Bump getting smaller at 27 weeks

[ButtercupGarden]

Hi ladies. This is a bit of a random one, but I swear my bump has got smaller again this week. I have never had a big bump but I was looking quite pregnant from about 24 weeks and feeling a lot of kicks and movement poking outwards (you could feel them from the outside). This week though I swear the bump is flatter and now the kicks and movement and low down and more muffled. Has anyone had something similar? Could it just be that baby has moved? I'm glad I can still feel movements but I'm disconcerted by the smaller bump.

I had a midwife appt last week where she measured fundal height and said it was on the smaller side of normal, and I've got a growth scan on Wednesday so hopefully this will put my mind at rest. Till then, I'm having a panic!

Thank you xx

[Purpledoggy]

Yep baby moving can definitely change bump shape and size. Didn’t happen to me but did to my coworker recently meaning she had to go for a scan and all was fine, just moved significantly. I have known so many people have ‘small’ bumps causing referral for a scan, only to find baby was a whopper! One poor lady in my NCT group had to go for a scan after almost every MW appt! She named it the ‘tiny baby giant baby game’ 😂 xx

[Ltry]

I feel like my bump changes every day sometimes bigger, sometimes smaller 😅 also definitely have days where the movement is lots and strong then others when it feels like it's muffled so I think it is baby moving around and getting into a different position. Doesn't stop be panicking every time though! I have started taking a weekly photo of my bump to try to reassure myself about growth (though sometimes I spend ages look at it trying to work out if if actually looks bigger).

[ButtercupGarden in reply to Ltry]

I'm going to start taking a picture too as least then I have something to compare against! The "has movement changed?" anxiety is real!

[Hidden]

In so far as muffled movements after clear kicks - I’m not as far along as you but I had something similar this week (week 24). I was feeling regular movement and husband felt for first time too. I then went swimming and after that I didn’t feel much movement for 24 hours. I really started to panic, and like you the movment I did feel, felt like it was on top of my vagina/ low down and very muffled/ not strong. I feel like I’ve bothered the midwife so much already, I ended up getting a quick private scan before ringing in (probably not what you should do) and baby was doing fine and had indeed moved and could be seen moving and kicking away on the scan and I couldn’t feel it. I do have a front facing placenta (forgotten the official word 🤦‍♀️) so lady from the scan did say that could play a part.

[ButtercupGarden in reply to Hidden]

Thank you! Sounds very similar. it's weird that the movement was much stronger and more visible earlier on. I can only assume that she has moved around and is kicking me in different places. Am looking forward to the scan on Wednesday!

[Kittykat198]

Bump is definitely larger as the day goes on though so I do think it can change shape in the day too!!

My fundal height has always been normal but baby is on 92nd centile in growth scans. I spoke to someone the other day who was sent for a growth scan as fundal height was measuring large and baby was measuring 50th centile at scan so I think those measurements can be off.

The kicks lower down may be positional. My baby is breach and I can only feel kicking in my lower pelvis.sometimes I can feel poking about. Sometimes more wooshing or flutters but very much depends on his position. The kicks also get less pokey as he gets bigger if that makes sense. Sometimes the movements are much quieter though which I think is him having turned but midwives aren’t bothered.

I was told that some babies never form a pattern with moving and this one definitely has none!

best of luck with scan!

[ButtercupGarden]

I think the guidance around "identifying your baby's patterns" is so tricky and causes so much angst! Mine seems to do whatever she likes. Sometimes really active, sometimes really quiet and gets me in a panic. So stressful!

[Kittykat198 in reply to ButtercupGarden]

I feel exactly the same. He moves quite a bit now but still has quieter days. I mentioned it to the midwife who wasn’t bothered so I assume he is normal! Other times it’s actually a little annoying being repeatedly kicked in the cervix!

[helodie]

everything everyone describes here sounds normal for me - I’m 29 weeks today and the last 5 weeks movement wise and bump size have been very changeable and caused much angst.

I’m now of the opinion that as long as I feel some movement, no matter where, reasonably frequently (as in I feel something over the course of 24 hours) that this is normal for my baby. I started using the kicks count app as I felt as though I was often discounting movements as insufficient or forgetting them entirely.

For bump comparisons I use the babycentre bumpie app, and I would say at 28 weeks I really noticed the difference. There’s so much going on in there, the fundal measurements are famously inaccurate as I understand.

My baby has changed position loads and spends a lot of time in breech, so I get a lot of muffled kicks despite not having an anterior placenta. I have scans monthly plus the 3 that I get as standard where I live so I do feel like I’m getting a lot of info on his position. Even at my last scan he was making movements and I wasn’t feeling them in the moment.

And yes as a PP said, they all of a sudden changed from jabs and kicks to swooshes and rolls, which scared me. I’m now trying to take some time to sit still on the sofa with a drink and my hand on the bump to feel movements that I can’t feel internally, I have been surprised by how many I have picked up this way and I suppose it speaks to how adaptable our bodies are and how normalised certain feelings become over this (what feels like, very) long haul.

Hoping everyone is doing well and of course if we have doubts we should contact our care providers ♥️

[ButtercupGarden in reply to helodie]

Thank you! Sounds very similar to what I'm feeling. I took a bumpie yesterday to try to start comparing there instead of in my head, and will try the kick count app too. I feel like the app might make me more anxious but I'll give it a go and see if it helps. Hopefully my scan on Wednesday will help as then I'll know her position which might help to make sense of the movements! Xx

[helodie in reply to ButtercupGarden]

Ah, good luck for Wednesday I’m sure all will be fine ♥️

Yes I was worried that more info through the app might accelerate my anxiety but actually I’ve found the opposite, mercifully - as my anxiety has been next level for this whole pregnancy. I hope it does the same for you 🤞