All about kicks and movements

I have felt my baby's movements first during the beginning of my 18th week. It was a very faint movement. I was not even sure if it was THAT movement or if it was due to some flatulence inside. After that did not feel its movements for quite sometime. And now I started feeling , not regularly though, the movements. But surprisingly, without anybody confirming it, i am sure that its the baby.

I have read in some baby site about kick counts. These are usually recommended for high risk pregnancies but all pregnant women may benefit from counting their baby’s movements. Kick counts are done every day, starting in the 28th week or sixth month of pregnancy. Being attentive to the baby’s movements will help us notice any significant changes, identify potential problems, and prevent stillbirth.

I do not really know if it is going to help, but I feel there is nothing wrong in doing so. I am going to do it myself probably form my 26th week. I will keep track of it in one post itself.

I am writing about how to do kick counts and all in this post itself so that I might come back and refer to it in future. This is purely a copy paste thing from a baby site.

When to do kick counts

Choose the same time each day to do kick counts. This should be a time of the day when your baby is very active. You may find that your baby is more active:

*after you have exercised
*after you have eaten
*after you have drank something cold
*sometimes, between the hours of 9 pm and 1 pm, when your blood sugar is decreasing

How to do kick counts

Begin by finding a comfortable position, perhaps sitting with a good back rest, or lying on your side. Lying on your left side allows for good circulation, which could lead to your baby becoming more active.

Record your start time in a notebook. Make a checkmark or "X" for each time your baby kicks, swishes, rolls, or jabs. After recording 10 such movements, write down the time again. Ideally, you should feel at least 10 movements in two hours. Most likely, you will feel 10 movements in a shorter time period. Look out for any significant changes in your baby’s movement pattern over a few days. Continue to record kick counts daily for the rest of your pregnancy.

When to call your health care provider

If you do not feel 10 movements within a two-hour time period, wait a few hours and try again. If you still do not feel 10 movements in two hours, call your health care provider.

Also, if you notice a significant change from your baby’s kick count pattern over three to four days, call your health care provider. An example of a significant change is as follows:

*Monday 10:00 am XXXXXXXXXX 10:45 am, total 45 minutes
*Tuesday 10:00 am XXXXXXXXXX 11:00 am, total 1 hour
*Wednesday 10:00 am XXXXXXXXXX 11:10 am, total 1 hour 10 minutes
*Thursday 10:00 am XXXXXXXXXX 12:30 pm, total 2 hours 30 minutes

You know your body best. If you feel something is wrong, call your health care provider.