confused about kick-counting - please help!

[nirvanca]

Hi all,

I'm 27 weeks today and have been feeling my little girl regularly for some time now. However sometimes i'm worried as she would move VERY slightly (i mean i barely count 10 movements all day). This happens about once a week/ every two weeks. I have read babies have quiet days too and it's normal, but my midwife told me a bout the kick-test, which i'm sure most of you know of. She said to drink something, lie down and count the movement - if i feel less than 10 in an hour, call the doctor. My questions is: what if the baby is asleep then? Won't i make myself worry for no reason? What if she has a 'quiet day'? My mum and other pg ladies i know are saying that if i feel her every day I shouldn't worry. What are your thoughts on this?

I'm keen to know, as i'm approaching my 28 week mark and from now on i should be feeling some sort of pattern and be able to regularly measure kicks but i'm not sure that this works as described above. Thanks x

[ritz21]

I was also quite worried about the kicks - still I am - more so as babies are also moving at times when they are sleeping (some women can feel the movement some dont depends upon your own physic, placement of the placenta, water etc)

My husband was real help in suggesting that we would not worry as long as we can feel her move. After that I have literally stopped counting the movements. I know she is moving - sometimes those movements are like gratitude from her (the sweet gentle ones) and sometime she fights with me (the hard kicks saying take me home I am done sitting in your office).

the other day she was quietly sleeping, when my husband decided to talk to my bump and Boy did it startle her - as daddy got a nice hard kick on his face . The kick was so apparent that it was actually the first time my husband really felt something more than little wriggles and pulses from the outside. (I was splitting laughing, the girl loves her sleep as much as I love mine)

So atleast I am not worrying as long as I am feeling my baby girl

[nirvanca in reply to ritz21]

Thanks ritz21, i think this is a sensible approach

how many weeks are you now?

[Donna76]

I too am a midwife and I expect 10 seperate movements in 24 hours. I would measure it as a kick followed by a couple of kicks in a row bein classed as 2. Many movements (particularly at this stage of pregnancy) can go unnoticed that's why ur midwife told u to sit down and concentrate on the movements. The coldness from the drink tends to stimulate the baby therefore encouragin it to move. If u r still in doubt contact ur midwife or hospital again. After 28 weeks they will put u on a ctg monitor to check the babies heart rate x

[nirvanca in reply to Donna76]

Thank you Donna76, i found that the cold drink doesn't work for me/ her, maybe it's still early i don't know. Or maybe she just moves when she wants to! Stubborn like mummy

[Donna76]

Check on ur scan report and c if it says ur placenta is anterior. If the placenta is at the front this often softens the movements makin them more difficult to feel x

[hippolike]

Hi nirvanca,

I am 35 weeks. I charted my baby's movements for a while, but stopped bothering since they never followed much of a pattern! I also think that that advice about lying down and if you don't feel 10 movements in an hour to call the midwife is pretty unhelpful (and liable to worry you unnecessarily!) since, as you say, you may just have picked a quiet time. A few weeks back, my baby had a very quiet evening (when he is usually the most active), followed by a quiet morning, so at lunchtime I went to the hospital. They monitored me for half an hour, detected lots of movements, and everything was fine. I find that doing my pelvic floor exercises gets him moving for some reason. Cold water, or eating something sweet, doesn't seem to do much. Try not to worry! xxx

[nirvanca in reply to hippolike]

Thanks hippolike! That's very comforting to know i'm not the only one - i hardly felt my baby on the day of my scan and made myself paranoid, and then saw her kicking and turning like mad! She was also turned towards my spine so now i know that can be another reason for not feeling so much.

Thanks again for your reply, you don't have long to go now, good luck! xx

[Skyblueboston]

10 movements every 12 hours is what I was advised from 28 weeks

[nirvanca in reply to Skyblueboston]

Thanks skyblueboston x

[Hidden]

With my son he hardly moved! I had to concentrate on how many movements I was getting and was told each and every movement felt was counted as 1 and 10 in 24 hrs was what I should b looking for. A friend was a month ahead of me in pregnancy and her baby didn't stop! Literally on demand she would give a good pelt for anyone . Only 3 other people felt my son move, his dad, my mum and my best friend I worked with felt just 1 kick in all the time we spent together , nothing I tried made him move, hot / cold drinks, baths / showers, food, belly jiggles ! He is now 3 and very laid back, the other girls daughter was a right live wire , a proper handfull.

I'm 25 weeks with my 2nd and she's a lot more active ( felt her from 16 weeks ) than my son Ever was but still not a disco dancer! On days I'm on my feet and busy i dont feel such strong movements ( i can tell when she is moving ) but when I'm at home and chilled out I can feel proper kicks and movements from her, some times u just need to chill and take the time to notice. Even with my bubba now im pretty sure she doesn't do 10 movements an hr, I think that is pretty unrealistic expectation no matter what u do to try and get a wiggle out of them : )

[nirvanca in reply to Hidden]

Thank you jds123, very helpful info. My little one is also a bit stubborn, she won't move with drink/ jiggle etc, just moves when she wants to really

It's good to hear from different ladies, as sometimes you would think babies move all the time, which they obviously don't. Thanks again and good luck with the rest of your pregnancy! x

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