Recurrent Reduced Movement

[leesey]

Well, as of tonight, I am officially high risk

Was in hospital for the 3rd time in a week and a half with reduced movement (less than 10 movements in 12 hours) and they've referred me to the high risk clinic where I'll be meeting my consultant on Friday.

I've always had a hyperactive baby, felt loads of movement from very early on, and this continued almost consistently until a week past Friday when I only got a few movements, then again on the Saturday. So I went in to triage and they monitored me. Baby was very awkward and they couldn't find the heartbeat So they scanned me and healthy heartbeat but low fluid and inconclusive growth measurements.
So I got another scan the following day (a week past Sunday) and growth and fluid both seemed fine so phew, everything was ok.

Then Friday there, again, reduced movement only felt 4 in the day, Saturday the same, so I phoned triage and they had me in again. Hooked me up to the monitor and booked me in for a scan.

Yesterday I had slightly more movement, but it still took nearly 14 hours to get my 10 movements, and even still some of those were inconclusive. Today I phoned at lunch to say I'd only had 2 since getting up, they said phone back at tea time to see how many I've had then. By 7 I'd only had 5 movements so they told me to come in again.

So tonight I was back in, hooked up, once again they couldn't find heartbeat straight away but because they knew it was likely just to be baby's position again they persevered and eventually found it. Baby was moving away from the transducer so they knew obviously it was moving around in there, but I only felt 2 movements in the time I was hooked up, and the midwife decided that wasn't enough.

So doctor came in, same one as last week, and he repeated his review and said that because this was the third incidence he was going to refer me to the high risk clinic for monitoring.

He then went on to explain to me that, although reduced movement didn't necessarily mean something was wrong with the baby, instances of foetal death have almost always been preceded by reduced movement, so there was a definite link. He said he had to make me aware of this so that I knew how serious it could be.

He had mentioned last week that it was a bit of a coincedence that I'd had a slapped cheek scare in tri 2, and one of the symptoms of parvovirus in pregnancy is reduced movement, so he wanted to recheck my bloods. So I should hear back about that at my consultant appointment on Friday.

I have a scan on Wednesday to check that there has been definite growth since last week's, and then they'll take it from there to plan my care.

It's all a bit scary but I do feel like I'm in good hands, and they all reassured me so much that I don't feel anymore that I'm being paranoid or overreacting so I'm glad I've been so proactive about this. Hubby gave me a row yesterday for not phoning when I didn't get 10 in 12 hours, and he's quite right but I was just convinced they would think I was overreacting.

I'll definitely be phoning every time now.

Well that's my long winded story, anyone else had anything like this? xx

 

[Titch85]

My friend had a really tiny bump, so they had her in for growth scans and told her the baby would only be about 5lb, she stopped feeling babba move so a week before her due date they decided to induce her. When baby was born he was just over 7lb, and had a really short umbilical cord. The consultant said that's probably why he wasn't moving, there was just no room for him to move.

Glad they're keeping an eye on you.

 

[Hope81]

I will not scare you more with a family experience but after what happened in my family reduced movement for me will be delivery now and then if baby is over 30 weeks
Obviously that's because of my family history but there are a lot of reasons for reduced movement and hopefully everything is ok and the bean is growing.
They seem to take good care of you and I suppose Just relax and see how it will go on Friday?

 

[BabyBrain]

Always always get it checked hunny. When I went in for a sweep that never happened I had been in so much pain and every time Albert moved I was in agony. The mw asked me how many movements I'd had that day and I said not many, well if your front room screamed every time you moved you'd think twice about it huh? Lol so she hooked me up to a monitor and he was born by emergency c-section 30 minutes later . His hb had dropped to 40 and couldn't maintain it over 80 so they whipped him out quick. There were 3 paediatricians and a resus team there, he peed on the surgeon and screamed in the mw's face lol so all was well.

Trust your instincts, it doesn't matter if you are there twice a day. Looking after you and baby is what they are trained to do. Hope the rest of the pregnancy goes well xxxxxxxxx

 

[BellaRiven]

I was always down the maternity unit getting him checked in the last few weeks, I barely felt him move at all.

When he came out again the umbilical cord was short and they thought that was why.

I'm pleased their looking after you so well honey, keep us updated x x x

 

[BellaRiven]

I was always down the maternity unit getting him checked in the last few weeks, I barely felt him move at all.

When he came out again the umbilical cord was short and they thought that was why.

I'm pleased their looking after you so well honey, keep us updated x x x

 

[BellaRiven]

Sorry for the double post.....

 

[Sunshine_1]

I was spending days in hospital at a time with Number 1 hun, she wouldn't move for days, and when she did, it was normally hiccups!! It was horrible and very scary having teams of doctors and midwives and scan after scan.

