Kick Counts/Useful or Crazy Making?

[NicolleLynne]

Hi Mamas,

As some of you know, I had two losses prior to this pregnancy and have been more than a little anxious about everything going alright. To that end, I've been doing kick counts for about a month now (I'm 33 weeks). I usually do them before bedtime and get 10 kicks in about 30 minutes. Sometimes, however, I do them in the morning and/or afternoon and it takes much longer to get the kicks. Sometimes the little one is quiet for almost an hour before moving and I start poking my belly trying to rouse her (sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't). I know that growing is hard work and babies need their sleep. I hate the idea of prodding her awake, just to ease my anxiety but it really scares me to go so long without feeling her. I've already made one emergency OB visit after a particularly quiet morning, only to find that the little one was curled up in the breech position and was just fine, squished but fine...

Question, is anyone else doing kick counts? Do you always get your kicks right away? Is it important to count at the same time everyday or should you be able to get 10 kicks in any one hour period? Lastly, do you find kick counting to be a useful exercise? At first I thought it was good way just to "check in" with the baby and bond but combined with my anxiety I'm beginning to think kick counting is yet another way to make myself nuts. Advice?

Thanks so much!

[LisaSedai]

I just started doing kick counts this week. I have been doing them after I eat "lunch" at work, around 11pm - 1am. I do it at that time b/c that is usually when baby starts moving alot & I don't start the timer until the first kick. I don't think they reccommend doing it at different times- I read babies will sleep alot in utero (like 40 minutes an hour) so try not to be too worried. Most of the time my baby doesn't move alot.

[Hannah32]

I'm not doing them because the doctor didn't think it was needed. He moves every day. I honestly think they could make you go a little "crazy" as you said, especially if there are prior losses. But I just think our babies need their rest!

Mine is reacting to loud or especially different noises right now though, which is fun to observe.

I was doing some major walking yesterday, probably walked for well over an hour all together. Took my little guy another two hours after I got home to wake up! Then, he bopped around as I was reading in bed and again this morning.

[pippasmum]

I find it crazy-making so I don't do a kick count unless I have had a really quiet day. For what it's worth, my o.b., who is really on top of the latest research, told me the last time I was there that you need to think about 6 kicks in two hours - he said that the latest research shows that baby can sleep for up to 90 minutes at a time.
Hang in there, not too much longer to wait!

[bananabee]

My OB asked if I feel movement at least 3 times a day. I think that's a much more reasonable expectation.

[curvyred]

My midwife told me to think in terms of 4 hour blocks of time--ten kicks every four hours. OR a huge change from normal. For me, normal is quiet all day long and lots of activity at night. (Heaven help me if that continues after birth! )

[at_the_hip]

I do them although I don't schedule them or anything. I'm just quite aware of baby's regular movements, and when I do stop and rest, I pay attention.

Knowing that your little one is usually sleeping in the morning, I would personally wait until after lunch or a time when you usually feel the little one more active. Babies do sleep a lot!

[mediumcrunch]

I don't do kick counts per se. I do "hey, little man, you've been quiet today." Poke, poke, prod, prod "How you doing in there?" then sit around for a little while and see if he wakes up. I don't count or watch the clock or anything. I know what his 'normal' is. If he doesn't cooperate I go get the doppler I rented and take a listen.
I have never rented a doppler before and pretty much pshawed my friends who did. I do have to say it has given me a peace of mind that I haven't had in previous pregnancies( I am a bit prone to anxiety). Worth the $24/month. I don't use it every day or even every week. Only when I haven't gotten the movement I want from little dude, he is pretty laid back and will hang quietly for a long, long time and honestly I think if I picked a random hour and insisted he move 10 times he wouldn't, and it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't move 10 times in two hours, *if* I picked the wrong 2 hours. He can be a crazy man for a solid 30-90 minutes and then totally silent except for a little squirm here and there for hours and hours.

[mediumcrunch]

Originally Posted by Hannah32

Mine is reacting to loud or especially different noises right now though, which is fun to observe.

Dh and I went to see Clash of the Titans last night. Max was not impressed. I think the explosions and crashes woke him up

[Aka mommy]

Don't do them, never have. DD#1 moved so rarely it only frustrated me so i stopped. DD#2 was sooo active i swear she never stopped moving. These last 2 pregnancies i've just known that in the middle of the night i get activity and then after eating fruit or chocolate, that's enough to ease my mind.

[NicolleLynne]

Thank you all for helping to ease my mind... It's neat to see how our babies are already unique in their movements and sleep patterns. After a fairly quiet day, my little girl seems to be tapping out Morse code on my rib cage.

Honestly, I think the main source of my anxiety is the internet. Even my OB said she doesn't recommend kick counting, just, as many of you already do, maintaining an awareness of baby's movements and patterns. I read about kick counting on some scary site that basically said "if you don't get ten kicks in an hour go to the hospital". I think with advice like that in the back of my mind, freaking out was almost a given. Knowing that babies sleep for 40-90 minutes at a time, how can you expect to get 10 movements in any one hour period?

Sometimes, I wish I had gotten pregnant before the internet, though I do appreciate it for giving me the opportunity to connect with such great ladies as yourselves. It's just so much easier to scare yourself silly nowadays!

[GoBecGo]

If you didn't have the internet you'd have some old lady telling you not to put your arms above your head or you'd strangle your baby!

I'm like most of the rest of you, i don't do counts, i just pay attention. If all else fails with this one i lay down to rest - that NEVER fails to start the belly-disco! I think this child has a moral objection to rest....

[bdoody11]

Originally Posted by NicolleLynne

I read about kick counting on some scary site that basically said "if you don't get ten kicks in an hour go to the hospital". I think with advice like that in the back of my mind, freaking out was almost a given. Knowing that babies sleep for 40-90 minutes at a time, how can you expect to get 10 movements in any one hour period?

My hospital gave me a book of advice for their pregnant patients. They suggest you should get 10 kicks in 4 HOURS so that's what I go by. That being said it never takes me that long to get all 10 or I get like 6 kicks in 5 minutes and I stop counting.

I've had two losses since my first pregnancy so I know what you're going through. It's also complicated for me because I have an anterior placenta and that can inhibit feeling movement. I do kick counts if I feel like she hasn't been moving very much. If I'm feeling anxious it definitely helps me to do a count.

[Kathryn]

I don't really do kick counts, but I do a 'at once per day check in' and pay attention to movement around the same time every day. If it were to decrease, I would kick count.

I do think it is super important to do a daily check though. Not to be all alarmist or anything, but I know too many people and have photographed too many babies (I volunteer for NILMDTS) where the mom didn't notice the lack of movement until several days after the baby had died. Kick counts have saved many babies lives.