No foetal movement felt yet, reassurance or comments appreciated.

[WideWebWitch]

Can anyone reassure me a bit while I'm waiting for the midwife to call me back? At 17+3 I don't think I've felt any movement yet - I've had the odd rumbling but it could have been wind, or anything really. I wasn't skinny minny before I was pregnant, but I wasn't enormous either (size 14, 16 on a bad day). Is this normal? Should I be worrying? I am aware that I'm worrying much more with this one than I did last time but it's 6 years on so my memory is hazy and any comments or help would be much appreciated. I'm hoping the midwife will agree I can come in to check for a heartbeat when she calls back but in the meantime TIA. BTW, no previous miscarriages or anything, this is just pure irrational fear.

[AliP]

As far as I'm aware its quite normal not to feel any movement until about 20 weeks although they say some second Mums notice it earlier 'cos they remember the sensation. I really wouldn't worry - did you see the heartbeat on your 13(ish) week scan?
I'm sure you are OK.

[prufrock]

It is pure irrational fear. Stop worrying. I didn't feel anything until 18 weeks at least, and then it was only the wind like rumblings. Now I know they say you feel things earlier in a second pregnancy, but that's only because you remember the feelings from the first time and recognise them. You obviously have a terrible memory.

[motherinferior]

Chill, but let us know when midwife has similarly reassured you! MIxxxx

[Marina]

WWW, it took until at least 19 weeks this time round for me to feel much going on with this baby - and I hope you don't mind my chipping in here after what happened with my second, but it does make me very sensitive to how people feel when they are expecting movements and nothing seems to be forthcoming.
You are totally right to get it checked out with the midwife and I hope she will be sympathetic to your needs and give you that extra check. I have managed to extract the following reassurances from my community team which I hope will help you too:

That if your excess weight is round your middle (it is with me) your baby has an extra layer to kick through...

That if your placenta is at the front (mine is), there is still more padding to penetrate...

I know I am not the only mumsnetter who felt she waited an age and an age for a subsequent baby to make him/herself felt, and it is utterly normal to feel worried about it.
Let us know how you get on, thinking of you but sure it is just a matter of days before you start getting unmistakeable flutters and shimmies.

[bells2]

Hi www, I had a few worrying weeks this time around as having consistently felt movement with number 2 from around 16 weeks, I felt absolutely nothing until 19 weeks and then very little at all until 21 weeks. Since then however the kicking has been consistent and relatively strong. So it is normal not to feel much before this stage but I know how worrying it can be.

[Meid]

Hi WWW,
I know someone who didn't feel their baby move throughout the whole of her pregnancy (other than a few hiccups at the very end). She didn't think too much of it until she had her second child and could feel the baby kick and move around. Although I think you should get it checked to put your mind at rest, just remember that every pregnancy is different.

[princesspeahead]

www, i'm on no 3 - with no 1 I felt movement quite early (15 wks?) with no 2 I think it was a bit later and with this one I remember watching it somersaulting around on my 20wk scan and thinking how strange it was I couldn't feel any of it! which I know is opposite to what they say (that you reel them earlier with later ones). so I really wouldn't worry. I only really have become aware of him kicking away in there from about 22 - 23 weeks onwards and now I wish he would bloody well take a rest every so often! I'm sure you are absolutely FINE. glld luck!

[oxocube]

same here WWW, I think I felt ds2 at about 19 weeks. I'm sure everything is fine! Let us know when you feel those first nudges! xxx

[WideWebWitch]

Thank you so much everyone, I will stop worrying, wait for the m/w to call me back and see if I can get an appt but won't panic if I can't. I'll let you know when I've seen her but thanks, you've all made me feel much better. Yep Marina, the fat is around my middle and come to think of it, I was 8 stone 12 when I got pregnant last time so quite a difference!

[bossykate]

www, i'm sure you're worrying over nothing, have your mw check you over to put your mind at rest. take care

[bunnyrabbit]

WWW Didn't feel anything till 21 weeks. Am about the same size as you and short (5' 2". Apparantly the placenta was probably in the way. Now my little babybunny just doesn't stop letting me know it's there!

Don't worry. I'm sure all will be OK. Defintely talk to the MW if you're worried and let us know what happens.

