Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Long Night

Last night was a long night. I noticed in the evening, Katelyn was "quieter" than usual. Less kicks and movements. When I got home from our CPR class, I started my nightly kick count.

Usually, Katelyn does all 10 kicks in about 15 minutes. It has never taken longer than half an hour. At the end of the first hour, she hadn't done 10. I became a bit anxious, but I drank some lemonade, laid down on my side and started again.

In the second round, she reached 10 kicks in an hour and five minutes. This is acceptable, but not normal for her. I got out my doppler (which I haven't used for weeks) and listened for her heartbeat. It sounded normal and you could tell she was moving around in there, but her movements weren't strong enough for me to really feel them.

I felt really torn. According to the manual, I was supposed to go to L&D if she was moving less than normal. However, I felt deep down that she was fine (although I was still pretty anxious).

It was after midnight by now, so Ryan and I decided to head to bed. About 2 hours later, I awoke to use the restroom. Afterward, I just laid in bed waiting for her to move. Nothing. I felt nothing for a long time.

Sometime later Ryan woke up and asked what I was doing. I said, "Laying here feeling worried." I told him she wasn't moving at all now. I didn't know what I should do.

We listened to her heartbeat again. It was a tad slower, and we could tell she wasn't moving at all in there. Perhaps she was sleeping? I was careful not to take too much comfort in the doppler, as one of the cautions about renting is was that sometimes people ignore problems when they should get them checked out because they get a false sense of security from the doppler reading. Was that me? I wasn't sure.

I was just about to suggest we get up and go to the hospital when Ryan decided to lean over and lay his head on my belly.

Within seconds, Katelyn was up, and kicking Ryan firmly in the head. Within a minute or two, she had given him 6 good kicks (with a couple of real whoppers) and several small ones. This was the most active she had been in 12 hours. I felt myself relax a bit.

Of course, after all that, it took some time to wind down and fall back to sleep. I got about 2 more hours and now it's time for work! Today should be interesting... I kind-of feel like a walking zombie. Preparation for motherhood, I presume!

I plan to monitor Katelyn's movements today a little closer than usual, just to be sure everything is okay. I feel like she is fine. I've felt her a few times since waking up and will probably feel her more after breakfast. I wonder why she was so still last night? Do babies have days where they're just quiet and calm, even in utero? I guess that makes sense. Regardless, I hope she's back to her wiggly self today and stays that way. :) I am so grateful and relieved that everything appears okay.

Oh, and I can't wait to crawl back into bed tonight!

6 comments:

Bridget said...

I had the same thing happen last week and when I went to the hospital (on Drs orders) they told me I could have been a bit dehydrated and the heat can make the baby slow down a bit. But I was glad they checked on her, made me feel much better.

RMCarter said...

That makes a TON of sense because I was beyond thirsty last night. I drank a lot of extra water, but perhaps not enough. Good to know! Thanks for sharing and I am so glad your LO is okay!!

Lil La said...

That's so unsettling:(. I'm sorry you had a rough night. I've read that babies do have off days where they are more mellow and as they are running out of space now the movement becomes less frequent but majorly distinct. Dyllan has never been a super active baby, only after I eat, drink or lay on my back can I get her to move. I usually drink a ton of water if I can't remember the last time she moved. I can't remember if I read or if my mother told me that the last few days there is little to no movement...now that will freak me out if it's true!

So glad Katelyn woke up finally and did a lil dance for you:).

A said...

so glad she is back to normal today! i do think they have days when they are just more relaxed- just like we do!! also, i also read that when they are having growth spurts, they sleep more so they would also be a little less active those times, too.

the Petterson Family said...

Glad that she is back to her lil ole self! Love hearing about your pregnancy adventures. I'm here praying everything continues to go well. :)

Wes and Dani said...

I've had a couple of those nights recently. It's so nerve-wracking to not feel her be her bouncy self. I've found that the culprit seems to be either dehydration (as a lot of people have mentioned) or else constipation. I've noticed if I'm more gassy or "backed up" she moves less, then once everything passes she's more wiggly. So maybe the gas is kind of pinning her? IDK that's my theory. ;-) Good luck with everything and I hope tonight is better!!!

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