Your pregnant friend tells you she’s taking time every day to count the number of movements or “kicks” her baby makes. She says she feels closer to her baby and now you’re wondering if you should do kick counts too.
Why Count Kicks
The answer is: Absolutely! How often your baby moves is a window into how well they’re doing. Kick counts are an easy way to bond with your baby so you know what’s normal – or not – for them and a great way to reassure yourself that your baby is okay.
Now every baby is different; when you spend time getting to know your baby’s habits, including their sleep and wake cycles, you’re more likely to know if something changes or seems different.
When to Counts Kicks
Start kick counts once you can feel baby’s movements consistently. Most often, this is around 28 weeks when you begin the third trimester. For women with high-risk pregnancies, kick counts may be advised by a pregnancy care provider to look for the first signs of problems, as early as 24 weeks.
How to Count Kicks
Kick counts should be done every day at a time when your baby is most active. While in your womb, your baby will have sleep cycles of up to 40 minutes, and they’ll usually be most active after you eat, when you exercise or move around, and in the late evening.
During baby’s active time, sit down, relax, place your hands on your belly and start counting each movement.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that you should feel at least 10 movements in 2 hours. Of course, most babies will have 10 movements in a much shorter time, in fact, in usually about 30 minutes.
Putting aside some time each day may seem like a challenge, but it’s time well spent. Once your baby reaches 10, you’re done until the next day!
Every Movement Counts
While this activity is often called kick counting, it actually involves counting any movement your baby makes, such as rolling, kicking, stretching, or the like (hiccoughs don’t count, though).
You may have heard that babies move less the closer they are to term (37 weeks) but this isn’t true. What you feel may change as your baby has less space to move, but you should always feel movements. And this is true regardless of your body size, how close to your due date you are, or where the placenta is attached to your uterus.
Talk to your pregnancy care provider about how they want you to track baby’s movements including:
- Time of day
- Type of movement
- Duration of time for baby to complete 10 movements
When You Can’t Feel Movement
Decreased fetal movement has been associated with stillbirth (baby dying in the womb after 28 weeks of pregnancy) and developmental delays in children.
If your baby’s movements change, particularly if they’re not as frequent or as strong, drink a glass of juice or cold water and walk around a little. Then try again. Call your pregnancy care provider immediately if you haven’t felt your baby move, you notice a significant decrease in their movement, or it takes much more time for their usual 10 movements.
If your provider doesn’t take your observation seriously, ask to speak to another provider on call or go to your hospital’s emergency department. Tell them, “My baby isn’t moving.” Don’t be concerned about false alarms.
Count Kicks to Boost Confidence and Reduce Stillbirths
Why some babies begin to move less than others isn’t clear but experts think that less fetal movement may be a sign that the placenta isn’t meeting baby’s needs. Research shows that pregnant women who chart their baby’s movements feel more confident and have fewer concerns with their pregnancy when compared to women who don’t track their baby’s movements.
Studies in Norway and Canada found that when a woman expressed concern about her baby’s reduced movement, health care providers intervened earlier, reducing the number of stillbirths. Around the world, where health care providers ask women to count kicks, there’s no spike in office visits. Instead, women report decreased movement earlier and that has also helped reduce the number of stillbirths.
You know your body and your baby best. Work with your pregnancy care provider to create a plan that works for you. Enlist family and friends for support—do kick counts while your partner cleans up after a meal, or have your friend meditate with you while you put your feet up, relax, and bond with your baby.
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