changes in movement

[shantiani]

How consistent is your baby's movement these days? Do you every have really quiet days? Normally I get such a gymnastics show every evening that I'm worried about the lack of movement yesterday and today. She is definitely still moving.... but it is less intense and less frequent than normal. I really have to tune in and look for it. (Except when she started poking my bladder and cervix... that was new, and rather noticeable.)

I'm guessing / thinking / hoping that she just changed positions again and the movement is less obvious (and in different places). But I've also been really active the last few days, carrying boxes and moving furniture, and so I can't help but worry about the change.

Any experience, wisdom, advice?

[GreenTeaGinger61]

Originally Posted by shantiani

How consistent is your baby's movement these days? Do you every have really quiet days? Normally I get such a gymnastics show every evening that I'm worried about the lack of movement yesterday and today. She is definitely still moving.... but it is less intense and less frequent than normal. I really have to tune in and look for it. (Except when she started poking my bladder and cervix... that was new, and rather noticeable.)

I'm guessing / thinking / hoping that she just changed positions again and the movement is less obvious (and in different places). But I've also been really active the last few days, carrying boxes and moving furniture, and so I can't help but worry about the change.

Any experience, wisdom, advice?

With all three of mine, I had quiet days and busy days. Even with the quiet days, I did feel some movement, stretching, etc. I did worry, of course, and still do! If I'm too freaked out, I drink some oj and lay on my back. I usually get the party in the womb so I figure everything is okay.




Honestly there are days when I don't even think about the baby moving. I'm too busy. The midwife was kind of horrified but I said "Look three homeschooled kids, a part time job, etc. I don't have time to notice!"

[Bmorefarmgirl]

i am wondering the same thing! my babe has days where he is really active, days where he is really active 2 or 3 times in the day, and then days where he is mostly quiet. i still feel movement every day, but it is never the same from day to day.

also, he seems to like the same spot, with his little butt sticking out on my right side. is that normal for him to stick to basically one position, with random kicks and movement? (i am 29 weeks.)

i look forward to hearing others' experiences too!

(ps...he must have known i was talking about him. just got a little kick hello. )

[MaterPrimaePuellae]

Originally Posted by Bmorefarmgirl

i am wondering the same thing! my babe has days where he is really active, days where he is really active 2 or 3 times in the day, and then days where he is mostly quiet. i still feel movement every day, but it is never the same from day to day.

also, he seems to like the same spot, with his little butt sticking out on my right side. is that normal for him to stick to basically one position, with random kicks and movement? (i am 29 weeks.)

i look forward to hearing others' experiences too!

(ps...he must have known i was talking about him. just got a little kick hello. )

This is exactly my situation, even down to the kick while posting I'm 31 weeks, and he's been like this for as long as I've been able to feel movement. I'm hoping that this means he's a calm, cool, laid-back baby. We'll see

[rhiOrion]

My baby definitely has a preferred spot. Unfortunately that spot is sitting with her head up against my right side. I wish she would have picked a head-down position to like so much.

[Bmorefarmgirl]

yeah mine has been like this since i started to feel movement too! i am glad to hear it from someone else.

my fundus is growing steadily, heartbeat is good at every visit, been feeling fine, so i am hoping that this baby just likes to sleep a lot! my husband and i are both big sleepers, so i am hoping he is just like us!

[GreenTeaGinger61]

I'm about to be Debbie Downer:P My third kicked ALL THE TIME. I thought for sure I was going to be dealing with a very wired baby But once born she slept for like six weeks. We couldn't wake her up. It drove dh nuts. He wanted to see her eyes so bad. She'd peer up at us, latch onto the breasts and then sleep again. I used to joke that she had used up all her energy in womb and needed to rest once she was on the outside.

This one moves all the time too so I'm hoping I get the sleepy six weeks too.

[mamaspark]

I'm 31 weeks and mine seems to have slowed down as well. I can nudge him and get him to move and he still gets the hiccups, but he's not as crazy as he's been lately. I'm wondering if it's because he has less and less room in there to get his party on?

[sew_crafty_girl]

For me, the change in movement has been more strong, shifting movements. I get feet pushing out and scraping across my belly, In the last couple of days, I've definately seen more 'belly alien' type movements. I also get more 'shuddering' type movements and feel hands moving down by my pubic area, especially if I'm bent over.

While I do get quieter days than others, I bet I feel baby move some at least every hour.

The advantage to working a full-time desk job is getting to sit and watch my belly move. I feel a lot of movement during my work day and again while I'm laying down i the evenings, which I do a lot of these days!

One thing I haven't noticed yet are hiccups. I remember having them with my others though.

[Knitting Mama]

Originally Posted by sew_crafty_girl

For me, the change in movement has been more strong, shifting movements. I get feet pushing out and scraping across my belly, In the last couple of days, I've definately seen more 'belly alien' type movements.

