The Art Of Counting Baby Kicks

Counting the baby’s kicks is not a widespread art among pregnant women.  You can go out and ask a pregnant woman how many kicks she felt, she probably won’t know how to answer. It’s not a matter of feelings and emotions, but it’s a very important activity.

Counting kicks allows you to determine the baby’s movement in the womb. The fetus must move every day with a regular frequency. Once we begin to identify your rhythm, we can notice possible changes. The “kicks” are actually not always kicks, it can be a spin, a hit or a simple stretch.

In the beginning it is not possible to clearly feel the baby’s movements. They can move from the first few weeks, but they are so small that mothers cannot notice their movements. We might confuse them with gas, thinking it’s just an itch in the abdomen, but that feeling is very important.

Until the 26th week the baby’s movement is noticeable. However, a woman may not experience them until the 28th week. On the other hand, other pregnant women start counting kicks as early as the 20th week of pregnancy.

Why is it necessary to count the kicks?

The daily movement of the fetus is part of its development and the normal evolution of its state. Therefore,  keeping a record of kicks provides an important source of information about fetal health. The baby in the womb must not stop moving for no apparent reason. If there is any problem, it is possible to notice it from the change in the frequency of your movements.

Apparently irrelevant information can alert the physician to significant changes. For example, the baby may not be getting adequate oxygen or is running out of space in the uterus. In other words, if we notice any variation in the amount of kicks we feel, it’s important to let your doctor know.

Experts believe that the earlier these problems are noticed, the more likely they are to be dealt with properly. That’s why it  ‘s necessary to start counting the kicks every day since the vivification.

How many kicks did you feel today?

If your pregnancy is progressing and you still don’t know what to do about kick counting, don’t be alarmed, there’s still time. Most likely, if the pregnancy is progressing normally, it is because the baby is doing well and there are no changes. However it is recommended that you start this practice. How and when to start? Below we will give some advice to follow:

• Plan a time to count the kicks. Make sure it is at the same time each day.
• To choose the right time, look ahead to what time it appears to be awake and active. If you are not awake, we can gently touch your abdomen to wake you up, have a cold drink, or take a walk.
• It is recommended that we perform the kick count after eating or snacking, as food can encourage your activity. However, when drinking coffee, it is advisable to wait a few hours before counting. The activity of the fetus can be altered by caffeine, so the calculation may not be completely reliable.
• There are many ways to count kicks, and your doctor is sure to recommend one. However, the method is more or less as follows:
  • Record the start of the count in a notebook or clock to determine the interval between kicks.
  • Sit or lean on your right side. Move your hand to the part of the abdomen that is larger.
  • Start counting your kicks until you register 10 moves.
  • Record the time it took to count the 10 kicks, and write it down somewhere fixed.
  • If in the period of two hours we don’t count a dozen of kicks, it is recommended to wait for another hour and resume the process. It’s possible that the baby is sleeping while we wait for him; it is not always an inconvenience.

The period in which the 10 kicks are achieved can vary from 30 minutes to two hours. However, under normal conditions, it should not exceed two hours to reach this desired count. It is assumed that during this exercise the baby may be sleeping for up to 40 minutes.

When to see the doctor?

Counting the kicks allows you to identify some irregularities, and you should see your doctor immediately. For example, if we notice that throughout the day we don’t feel the baby more often. It is also recommended to consult a specialist when we are unable to feel the baby at any time of the day. Other reasons are as follows:

• There has been a noticeable change in the amount of kicks felt daily.
• After you’ve counted twice during a period of two hours each, the 10-kick count has not been reached.

• We have doubts about other facts about fetal movement.