No movements at 20/40

[Keggles36]

Hi everyone

Really just looking for some reassurance as I know this is normal but I'm still really worrying.

I'm 20+1 and still can't feel any movements at all. Occasionally I think I've felt something, but in reality I think I am just hoping it to be there rather than it actually being there. And it's incredibly rare and I just think I feel a bit weird that there's nothing in there.

I know the guidance is they should start between 18-24 weeks, but I'm also a midwife and every woman I've seen recently is feeling them at 16-18 weeks... Can anyone tell me they didn't feel anything at this point and it was still fine and I can stop second guessing my professional judgement!!

(Scan is on Thursday and I've started having nightmares they're going to tell me something is really wrong... So all in all the anxiety is going great over here!)

[JA-fnuk Partner]

This is a stressful time especially being a midwife ! You may start to feel baby move between 16- 24 weeks but with 1st babies it can be later 20 - 24 weeks Some times movement might be so slight you think it's wind !Might be an idea to look for more support - take a look at our website fertilitynetworkuk.org then select Access to Support - Fertility Groups scroll to UK-Wide Groups to find closed Facebook Group " Pregnancy & Beyond Group" and follow the prompts Next meeting Tuesday 23rd July via Zoom

Take care

Janet-Partner

[Keggles36 in reply to JA-fnuk]

I always thought I'd be calm because of midwifery but following a few sad things at work, as well as our own losses and IVF journey I am an anxious wreck 😞

Thanks, I'll have a look x

[Fruitandflowers]

I was told you don't feel movements with first babies until much later and that was definitely the case with me - not anything really noticeable until around 24 weeks and anything before that could have been my imagination. It really worried me as I was asked at about 16 weeks by a midwife if I could feel anything yet and although they then said it was normal not to it set me off. Is your placenta anterior or posterior? If anterior it cushions the movements so you feel things even less. My first was anterior and when I had scans the baby was basically summersaulting and I couldn't feel a thing.

[Keggles36 in reply to Fruitandflowers]

Haven't had my 20 week scan yet - it's on Thursday, so don't know about placenta. I always try to say to my women "there's a chance you may be feeling movements already, but it's more likely between 20-24" at their 16 week appointment to try and not cause stress (I'm a hypocrite, because look how stressed I am!). I just feel like there's nothing in there 🤷🏼‍♀️ maybe I'll feel better after the scan. I'm really anxious about it so that might be why I'm worried about everything!

[Fruitandflowers in reply to Keggles36]

Once you get further along and start to get proper kicks you'll be lying in bed going 'please baby, let mama sleep' as they typically only wake up (and kick you in the kidneys) when you stop moving. And when you get to the full on whole body rolls it's just surreal... and this stage will be a distant memory. But I know how anxious you must be. The 20 week scan is very reassuring.

[Kitkat10]

hi, I didn’t feel anything until past 20 weeks with my first. The placenta was posterior but I still couldn’t feel anything convincing. At about 22 weeks I felt little tapping feelings and these got stronger before I was convinced they were actually the baby x

[Keggles36 in reply to Kitkat10]

Thank you - that's really reassuring. X

[NemoFish]

I felt nothing until 22 weeks and even then it wasn’t obvious!

[Twiglet2]

I was defo closer to the 24 weeks with my little boy- as a midwife you will know all this but they say with your first it can be a little later and also where they are lying and the placenta can mask it. I was so so anxious despite having monthly nhs scans and private ones in between! All was well though he was just tucked up tightly. My movements at first felt like like gas bubbles that I wasn’t even sure were movements at all! Good luck for Thursday 🤗 xx

[Keggles36 in reply to Twiglet2]

Thank you so much! ❤️

[EllEss]

Firstly congratulations! I’m currently pregnant with my 2nd baby and had such anxiety about the movements as I felt like everyone was saying I would feel movements earlier and I didn’t. With my first I was 21-22 weeks when I felt him move and this time I was about the same 21 weeks, and even then it was only when I was laying a certain way.

When I had my 20 week scan the baby was moving all over the place, the person scanning even said “ooh what a wriggler, and there’s some little kicks” and I did not feel anything 😂

It must be really hard to calm your anxieties down, but I definitely think it’s very normal at this stage not to feel anything or much at all! ❤️ good luck at your scan. Xx

[Keggles36 in reply to EllEss]

Thank you ❤️ and congratulations!!

[Doodlebug23]

I’m 19 weeks and felt nothing yet. First baby and anterior placenta I’ve been told it will probably be later. But people keep innocently asking me if I’ve felt her yet which makes me a little anxious that I haven’t. X

[Keggles36 in reply to Doodlebug23]

Congratulations! It's stressful isn't it. I had to go to triage the other day for something and every midwife kept saying "are babies movements the same?" And I was like "... None existent??"

[Doodlebug23 in reply to Keggles36]

Very!!! I think when it’s IVF and so very long awaited it makes everything harder and every issue magnified.

[Krystal_43]

My kicks just felt like gas in my tummy until I got to about 30 weeks (turns out I have an anterior/front placenta - they confirmed this at the 20 week scan). My baby is also Frank breech - been that way since 28 weeks so they’ve been kicking less too due to position. I’m nearly at term now & feel his head like a cricket ball in the top of my tummy and his butt shuffling around on my bladder though 🤷‍♀️

[CXCYCZ]

I had a huge bump and didn’t feel movements until very late on, closer to the 24. In fact I ended up having CGT scans twice a week in the last 8 weeks of pregnancy because movements were so hit and miss and I was so anxious about it. I’d already had two reduced movement scans (passed with flying colours). But every time I had the CGT or ultrasound scan he was wiggling around happily and there were no concerns. Every CGT test was passed in the first 12 minutes and there were some very obvious kicks that I could hear, because they were detected by the machine, but didn’t feel.

[Tamaa]

I felt nothing at all until 21 weeks. Wishing you a beautiful outcome ❤️

[Aquaharmony]

Hi Keggles,

I am currently 21 + 3 placenta is posterior but during 20 week scan found out baby seems to be favouring a horizontal position with back nuzzled against my belly button and middle. I can feel movements although only during the last few weeks and I only stopped mistaking them for gas as occasionally I assume baby moves position and they feel stronger. Hopefully your 20 week scan will provide lots of reassurance and you get to see them wriggling away in there even though you don't feel anything or very much.

[Keggles36 in reply to Aquaharmony]

Thank you so much 😊 i have a doppler for work so had a listen yesterday to show my mum the heartbeat and you can hear the baby wriggling everywhere but can't feel a thing!

[Aquaharmony in reply to Keggles36]

Glad to hear you could get some early reassurance. I sometimes wish I had a doppler!

[Keggles36 in reply to Aquaharmony]

I would never use it to check baby's wellbeing if I was worried, I would go to hospital. And I guess I use them so often I know what is me, what is placenta, what is fetal blood flow and what is the actual heartbeat as there's a lot of noises. So it was nice to show my mum, but I wouldn't recommend getting one if that makes sense.

[Aquaharmony in reply to Keggles36]

No totally, you need the knowledge and understanding as well. I just wish I could check in with "bump TV" as I like to call it more often. However, where I live I am luckier than most as I get a scan roughly every 4 weeks which is hugely reassuring.

[Keggles36 in reply to Aquaharmony]

I love the idea of bump tv! ❤️

[Keggles36]

Scan was all fine - I cried so much - and my placenta is anterior!