The maternity teams at Royal Preston Hospital are urging mums-to-be to call their midwife or maternity unit if they have any concerns about their baby’s movements.
According to Tommy’s, the charity that funds medical research into the causes of premature birth, stillbirth and miscarriage, and provides an information service about health in pregnancy, ‘fetal movements can be anything from a flutter, kick, swish or roll’.
Feeling your baby move is a sign that they are well, and you may feel your baby move as early as 16 weeks of pregnancy, but most women usually feel something between 18 and 24 weeks. If this is your first pregnancy, you may not notice your baby’s movements until you are more than 20 weeks pregnant.
While fewer movements could indicate that your baby is unwell, these checks usually reveal that everything is okay. Most women who have experienced one episode of fewer movements go on to have a straightforward pregnancy and healthy baby. However, maternity staff at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals want pregnant women to know how important it is to contact them anyway just to be on the safe side.
Janet Cotton, Head of Midwifery at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, said:
“Accessing maternity care is essential during the pandemic, and if you are worried about your baby’s movements, you should contact your midwife or maternity unit immediately. We want to appeal to mums-to-be to make contact as quickly as possible if you think your baby’s movements have slowed down, stopped or changed. There are staff on our maternity unit and units across the country 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and they are here to help you. Please do not put off calling us until the next day in case things change – our services are still running and we are on-hand to provide support.”
To find out more about your baby’s movements and to get expert advice and support for all aspects of your pregnancy, visit:
https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy/symptom-checker/baby-fetal-movements
