Are “Kick Counts” Really Necessary?
Depending on your pregnancy apps and timelines, you might be wondering when it will be time to start counting those movements you’ve been waiting to feel! What is necessary and normal, and if you just started feeling your baby, should you be keeping track?
Many women begin to feel their baby move once they are beyond twenty weeks; with mothers who are pregnant for the second or subsequent times feeling their babies earlier than first time mothers. Once baby has grown significantly, towards the middle of the third trimester, many providers will recommend counting kicks as a way to record baby’s activity at each visit.
So, how and why will you want to count the kicks?
Count the Kicks every day, preferably at the same time.
Start by choosing a time when your baby is the most active, usually in the evening hours once your body has settled. Sit down or lie in a resting positions and count each movement (a kick or a tap, feelings of movement overall, including hiccups) until you reach ten movements. There will over time emerge a pattern of how long your baby takes to get to ten movements.
Of course, sometimes it can be anxiety producing to sit still and wait for ten kicks for half an hour or sometimes up to two hours. The importance is that you’re feeling your baby, and that after a few days, you’re more aware of your baby’s ‘regular’ movement.
This regular movement pattern is helpful to understand, so that if it becomes smaller, you can discuss with your care provider. Many times decreased fetal movement is perceived and is not an immediate cause for concern, but any dramatic decrease in fetal movement is a reason to call your provider.
An important divergence from some baby apps: babies don’t ‘run out of room’ in the womb, so their movement does not decrease and they remain active even during labor! Do not ignore your own instincts and never feel silly heading into your provider’s office if you need to see a reassuring monitor showing your baby moving around.
Kick counts can be a great indicator of how your baby is feeling! It’s a way to sit and practice a still mindfulness, and to connect with your baby in the womb. Those little kicks and jabs will be on the other side of you before you know it!
Comments