Hahah, this is the best description! I was just saying in the nausea thread that we crossed over to the 3rd tri on Tuesday and now all of a sudden Cecilia's making my stomach bow out in weird places. It's disconcerting!

We haven't had any hiccups either, and I've been so looking forward to them!

[jsh7809]

Originally Posted by Cecilia's Mama

We haven't had any hiccups either, and I've been so looking forward to them!

Oh, good, that makes me feel better - I haven't noticed any hiccups, either, and don't see my belly shifting around visibly (although sometimes she does kick hard enough to bounce my book if I'm reading!), and it seems like that's ALL anyone wants to hear about
She's pretty active most days, but then some days seems very quiet. If I start worrying, I just drink some OJ and she starts bouncing around. My midwife asked me if I was going to do the kick count thing but I just feel like I would notice if it was really quiet for a significant amount of time...

[Knitting Mama]

I definitely think I'd notice too, I'm pretty hyper-aware of her movement. It might be because she's my first, or because I have a desk job so I'm not running around all day, or some combination of both. I actually was worried for about an hour this morning when she wasn't all active at her "usual" time. But then she was an hour later, so I guess her schedules are shifting a bit!

[bclare]

I find if I start thinking about food mine starts bopping around. Or maybe he/she is making me think about food because someone is hungry....who knows! I know movement, especially yoga, generally keeps baby quiet. And getting squished creates some bumping protests everytime!

[Pepper44]

I think the pattern of quiet days and then active days are from growing. You know how a baby will eat a ton and be kind of cranky, then sleep for two days straight and wake up bigger? (At least that's what my DD did!) They have to do something similar in the womb.

They also start to gradually run out of room the farther along you get.

My DD just moved all the time, non-stop, except for random quiet days. This baby has a *very* distinct schedule she follows now. She has a short morning nap, a very long afternoon nap, and then she goes crazy starting sometime between 8:30-9:30 each night where she moves and wiggles and kicks non-stop.

She has a favorite spot--LOP. She has never once moved out of this position! The entire pregnancy her heartbeat has been in the same spot. Isn't that odd?

[Jenica]

I agree with what everyone is saying. Mine had a super quiet day yesterday too, to the point I was worried. Then I went to bed and boom, super active. I mean she was kicking so hard that a couple times she startled me. I've been getting some crazy alien belly too. And she definitely has a favorite position, head down, butt to the right, and kick the crap out of Mama's left side. If I wasn't worried by the sudden change in activity yesterday, I would have enjoyed the internal peace and quiet.

[shantiani]

Thanks ladies!

My midwife emailed and told me to try the juice test (have some juice or ice cream and then lie down and count kicks.) She said I should be able to feel 10 kicks (or hiccups or any type of movement) within an hour. I don't normally drink straight juice but I had a big ole bottle of OJ and counted 10 kicks within the first 10 minutes (some very tiny, but noticeable enough to count).
My mw also said the same thing a few of you have pointed out.... the quality / type of movement will change as baby runs out of room. She said I should expect less giant leg thrusts are more small rolls and finger pokes.
So I guess yesterday was just a quiet day and between the new position and shrinking space, the movements are just feeling smaller. Ok, I can be calm

Pepper, I think our babies are on the same schedule. Normally, mine starts getting perky around 10 or 11am for a couple of hours and then gets quiet until late afternoon. She starts squirming again around 7 and then goes berserk at 8 or 9pm for several hours. I hope she sticks with that schedule after she arrives because I am way more of a night owl than a morning person.

[Oztok5]

I'm glad that other people are also experiencing some days that are less active than others. That makes me feel much better.


Has anyone noticed less movement after you exercise? It seems that if I go to the Y at 7:00pm, I don't feel much of anything for pretty much the rest of the evening. I'm certainly not over exerting myself at the Y since I usually just do a fast walk on a little bit of an incline, and I don't let my heart rate get too high...

[GreenTeaGinger61]

Originally Posted by Oztok5

I'm glad that other people are also experiencing some days that are less active than others. That makes me feel much better.


Has anyone noticed less movement after you exercise? It seems that if I go to the Y at 7:00pm, I don't feel much of anything for pretty much the rest of the evening. I'm certainly not over exerting myself at the Y since I usually just do a fast walk on a little bit of an incline, and I don't let my heart rate get too high...

I was always told that any active movement on your part likely lulls them to sleep. The pregnancies were I taught full time were always less active when I was teaching (I moved around the classroom a great deal). And whenever I exercise, it gets very quiet in there.

Now as soon as I lay down and FINALLY start to fall asleep, the party starts!

[ann_of_loxley]

Pretty consistant these days. But it is not as much as it used to be. I guess space is running out in there! lol.... This one started off as a crazy dancer that rolled a lot - but now is just as lazy as my son was in there! hehe... I have read though, that babies, around this time, are only 'awake' for 2 hours of the day (and not together). I am sure this one does move in the night as well - but it never wakes me up!
And ...if I am walking...they never move.