40 weeks and baby has disengaged and gone quiet...

[Paranoid1stTimer]

I have been slightly freaking out since last night because at MW appt yesterday, I found out the baby has gone from almost fully engaged to being "at the brim" of my pelvis.

OH's car was smashed into the other day and when he called to tell me, I got in a bit of a state but thankfully he is completely fine... However, the LO seemed to go a bit crazy (must have been my panic and adrenaline) and it was really kicking and wriggling all day. It then seemed to be lying transversely then breech but had turned "ceph" again in time for MW appt. My bump is really, really high again and I am basically due tomorrow.

I also had major contractions earlier in the week before all this happened and it seemed like things were kicking off but I went to bed expecting to be woken by full on contractions which didn't happen. Everything seemed to completely stop and now the baby has regressed back to not looking like he/she wants to come out at all!!!

I'm just wanting some reassurance really - has anyone else been in the same situation? Also, I have been told to keep a close watch on the baby's movements and any slowing down I have to call them straight away. This has really panicked me and I was awake most of last night since my bump was really high and transverse and the LO didn't move at all when I tickled what I assume were it's feet sticking out of my side... It usually reacts straight away when this happens.

About an hour later I was just about to call the antenatal 24 line when LO must have woken up and it has been moving around like usual... How would you monitor your LO's movements??? I have been so used to the past couple of weeks of it being engaged that it has kicked and wriggled in the same places and now I have no idea where it is or what it is up to?

SORRY for such a long post but I would really appreciate some wisdom from you sane people!!!

[chocolatespiders]

so you have felt baby move today?

if you are worried at all i would ohone your docs or maternity ward to be checked out....

i think the movements do slow down towards the end as the baby prepares for the birth...

i didnt feel either of my babies move once for the whole pregnancy, dont know why but just never did....

like i said if your worried get cheacked

[Paranoid1stTimer]

Hi chocolatespiders - yeh, the baby has been moving around today so I feel ok about it but it's just when you are told to keep an eye on the movements you start to freak out cos I have never really thought about it too much. My LO is really hyperactive and has periods of being really, really wriggly but then also has times where it doesn't do anything so I am struggling with the "keeping an eye on it"...

I think I am more constantly prodding it and trying to make it move which it doesn't normally.

Mainly, is it normal for a baby to "disengage" when it has been almost fully in there? Could it have been the adrenalin from my panic attack the other day that caused it to wriggle out?

MW just shrugged it all off anyway - she wasn't my usual MW either so I don't think it helped that she was a bit aloof. They don't seem too worried and have left it to me to phone them if I am. They just said as long as baby moves around 10 times a day... I don't know how much that actually means tho

AHHH!!! Sorry to go on and on!!! Thanks for listening....

[theyoungvisiter]

I was told that if you are worried abotu the baby's movements at any time the best thing is to lie down on your left side and drink a glass of really cold water - the colder the better.

The baby can feel the cold and it often shocks it into movement even if it's asleep.

But I think it's normal for them to have more defined periods of wake and sleep as you get towards term...?

No idea about the engagement thing I'm afraid - but I wouldn't worry too much, lots of second babies don't engage at all until labour.

[Playingthewaitinggame]

No idea, just wanted to bump the thread for you! Why don't you ring your MW and talk it through with her?

[chocolatespiders]

TBH i am not an expert- although would love to do my midwifery training

I think for your own piece of mind phone and talk to a midwife on duty and get some reasurence...

yes i think they do say 10 movements a day...

[Paranoid1stTimer]

Thanks. I suppose MW will put my mind at rest at least... Either that or they'll just ask me to go in so I can hear the heartbeat or whatever...

[chocolatespiders]

let us know how you get on.....

best wishes

[Didylicious]

In our area, you can go to the hospital day unit and request to be monitored if you are feeling worried about anything.

I would give your hospital a ring and see if they have a similar facility.

It will put your mind at rest and alert the hospital staff that you have concerns - hopefully they will reassure you.

[crokky]

Here also, you can go to the hospital day assessment unit, they can put a CTG machine (draws a trace of the baby's heartbeat) on you for half an hour and check that the baby is happy. If I were you, I would do this.

[Mum1369]

Just wanted to add to what crokky said. Make sure you have a trace, not just a quick listen to the hb.
Hope all is ok

[Paranoid1stTimer]

Thanks for the advice. Got checked out and baby appears to be fine - just a bit lazy and sleepy.

Am keeping tabs on the movements as it def seems to have sleeping patterns but am just willing it to come out of it's own accord asap!!!

Sorry for the panic but it is really difficult to keep a sensible head on.

Thanks again

[rach75]

My ds's movements slowed down at 40 weeks and was assessed and they said the same, just sleepy etc. Then a week later i hadnt felt him move all day, drinking cold water did nothing. went back in to hosp and they monitored him and his heartbeat was very erratic. they broke my waters and there was meconium in the waters showing he was distressed. he was born about 16 hours later and took a while to be revived.
i am sooooo glad i went into the hospital that time as it was sunday evening and i could easily just have thought 'i'll go to bed and see what happens in the morning' i dread to think what may have happened if i had done that!
basically i dont want to scare you but just wanted to say, even though they say your baby is just lazy this time, dont let that put you off going again if you dont feel any movements. lots of luck to you! xxxxxx

[MrsMacaroon]

there's another thread about this- baby unengaging...lots of people reassured the OP that you can still go into labour with the baby unengaged. The length or difficulty of labour doesn't rely on the baby being fully engaged apparently. Likewise- you're baby could be fully engaged (as my first was for AGES), go into labour and it still takes bloody ages for it to be born (36hours for me EEK). I'm 36 weeks now and baby has been engaged for a while but yesterday I felt the baby attempting a weird turning manoeuvre. It was pretty sore and uncomfortable for a while but I think it's back to head down (I hope) but it's bum's on the opposite side. You're baby's movements sounds normal to me but definately get checked out if you feel nothing for an extended period.

[Paranoid1stTimer]

Thanks rach75 and MrsMacaroon

It is so difficult to tell whether the baby is just lying quietly or not moving for some other reason but it has been really active over the weekend and I can feel it pushing downwards now...

I'm so glad you went in on that Sunday night too! Sometimes you just have to trust your insticts I suppose

MrsMacaroon sounds like exactly what my LO did - it was turning around and rolling over which was agony, especially due to it's size now. It was honestly like a scene from Alien!!! I'm wondering when it is going to decide to get out of there cos it must be soooooooo squashed!!!

THanks for the words of advice. I am keeping close tabs on LO's wrigglings now. Fingers crossed all will go well... preferably something will happen by the end of the week before induction day arrives!!!

[JFly]

I understand your concerns, paranoid.
I'm 11 days over and very aware of all baby movements. LO was bobbing around a lot over the weekend, which was reassuring, but I also feel it alternately very low in pelvis and very high up in ribs. So, I figure it is moving in and out of engagement. Not that it's free, but just not as engaged as it has been. And I've been told that LO can not engaged until contractions work baby into pelvis, so I wouldn't worry too much about how engaged it is.
I also am tempted to go in to be monitored just to make sure everything is OK, but am scheduled for induction on Weds, so unless I worry before then, will wait it out.
It's very frustrating, I know! There seems to be not much to do apart from wait.