[monkey]

Hi www, there's so much potential for worry, isn't there?

With my 1st, I felt him at 20 weeks, with my second (very close together) was fully expecting to feel him around 16 weeks but didn't, and got myself very worried about this. In the end didn't feel him till 20 weeks either. i'm now 18+4 and have only a couple of times felt this one, and like princesspeahead said, when I had my scan a couple of weeks ago & he/she was all over the place, and about 20 cm long, I thought it was wierd that I couldn't feel anything.

Of course, as others have said, you should check if you're worried.

One thing I do, although I can't feel the movements as such yet (apart from 1 or 2), if I lie flat on my back & put my hands on my belly, under belly button, I can sometimes feel wriggling vie my hands through my tummy, rather than internally, iykwim, and do this now most nights and usually feel a movement, once, a couple of weeks ago I even felt what must have been the leg - a long hard line from belly button down, and it was gone a couple of minutes later, maybe you could have some success with this & it will help you feel better?

[WideWebWitch]

Well, the midwife came and we heard the heartbeat loud and clear. It was lovely, and so reassuring I wanted to cry! She was wonderful and said I must call again if I get worried. Thanks everyone, I'm so relieved. Monkey, I will try your method for feeling him next time I'm tempted to try.

[princesspeahead]

I always want to cry when I hear the heartbeat - sounds so sweet and reassuring, makes me remember it isnt just an enormous stomach with a life of its own, there is really a baby in there. ahhhhh

delighted for you!

[Dahlia]

www, just wanted to say I know exactly what you are going through - I am on second pregnancy after a 7 year gap, and I have worried non stop throughout it about absolutely everything! Had no movement til about 20 weeks and right up til now the movements have been quite sporadic and nowhere near as strong as with dd - every time I go for an ante natal appt I panic and think they will say something is wrong, its ridiculous I know, but I can't help it. Thank god I am due on Saturday!! Anyway, I am glad you have heard the heartbeat , you can relax now!

[Tortington]

phew! thats a weight off i was worried for you WWW, right no more scares please - i cant stand it dont know about you!

seriously though best of luck with the rest of the pregnancy
xxx

[Ghosty]

WWW - agree with custy ... no more scares Pleeeeease old bean!!
FWIW ... I didn't feel DS until about 19 weeks and even then it was none of that 'butterflies in your tummy' stuff that they say it is ... it wasn't kicking either ... it was a feeling of weight being shifted from one side of my tummy to the other ....
It was funny because I was in full flow telling off a whole class of children ... I stopped mid rant and grinned and just said, "Oh do what you like, I don't care cos I just felt my baby move for the first time!" ... they all cheered and wanted to feel it too!! Magic!

[ames]

Just to add with dd I felt her really early and she moved constantly but with no 2 didn't feel movements for ages and only ever sporadic and had a ds. Could it be that boys are lazier in the womb than girlies. It would stand to reason as in my experience men are lazier in life!

Glad everythings ok!

[happyspider]

I was always worried throughout my pg because I could not feel my baby move a lot. I even started a thread like you to get reassurance.
My baby was born finally last week, and he is a happy and contented baby, and only kicks when he's hungry or needs changing, he doesn't cry that much, unless when he gets very hungry!

However, a word of reassurance, you may not feel him move because of his position, or because you are too busy during the day to notice.
If you get worried, go to the hospital and ask to be monitored. They are really good and they have done it with me many times when I was getting paranoid. They will understand your worries and WON'T make you feel paranoid.

[crazynow]

ames, I like your theory that girls move more than boys. With ds (My 1st) I felt his movements from about 20/21 weeks, I'm pgn with no.2 baby and felt the movements from about wk 12 which surprised me, but the baby moves so often it's unbelievable. Fingers crossed it's a girl.

The funny thing is I have worried more with this pgn than I ever did with the 1st one, in some ways you think you would be more relaxed because you have already done it once!

[motherinferior]

Now it's just a matter of waiting till you can feel the little wotsit shifting around, scratching its nose, generally treating you like a hotel...xxx

[Gem13]

I was convinced I could DS weeing! Didn't know he was a DS then.

As for the hiccups...

[Gem13]

There's a 'feel' missing there. Typical, the one time I didn't preview!