please talk to me about monitoring kicks

[kitkey]

I am 24 weeks and am anxious about monitoring kicks - do i have to yet? I feel kicks in a cluster then nothing for hours and hours - sometimes I can even lie down for an hour and not feel any kicks. Not sure how to know everything is ok in the long quiet periods and not panic. I should know this as this is DC3 but am very anxious about stillbirth.

Hi kitkey

Don't panic. The latest advice is to 'be aware of the pattern' of your baby's movements, rather than counting kicks. I was only told this officially last week at 28 weeks though. I would say that my baby doesn't move the same every day. He's been really busy this week but wasn't this active last week, however usually if I eat, there will be a kick. If I lie down after I've been active, then he'll usually move after a while and usually when I go for my 6 am toilet trip, he has a little jiggle about.

If you get worried that the movements have decreased or stopped then ring midwife. That is the advice. They also say to get an iced cold drink if you are not sure and that should make baby move.

I'd say yours sounds normal. My baby moves lots in a 'cluster' like you say, then will go back to sleep. :)

i have found my baby so difficult to monitor - it never seemed to be at a regular time. i'd have quiet days then more active days. i have been to the hosp twice to get it monitored as i was just sitting there worrying. definitely get baby monitored if you aren't happy - that is what they are there for. even at 32 weeks it wasn't regular. i'm now 40+2. even now i feel it's only started to get into a routine over the past 2 or 3 weeks.

I've got a kick counter bracelet and it's fantastic. I had thought my baby hardly moved at all but I often look down and see that it's moved ten times by early afternoon!

You are supposed to monitor from 28 weeks (I think??) and count 10 movements within 12 hours. So if you start counting from 9am and by 9pm have only felt eight kicks, you should go and get monitored.

I've also turned my kick counter bracelet into a kegel reminder - trying to do ten kegel exercises after every kick, following a worrying loss of bladder control last week...

kick counter bracelet

kittychat I think the advice must vary depending on the area you are in. When MW was talking about monitoring movements and noticing patterns, I asked if they still recommend that we count kicks and she said no, now they just say to get used to patterns. i think the kicks makes sense though, esp if baby doesn't follow the same routine like you say.

Oh that's interesting Rootatoot. You are still meant to chart the kicks where I am! (N London). It works for me because I need something definite to hang on to and focus on. But as you progress you get to 'know' your baby's timetable so you'd probably notice quite quickly if anything was amiss.

My midwife didnt even mention kick monitoring to me at my 28w appointment

As the others said, my LO often has quiet times, like Sunday it was so warm I got no movement till about midnight when it was cooler.

However im getting used to the quiet times, usually i get constant kicks for about 30min then it goes quiet.

My MW hasn't mentioned anything either, and I have sort of avoided it all so I didn't worry!

I do notice the baby's position though, like when I wake in morning its always lying straight across cos my belly feels crazy! I am also getting used to the kicks and turns now so don't flinch or moan constantly when I get them.

I got a Doppler thing last month cos I was starting to freak out, only used it twice!