Anybody NOT feel their baby yet?

[stayathomecristi]

O.k., I'm not overly concerned YET, but I think I will be soon. I'm 17 weeks `1 day along and I *think* I felt this kid once (around 15 weeks), just a quick flutter. I really believe now that it was a gas bubble .

Thing is that I have always felt my kiddos on the early side--generally around 12 weeks. I know it's normal for some mamas not to feel anything till 16 weeks, but here I am at 17 and nothing.

I went for an appointment last wednesday and we heard a heartbeat, although I have to tell you that both times they tried (previous visit and this visit) they had a hard time getting it. In fact, at 12 weeks they did a scan to make sure all was well.

I don't think I'm any fluffier this time around than the others, so what's going on? Should I be concerned? Why have they had such trouble finding a h/b at my appointments and why am I not feeling anything now?

In my gut I don't feel like anything is wrong, so I haven't spent any time worrying about it, but it does seem weird to me.

Thoughts?

[alison_in_oh]

I don't know anything about this, but maybe the baby's position is causing both problems. I think I've heard of an anterior placenta muffling the kicks, and that would also buffer the ultrasound waves from reaching the fetal heart?

I'm just over 15 weeks with my first, I have not felt anything I could definitely attribute to the fetus. Don't really expect to until more like 18-20 weeks, just cuz I'm a first timer.

[littleteapot]

My first I felt at 11 weeks, and my second baby I didn't feel until I was past 17 weeks!!
This one has kind of been in the middle somewhere. Every baby is very different, plus the position of placenta, position of the baby, temperment... lots of things can affect it.

[Quip1320]

I haven't felt anything either and they had trouble finding the heartbeat with both of my pregnancies until after 16 weeks. I had an u/s at 12 weeks with both to make sure everything was ok. With Isaac, I didn't feel him move until I was about 20 weeks along. I sort of expected to feel this one by now but I haven't so I figure no biggie....hopefully soon though! The u/s tech did mention this time that my uterus was pretty thick and that could explain why it took so long to hear the heartbeat with both babies. I was surprised because they didn't say that when I was pregnant with Isaac. I'm sure before too long we will both be feeling our little ones.

[deleria]

I'm right there with all of you!

I think I may have felt the baby move a couple of times now, but nothing definite as of yet. I felt my first son at 17 weeks and my second at 16. I'm 16 weeks now and I can't honestly say I've felt anything for certain.

I do, however, have a doppler and had a difficult time finding the heartbeat at 14 and 15 weeks. In fact, it's much easier to find now at 16. I believe there's an anterior placenta issue in this case and that the baby is behind my scar tissue from Declan's cesarean, both which could muffle the ultrasound waves.

I do hear a lot of movement, though! When this little one moves you can hear it all over the doppler

[Finding Serenity]

I'll be 17 weeks tomorrow and I still haven't felt any truly definable movement yet. There were times I felt something but not sure if that was the baby or something else going on. It wasn't a flutter feeling like I've had in the past. I'm not worried really but I would feel alot better if I was feeling movements like other people are. I'm just going to have to wait till my next appt to hear the hb, I don't have any other choice. Patience, patience...hmmm, not always easy.

[stayathomecristi]

I feel better now--thanks! I didn't think I should be alarmed, but this is totally different for me.



Quip--I'd be very excited to hear that my uterine wall is thick and that is why they're having trouble hearing it! After 3 sections, I'm really hoping for a nice, thick uterine wall

[PuppyFluffer]

I've not felt it yet either. I think I'm nearing 15 weeks. I'm not worried. I declined the doppler yesterday at the midwife appointment. I'm avoiding outside vibes this go round....though I did let them use it with dd. I think we'll all be feeling things pretty soon.

[ocelotmom]

I felt some distinct movement pretty early - 12 weeks or so. I haven't felt any lately, though (16 weeks). The only times I've thought maybe I had, I've had gas at the same time, so who knows?

I am, honestly, a little worried. I felt definite movement earlier than this last time. However, it could just be that my uterus grew and there's more moving room now, or a position change, or some other innocent explanation. Since I'm not having any cramping, bleeding, or other issues I'm going under the assumption that things are ok, though I'll admit I'm looking up missed miscarriages (my mom had one when I was 8, so it's something I was already a bit nervous about), and may drag myself to a doppler if this continues much longer.

[littleteapot]

What would a doppler change?
Also, please look up the risks associated with ultrasound abuse before going out and buying or renting one!

[deleria]

Originally Posted by littleteapot

What would a doppler change?
Also, please look up the risks associated with ultrasound abuse before going out and buying or renting one!

There are potential risks to ultrasound, sure. But there are also potential risks to having constant anxiety over the health of your baby. Sometimes just hearing the heartbeat once can make a woman feel a lot more confident and relaxed in her pregnancy. That can only benefit her and the baby.

I do understand your point, and I know that you've experienced a loss. Perhaps you don't need that reassurance in your pregnancy, but some women feel they do, myself included. When I had a lump in my breast, I had simple testing done to confirm that it was a cyst and not cancer. That put several weeks of panic behind me and I was finally able to relax and enjoy life again.

Hearing the heartbeat has helped me do the same in this pregnancy in a sense. I lost a baby five years ago and I've had anxiety in both my last pregnancy and a little in this one. I feel a lot better knowing that if I am really concerned, I can check on the baby. It's also helped a great deal with bonding, which I've also had a hard time doing since our loss. Overall the definite pros outweigh the potential cons of occasional doppler use in my case.

