do you see a midwife soon? As above im pretty sure when i had weaker movements he had spun around.

 

[MissCharli]

I thought the 10 an hour thing was out of date advice now? I think they are more interested in anything that is not usual or in your baby's pattern. If you're worried definitely give triage a call, everything is probably fine and the baby has probably just changed positions but better safe than sorry x

 

[Ab202]

Advice from my midwife was that baby's movements may feel different when they've got bigger and got less room, but they should not reduce (or dramatically increase) and should still follow their usual pattern.

Try a glass of freezing cold water and laying on your left to see if it makes baby move.

I'd also give your maternity unit a call to be on the safe side, hopefully there's nothing to worry about but better to be safe than sorry x

 

[JulyBug]

I never get at least 10 movements an hour, As someone else said I think that advice is outdated now. I was also told movements do change slightly as baby runs out of room.

As I said in our July thread my LO has never really had a pattern as such, he'll have very active days and then very quiet days where I'll only feel him a few times that day and my midwife said it's completely normal.

I have an anterior placenta too which doesn't help!

If worried then of course phone triage xx

 

[Rose83]

I'm so concerned that midwives are still staying things like '10 things an hour' or movements will change when they run out of space. This isn't true. Go to the kicks count website and read up on it.

Absolutely any change of movement, either feeling or quantity etc should be reported immediately to your maternity unit so they can bring you in for monitoring. It's usually all fine (across 3 pregnancies I've gone in 6 times) but it's always better to be checked. My first baby I called in on Wednesday when I was 39 + 5 and said my very active baby wasn't moving as much. They told me to drink a glass of water and lay down and count the kicks for half an hour I counted 13 and they said that's fine, I said no she would usually move 50 times in an hour and they said at that stage 13 was good and didn't bring me. I wish I'd fought my corner more. I went into labour two days later and had grade 3 meconium (poo) in my waters because she was distressed, she continued to be distressed for 18 hours and had to have wires attached to her head to monitor her distress while still inside me and was eventually born by forceps. I've since been told that I was probably right on the Wednesday and she had been distressed then.

Sorry that sounds dramatic and worrying but as I said mostly everything will turn out fine but never ignore your gut feeling that something has changed xx

 

[kumber]

Really, really hope you went in and got checked out Salisbury Mum.

Movements should increase between 28 and 32 weeks, plateauing at 32 with a fully established pattern. That pattern does not change, not for room, not for labour, not for anything.

 

[SpiritedAway]

I have a really active baby and an anterior placenta with that too. He doesn't have a pattern to his movements at all, that's why i go by the 10 movements and he'll usually go over that with his punches and kicks when I get a cold/energy drink in me.

Since I've gone into third tri he's moving even more so in the day now to what he did at night and then that can change in a night or week and I'll just get occasional punches mainly squirms (unless i put my hand on my tummy) to the evening instead (or he'll just beat me up all day long instead lol).

The only time I noticed change was when he flipped (head down now) as he was kicking me in my bum and i felt less or not so forceful during the eve.

So it's not the same for everyone to have a pattern, hell I've been into my ward with dehydration and very poorly and he's moving like a head case but fine and then the second time I went in for dehydration he was moving less and I wasnt as poorly as I previously was.

Overall If im not happy, I go by my gut feeling that somethings not right.

 

[kumber]

Even with an anterior placenta, baby will still have a pattern but it will change slightly day to day. MWs find that women with anterior placentas come into for reduced movement more because the placenta cushions so much, but that's ok as they always rather we go in and check.

 

[SpiritedAway]

Even with an anterior placenta, baby will still have a pattern but it will change slightly day to day. MWs find that women with anterior placentas come into for reduced movement more because the placenta cushions so much, but that's ok as they always rather we go in and check.

I've never been in for reduced movements because of it, I felt him move first around 16/17 weeks so was surprised when I went for my 4D scan and the lady said, as it hasn't been mentioned previously.

Maybe its not in a place to cushion his movements so much? The only time is when he's flipped and been kicking me in the bum have i felt less cause he certainly is a squirmy baby.

 

[kumber]

Could be, if it's higher up the wall of your uterus then you'll feel more movements quite low. Or it could be over one side.

 

[JulyBug]

I don't believe my LO has ever really had a pattern either.. I do think it's down to my anterior placenta, sometimes his active in the mornings and sometimes his not, somtimes he kicks all day sometimes I barely feel him.. he really doesn't have a pattern and my midwife said if that's how his always been then that's fine. I think every woman and baby is different xx

 

[MissCharli]

I'm not sure about an absolute pattern per se, I also have an anterior placenta. But I know that if I lay on my side he will always start kicking one side or the other without fail. I think the anterior placenta does make a difference though cos I've found that I can feel him with my hand through my skin on the front of my tummy, but I can't always feel it from the inside if you know what I mean? I do think that worrying about/monitoring about movements is quite a stressful part of pregnancy!

 

[millielaura]

Hope all okay. Defo triage as soon as you notice any change in pattern xxx

 

[SalisburyMum]

Went in yesterday, a 45 min monitoring season found the baby is just kicking my placenta a bit more!!

All is well xx glad I went it, was scared!!!

 

[kumber]

Phew glad all is ok!