baby question

[Surreygirl30]

Sorry i know wrong section but i am really worried. A member of my family is about to have a baby and they said that they haven't felt the baby move as much as it has been? When you give birth does the baby slow down a bit as it gets into position - she is due this week. The baby did move around 10 times yesterday.

Many thanks

[Jules001]

When you think about it as the baby gets larger there will less room for it to move around so yes it will slow down shifting about but it will still probably kick or stick a fist out now and then, as the baby is due this week, the head may well be engaged and so movements will be less, as long as Mum can feel something moving, I don't think it matters how often. I generally only felt mine when I sat down or was trying to sleep.

[Hawkwalk]

they often stop moving just before they are born as they are getting ready for the big push. If in any doubt just call the midwife so she can put her mind at rest.

[gleaveyweave]

The baby does slow down a bit as it gets ready to be born and it's good that she felt baby move plenty of times yesterday but if she feels that there is a difference in the amount baby is moving, she really should give her midwife a call, just to be on the safe side and put everyones minds at rest - the midwife will not mind at all. I gave a friend of mine this advice a couple of years ago when she phoned and told me that she hadn't felt her baby move for 18 hours and it saved his life, she had to have an emergency section and baby was in scbu for a week even though he was full term. Obviously, 18 hours is an extremely long time to go without feeling baby move and i'm not trying to scare you, just making the point that it's worth her making a call. Good luck x

[redcrx]

They slow down a bit in the last couple of weeks as room gets smaller and they are head down and engaged.
BUT if there is any concern and movement is less then she must get an appointment with her midwife or call the midwifery team at her hospital. They can then get the movement monitored if needs be.

[jno]

not much room to move any more, so they do less of it. Presumably mum-to-be is in touch with a doctor or midwife? If not she probably should be

[Surreygirl30]

Thanks guys, your msgs have made me feel a bit better now. i know nothing about babies and birth and just was panicking in my head (but didn�t want to say anything). She has felt him move, so I am guessing the birth is any day now then. Ohhh soooo nervous� xxx

[madamspud169]

I never felt my baby move at all and he is now an energetic, non-stop powerhouse with no health problems at all (or quiet times come to think of it lol).

As the baby gets bigger it has less room to move around so obviously it will move less because there is no space.
Lack of movement does not always mean something bad, it happens towards the end of pregnancy so please stop worrying so much.

[spurslady]

Tell her any worries no matter how small to contact her Midwife, it's what they are there for. Also I'm not sure if they still do it but when I had my 3 the last being 2 years ago you had a tick chart where you had to feel so many movements a day at least 10 I think it was if you didn't feel all of them you had to contact the midwife ASAP.

Wish your friend the best of luck, I don't envy her having to go through the labour but the end bit is lovely.

[WaldoMcFroog]

At our NCT classes, the tutor told us that the 'baby needs to move ten times in a day' thing is no longer regarded as a reliable indicator of fetal condition anyway; no two babies will move the same amount and it is what is normal for that baby which is a better indicator of how happy the baby is.

Anyway, agree with everyone else's comments about lack of space and the baby engaging, but agree that if you're relative is worried then phone the midwife. They won't mind if it turns out to be nothing and will be used to it.

[Goodsoulette]

If you can feel you're baby move 10 times in a day then thats good. If she still worries, she needs to lie down for a long time and totally relax and focus on nothing other than when the baby is moving. If she has concerns, she should phone the labour ward, they will probably call her in to have a trace, so she presses a button every time she feels the baby move and this should correlate on a graph of the baby's heartbeat. I had pre~eclapmsia with my first, and I thought I couldnt feel anything, yet when I went in and had nothing to focus on other than the baby moving, little blighter was actually going about 10 times every half an hour.

[Surreygirl30]

Thanks ever so much for all your kind replies - she will be seeing someone on Wednesday. I have just spoken to her and she said today the baby is moving lots. Fingers crossed everyone :-) xxx

[spurslady]

Let us all know what she has and if she is ok. A. x

[Surreygirl30]

i will do :-) xx