Not trying to start a debate, just trying to explain the other side of things

[ocelotmom]

While I'm in favor of very limited ultrasound use, and haven't had either a doppler or ultrasound yet this pregnancy, a long period (we're talking at least many days, possibly longer - not just a few hours) of not feeling movement after having well established movement feels to me like a time when it may be a little more warranted than at the normal prenatal appointment.

The benefit? Peace of mind if there is a heartbeat (though, knowing your story, I'd probably continue to worry . If there isn't, it certainly isn't going to hurt the baby any, and a dead fetus sitting around in the body for weeks on end is a bit of an infection risk. I'd rather at least have the option to deal with it on my own terms, rather than have it turn into an emergency.

In any case, I'd be getting someone trained to do it - if I'm going to get a doppler or ultrasound, I'm not going to do it myself and risk getting bad results or causing damage due to lack of knowledge.

(And I think I'm feeling some subtle movements now, so hopefully it just won't be an issue)

[littleteapot]

My issue is this: you are not addressing where this fear is coming from, so what happens another week from now when you don't feel movement for a day? What about when your 'kick count' doesn't add up? You have a 'bad feeling'? A listen that will "only be a minute" quickly turns into multiple listenings, multiple times, and pretty soon your baby has had the equivalent exposure to a dozen hours of ultrasound. A doppler is 35 times as powerful.
Your fear and anxiety are deeprooted within you, and medical band-aids will not make them go away. Temporary peace of mind it may give, but you are not healing yourself or your anxiety problem by using risky technology to "check up" on your baby.
Anxiety is a huge issue, I agree - which is why it should be treated from the root, not the leaf. Especially when that superficial treatment carries risks.

Also, I don't think the breast lump comparison is fair at all. If it WAS cancer it could potentially be life threatening without a check. A baby who has died in uteruo will be passed in a miscarriage. The "infection risk" is terribly overblown.

[deleria]

Fair enough, Babs You have a good argument and I respect your view. Thank you for clarifying!

[TurboClaudia]

cristi:

saw the title of this post and had to come look what ddc this was in, and lo and behold, it's you!

i only just starting feeling the little babe kicking and punching in the past 1.5-2 weeks and i'm 19 weeks today. with my pregnancy with our son, i didn't feel him discernibly until 19+ weeks and then i felt him on the outside as well as just inside. not feeling this one on the outside yet. there's a bunch of due in sept mamas pregnant with 2nd and subsequent babes that haven't yet felt or just felt movements recently.

i know you've shared about the stress of finding the right care providers for you during this pregnancy and i'm sure that's affecting you in different ways, so i can understand you feeling concerned about not feeling this babe yet. hopefully, you'll start feeling your little one move soon and you'll get a good one in the bladder and wish you hadn't spoken too soon! :LOL

sending you more s

~claudia

[ocelotmom]

The fact that my reaction to not having felt movement in quite a while (again, we're talking at least a week or two of not feeling movement, not a few hours, not a few days. I can't remember exactly when I last felt something for certain) is "gee, maybe I'll drag myself down somewhere for a check one of these days if it keeps up" should indicate that I'm not being too overly fearful and anxious about this.

(To be clear "maybe I'll drag myself down somewhere for a check" does not mean "I'm calling an OB tomorrow". In absence of other reason to believe something is wrong, I doubt I'll get to that point for another week or two.)

Kick counts? Didn't do them last time (to be fair, he kicked enough that a kick count would have been just paperwork), doubt I'll do them this time. I didn't have any extra dopplers or ultrasounds due to anxiety last time around (I did have the standard ones, which obviously I've changed my mind about this time). I'm not planning to start doing so at every little twinge or moment of depression this time.

In any case, I do see where you're coming from, and don't entirely disagree. However, I draw my line in a different place than you do. Let's just hope that line doesn't actually need to be crossed.

[leurMaman]

My friend had anterior placenta and said she never felt her daughter all through the pregnancy. That would scare me, but perhaps they can tell you if this is the case when (if) you get an U/S. Otherwise, I'd say hang on. It is still early.

As for me, I have been feeling blood pulsing around the uterus since week 9 or 10, and I think I've felt flutters (at least I'm kind of sure that it wasn't gas!) Still no big kicks though. I'll be 15 weeks on Tuesday, so its still early. Good luck!

[annethcz]

Me! But it's totally normal for me. I haven't felt any of my babes move until around 18-20 weeks. So I'm hoping to feel some movement in a month or so.

[Twice as nice]

Same here... I'm at 17 wks with twins & all i seem to be feeling so far is pulse and gas I think I may have felt something before, but really not sure if it was the babies or something else. I'm really hoping to start feeling them soon...

[boscopup]

Originally Posted by littleteapot

What would a doppler change?

At this point, nothing. But later on when the baby is at a viable gestation, it could save a baby's life if someone noticed their baby not kicking and checked for a heartbeat and found it to be low. Sometimes, for whatever reason, the woman's body becomes an unhealthy place for the baby, and the baby needs to be out in order to survive.

Of course, this case is VERY rare. I believe the above scenario actually happened in the May DDC recently though.

I personally don't have a doppler around, but if I thought something was off (intuition, ya know), I'd certainly go get it checked for peace of mind. But I'm also not one to do it every day or 12 times a day. Some of us *DO* have self control.