Freaking myself out

**misho** · 03-12-2009 09:05

Hi all,

Does anyone else freak themselves out as the get closer to their due date? I'm at 32 weeks at the moment.

Unfortunately I've had 2 friends who have had stillbirths. I am, as anyone would be, very freaked out over any possibility of something going wrong.

Now, I think I'm
1) freaking myself out too much over things that can go wrong
2) freaking myself out that my baby isn't moving enough, or as strongly as it was a few days ago. Realistically i think it probably is, but im just soooo scared.

Is anyone else doing this to themselves?

A midwife told me that you should feel 10 movements per 12 hours. But does that mean you feel the baby at 10 different times during the 12 hours, or, do you feel baby make 10 movements really quickly and then say a few extra ones after a few hours.

This just freaks me out so much you have no idea. Poor baby I hope im not going to turn it into a nervous individual.

Thanks :-)

**TheCatsMeow** · 03-12-2009 09:42

I'm exactly 37 weeks today, and I've found myself freaking out, but this is baby number one, and I've never experienced this before!

One thing I've noticed about my baby, is that she'll be really active for a few days then slow down completely for the next couple of days. This has been happening since I could first feel her movements, and I've never had any problems detected during checkups, and its not been a cause of concern to my midwives.

When counting movement, go with what you feel comfortable with. I usually count my kicks in groups of clusters (ie 10 clusters a day) rather than individual kicks but last week when bub hardly moved, I was down to counting only 3 or 4 individual kicks, she was that quiet. I ended up going into the hospital just to be on the safe side and turns out she was fine

If worse comes to worse and you think she's not moving as per whats normal according to your instincts, it doesn't hurt to even call your Ob/Midwife and voice your concerns. Its better that you go in and find out it was baby being quiet, than to avoid it, incase its something worse.

**summamummy** · 03-12-2009 10:56

I am also pregnant with my first and have the same worries and stresses as yourself, try not to worry, but as eiliyah mentioned trust your instincts and seek medical advice if you feel unsure!

**Bellini** · 03-12-2009 11:23

I went through the same thing just before DS was born. I remember thinking that I couldn't wait for pregnancy to be over because it felt like 9 months of worry (I had bleeding too). But now that DS is born it's a whole new type of worry

DS didn't move much towards the end, because he didn't have enough room. This is often the case, so try not to freak out too much. But if you ever feel worried, go to the hospital and they will do a check. My friend went to hospy four times before the birth of her bub because she couldn't feel the baby moving. They gave her the all clear each time, and it was good for her to have peace of mind.

**~BEXTER~** · 03-12-2009 11:31

I know this is easier said then done but you really do need to relax, if you are stressed the baby can be stressed.

In my last few weeks of pregnancy with number 1 the hospital told me I should feel no less then 10 movements a day so i just made a tally.

Your baby usually will slow down towards the end as there isnt much room left in there.

My only advice would be to listen to your body, if you feel something is wrong demand them to look into it.

My sister had her placenta come away from the wall and because of this her baby was breathing in blood she kept telling them something was wrong and they ignored her because it was her first. When they did check it out she bled they did a c-section and thank god both pulled through.

I am not trying to scare you more but if you feel something is not right scram at them until they look at you don't let them tell you you have no idea because it is your first.

Try not to stress about anything going wrong and keep a open mind to a c-section that way you won't feel as if you have failed if you have to have one.

Not sure if this helped or not.

**Shani26** · 04-12-2009 07:16

I am going through exactly same thing. Keep worrying about how my baby is, worrying about how labour will go, how things will go straight after birth. The weird thing I was never like that before I got pregnant. I am normally the logical one.

I am also at the stage where I just want to deliever already. I still have 8 weeks to go and time is dragging on...

The best I can do right now is to keep myself occupied with other things and take my mind off those worries.

**tired*mummy** · 04-12-2009 07:30

My first was stillborn (little boy) so i know exactly how you feel about freaking out & being stressed... i was freaking out with the other 3 of my pregnancies but they all turned out ok. Only thing i did differently with the other pregnancies was pay much closer attention to myself & my baby. Made sure i rested when i needed too, didnt over do it, talked to my baby, rubbed my belly lots to make them move etc & tried to stay as positive as i could. If you are feeling stressed or anxious then maybe speak to your OB. I was induced a few days early with my pregnancies because i was stressed & anxious.

**misho** · 04-12-2009 08:27

Thanks ladies.

I'm not feeling anything weird its more just me freaking out a bit over anything and everything.

I have already spoken to the midwife who runs our baby classes who has advised me to bring this up at my next check up, just to make everyone aware of my anxiety and that after having seen this through 2 of my friends experiences, its only natural that I am feeling more than nervous.