Reduced fetal movements

Reduced fetal movements describes a reduction in the usual amount of movements your baby makes, a loss of movements or weaker movements.  There are a few reasons why you might feel your baby’s movements have changed, if baby is in a different position, if you are in a different position or where the position of your placenta is, for example, if your placenta is at the front of your tummy then you might feel less movements.

You will probably have started to feel your baby move from around 16 to 20 weeks of pregnancy and from around 32 weeks you may have noticed a particular pattern of movements.  Your baby should continue with their pattern of movements up until they are born, there is no evidence to say movements slow down prior to going into labour.  Up to 40% of women will report having reduced fetal movements at some point in their pregnancy and of these women, 70% will have no further concerns or complications.  Because of this, induction is not offered for women with one episode of reduced fetal movements when the baby is growing well and there are no other concerns.  

If you do have concerns, it is important that you ring maternity triage and come in for monitoring.

Your baby’s wellbeing will be analysed on a CTG monitor (if you are over 26 weeks) and/or by ultrasound scan, which looks at baby’s growth, blood flow from the placenta to baby and the amniotic fluid around baby.  Fetal movements are an important indicator of a baby’s wellbeing, if baby is regularly having episodes where they’re not moving as much. It can be a sign that they are saving their energy due to growth restriction, their placenta isn’t working very well or there are congenital abnormalities. 

There isn’t any evidence that tell us whether it is better to be induced when a woman is experiencing recurrent reduced movements. However the RCOG advise that a woman’s pregnancy and wellbeing should be taken into account when deciding whether an induction of labour should be offered, for example if there are concerns about baby’s growth or placental function.