I never did find out why I had the lack of movement, but she's 13 and is as fit as a fiddle now if that's any comfort to you x

 

[leesey]

Thanks everyone, short umbilical cord seems to be a common thing with reduced movement then? Is that something they can check for in a scan or do they have to wait til baby is out?
Bubs had a ten minute wrigglefest about an hour ago, despite no strong movements throughout the day (although I was feel light tickles all day, I'm not allowed to count this in the movements). I think because it was constant movement for ten minutes that counts as the ten movements, but I will phone triage as usual at dinner time to see what they say. I think today should be fine though.
So scan tomorrow then daycare observation, see how that goes xx

 

[kedi376]

Hey Leesey, sorry to hear you've been having it tough. You're so right to get it checked out and don't ever think different. Although it certainly sounds like you're in good hands. Hope you're holding up ok x

 

[leesey]

Hi ladies, crappy signal but just letting you know I've been kept in tonight. Just precautionary apparently but still sucks Will update tomorrow morning hopefully x

 

[Sunshine_1]

Oh no! Let us know how it's going when you can hun x

 

[CARNAT22]

I hope all is OK leesey?

xxxxxxxxxx

 

[netty]

oh leesey just seen this!!! hope all is ok sweety!!

 

[babyem]

Hope you're ok! At least you are in good hands and getting the care you and baby need x

 

[leesey]

Just updated this in tri 3, copy and paste alert!


Hi ladies, sorry to keep you waiting. I had absolutely no sleep in hospital due to the snorer next to me (my god that was loud - I've now remembered to add 'ear plugs' to my hospital bag list!) so when we finally got home at half 4 I went straight for a nap.

Was monitored on and off, got a scan and got blood results back. Everything is normal, apart from the lack of movement obviously, so they still don't know what's causing it. The doctor who released me was quite a talker but he basically said the plan would probably be if I still got less than ten movements a day I'd be in for monitoring every day, but they would do it during the day instead of at night as I was getting so stressed out having to phone up every night not knowing what they would say.

If the movements do pick up, they will see me twice a week for monitoring, and possibly a fortnightly scan too. This will be confirmed by the consultant on Friday, after seeing how the next couple of days go. They're keen to keep an eye on the blood flow from the placenta and the fluid levels, and will just keep an eye on growth too.

It's been a horrible day, ended up in tears several times and hubby is stressed to the max, but we're home now and bubs gave us a few wee jabs earlier that we both felt so we feel happier this evening. Still so stressful having this hanging over us but so glad not to be in that ward anymore.

The worst part today was when we were sitting in the ward waiting for hours to get a scan (even though we already had an appointment from before that I told them about at least twice) and we'd literally been sitting in the same spot for 2 hours solid, when everyone else was allowed to come and go with their visitors. A lady in labour came in to the room (4 to a room in the ward) and was really quite stressed by the sound of things. All of a sudden the midwife said, push the button, emergency, and all the midwives came running in. The baby's heartrate and just dropped and wasn't going back up so they had to whip her away for emergency treatment (I assume c-section). This was just the last straw and I fell apart, I was howling at the midwife, saying how can it be better for me here when I'm so much more stressed here, this isn't good for the baby, blah blah. It was really horrible.

But she let me go away for a drink at the cafe, and we ended up just going to the scan appointment that was originally booked from Monday morning. What a palava.

Anyway, big long story, all ok still so far. Sorry it took so long to get back to you, I had like one bar of phone reception at the most the whole time I was there, couldn't even text my bump buddy, sorry!! xx

 

[CARNAT22]

Glad to hear you are home sweetie,

It does all sound very stressful BUT I am sure nothing is as stressful as not knowing if bub is OK in there? At least this way you are being properly looked after and they are really keeping a look out for any potential problems.

Sorry your last few weeks are going to be fraught as I know you have tried so hard to keep calm and relaxed - I remember you telling me to do the same

Fingers crossed bub starts given you lots of movement and you don't need to go to hospital every day

xxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Sunshine_1]

Hope that baby really starts giving it some and this horrible time stops for you, spending too much time on the maternity ward is stressful to the max and really frightening at times, I remember!

At least baby has given you a few kicks tonight, hopefully you'll get lots more x

 

[leesey]

Thanks ladies, I've had 8 so far today and monitoring on the day unit went fine. Heard some movement while on the monitor too even though I didn't feel it, so it's good to know I'm getting inside movements that aren't always being felt so I probably am getting more than the ten a day I just can't feel them for whatever reason.
I told the doctor I was feeling happy with the movements today and he just said "We need to stick to the speed limit here"... I'm assuming he was implying I shouldn't get ahead of myself. Still feeling a lot happier about stuff though!

Got the consultant tomorrow and a scan on Monday, but I'm looking into getting a 4D scan over the weekend so we can see bubs good and proper!

Will keep you up to date! xx

 

[FirstBabyEek]

Thats good news! Pleased they are taking it seriously too though and you aren't being fobbed over. Hope the 4D scan goes well and that you share some piccys xx