Anyone have weekly BPP/NST for low movement?

pinkcallalily

I barely feel my baby move this time around and it kind of freaks me out.  I thought it was just because of my anterior placenta, but a few weeks ago when we went in for a fetal echo (due to previous baby having heart defects) the tech was worried about low movement because she couldn't get her to move and I said I don't feel her much.  My peri did a NST that day and she passed.  Now we are going to the peri for bi-weekly BPPs and the OB has me doing NST on the other weeks (starting this week).  Everything has been ok so far and my peri is confident everything is ok, but my OB seemed concerned about lack of movement at my appointment yesterday (this is this first time I've really had an in depth discussion about it with one of the OBs).  She said she thinks everything is fine and we'll just check on her weekly to make sure she's doing well, but her face looked worried as she said this.

My peri has me doing kick counts and keeping a chart and I've always met her criteria, although sometimes I barely get there and her criteria is the easiest I've seen.  However, if I were following my OBs criteria (10 kicks in 2 hours), I would never meet it.  It often takes me 6-8 hours to get 10 kicks during the day.  Has anyone had a baby that is this calm?  It kind of worries me, but I also think that she's ok since I am feeling her some of the time.  Also, we have seen some large movements on ultrasound and I didn't feel them at all so I'm hoping she's much more active than I realize.  My peri said my entire placenta is right in front so it's hard for me to feel much, which makes since because the only place I ever feel movement is on the sides.

I'm totally paranoid with this pregnancy even though it's been the most normal pregnancy I've had, so I feel like I'm probably just overreacting, but it still scares me.  This low movement has kept me from getting her room ready or really buying anything for her because I'm worried something will go wrong.

krissyh21

I did not have them for low movement, but it was part of my care for preeclampsia and a deal I made to do my bedrest at home rather than in the hospital. So I went in two times each week starting at 26 weeks. One day I did the BBT and the next I did a NST. If there were low movement during the NST I would go for a follow up u/s to make sure all was fine and they were.

Anyway it seems to me the doctors are on top of everything and having your placenta in front is a good reason to not feel anything. With weekly BBT and NST if anything were to go wrong, they would be able to induce you or give you an emergency c-section right then and there. Proactive is good!

How far along are you? 

When you do your kick counts do you lie on your left side? I was told by someone - I think my nurse - that when in doubt drink some juice and lie on my left side and then count. I always felt him more by doing that.

hlsgrad

I did not feel DD1 at all at the end of my pg and ended up getting multiple NST and u/s's the last few weeks.  I stopped worrying as much when I saw that even though i could see she was kicking like crazy on the u/s I hadn't felt the movement. There were a few times when she didn't "pass" the kick counts at home so they had me I rush in and each time she would kick the monitor off when we got there. I would trust your gut and not hesitate to go in whenever you have doubt.

pinkcallalily

krissyh21:

I did not have them for low movement, but it was part of my care for preeclampsia and a deal I made to do my bedrest at home rather than in the hospital. So I went in two times each week starting at 26 weeks. One day I did the BBT and the next I did a NST. If there were low movement during the NST I would go for a follow up u/s to make sure all was fine and they were.

Anyway it seems to me the doctors are on top of everything and having your placenta in front is a good reason to not feel anything. With weekly BBT and NST if anything were to go wrong, they would be able to induce you or give you an emergency c-section right then and there. Proactive is good!

How far along are you? 

When you do your kick counts do you lie on your left side? I was told by someone - I think my nurse - that when in doubt drink some juice and lie on my left side and then count. I always felt him more by doing that.

I'm 30 weeks now and movements are getting more definite, but they don't come often.  Until a couple weeks ago I often questioned whether or not I was feeling movement because it was so subtle.  I've tried laying on my side and sometimes it seems to help, but not always.  Juice doesn't seem to work for her and it gives me horrible heartburn right now, but I've learned that ice cream pretty much always works.  If I'm getting close to "failing" my kick counts I eat a bowl of ice cream and always manage to get enough kicks on time.  I try not to use this method unless absolutely necessary because I don't want to gain too much weight (I've already gained about 30 pounds).  As it is, I typically end up using ice cream once a day to get her going.

My doctor's have all stressed that if I'm ever worried to just call and they can see me, but I'm trying not to be too crazy about it.  I haven't called between appointments yet and only want to if I really feel the need.  I worry everytime I go several hours without feeling anything, but that's pretty much everyday so I'm trying to relax about it as much as I can.  It's just so different for me because my son moved nonstop when I was pregnant with him. 

My peri only requires me to call if I've felt no movement by 2 PM or less than 10 movements by 8 PM.  Then I get 2 tries in the evening to get 6 kicks in an hour before I have to call.  I've made it to around 11 AM before without feeling movement and I was pretty freaked out by then even though I was still a few hours away from my peri's criteria.

Sunshine05

I had twice-weekly BPP/NSTs done from the start of my third tri because my LO was IUGR and having placental problems.  I very rarely ever felt her move and I didn't even have an anterior placenta, though she was frank breech. 

She failed her BPP and NST when I was 33w and I was sent to the hospital for monitoring and had to stay in from Fri-Sun. for them to monitor my levels and hers.  Thankfully she did okay then, but they did give me the set of steroid shots for her lungs.  They ended up delivering her at 37w because they felt she would be better off outside than inside at that point, and the risks of more serious issues/death went up steeply as the weeks went on.  So once I hit 37w, she came out. 

Thankfully, no issues and she's gained really well (18 pounds now!) and is quite the mover and shaker.  Hope all is well with your LO!  Feel free to ask any other questions if you have any, I'll be glad to try to answer.