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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Counting the kicks...

16 replies

hippieshake · 01/02/2012 21:55

Hello..

When is the time to start counting kicks, and what am I counting exactly? I don't feel it's been explained to me that well. I also have an anterior placenta, so I'm not sure how much that will interfere. At the moment she has some quite active days and some quite quiet days.l

I'm 22+5 :)

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

moregranny · 02/02/2012 00:03

Bump

MrsDeeBee · 02/02/2012 00:09

hippie

From now ! You are just counting how many movements or 'kicks' you feel on a daily basis. There is no minimum or maximum amount, you will sort of 'learn' what is a regular pattern for your baby.

There is a site www.countthekicks.org.uk that offers advice.

HTH

Biscuitsandtea · 02/02/2012 07:04

Hippie, as above, if I were you I'd start trying to notice if there are any patterns etc now.

I also have an anterior placenta so didn't feel much in the early days - even by 28 weeks it was still a bit hit and miss as to how much I could feel some days (although when the mw would listen with the Doppler she, and I, could hear movements that I still couldn't feel .

Anyway, the count the kicks website is great for explaining it all. You may also have a thing in your maternity notes which they can ask you to fill in from later on in your pg if you (or they) are worried about it.

I have a count the kicks bracelet from the website which I find useful.

The 'official' policy is that you should feel at least 10 a day, between 9am and 6pm and they'll apply that mostly after 28 weeks, A lot of people would feel a lot more than that though so the really golden rule is to flag it up (to your mw or PAU) if ^it is different for your baby'. Hence why it's good to get an idea of patterns etc now so you can see if anything changes.

Hope that helps a bit? Sorry if it isn't very clear

Original poster

hippieshake · 02/02/2012 21:21

Thank you, I'm going to start recording when she kicks and see if I can notice a pattern x

OP posts:

Sandra2011 · 02/02/2012 22:46

My babies never had a pattern and this is my 2nd pregnancy.

Biscuitsandtea · 03/02/2012 06:17

I guess it doesn't have to be a pattern as such, it could even just be how hard they're kicking, or just making sure you get used to trying to notice when they do. Even if there is no pattern as such in terms of the time of day or whatever (and I never noticed a pattern with DS) it's just to make you think about if you're feeling a 'change' as regards how much they're kicking across the whole day I think.

user59457812 · 03/02/2012 10:32

22 weeks is a bit early to start counting kicks, at this stage babies aren't in a pattern yet and can have some really quiet days as they are small enough to get themselves into a position you can't really feel. Starting too early you could freak yourself out for no good reason, as you may have long gaps between feeling movement and bub could be changing it's pattern every day (I speak from anxious experience and from the advice of my GP...). With an anterior placenta it means that you'll probably feel less at an early stage than with a posteria one too.

The usual advice is not to start counting until 28 weeks, when the baby is more likely to be in a pattern and big enough for you to feel reliably. I found 'testing' for movement twice a day after 28 weeks - morning and evening - much more manageable than trying do it hourly. You just can't work normally and try and be aware of what baby is doing constantly. The method I was given was to choose one hour in the morning and one in the evening, then check you feel ten movements (of any kind, not just kicks) within that hour. If you haven't felt ten, start again, and see if you feel ten in the next hour. If not, ring the midwife or maternity suite.

HTH

Biscuitsandtea · 03/02/2012 10:39

Hotpink I'm not sure the op has an anterior placenta - I was just talking about me

Are we really supposed to be getting 10 mvmts an hour? Seriously even now, I only get maybe 20 in all my waking hours?

blushingmare · 03/02/2012 10:44

I'm glad you said that hotpink! I was starting to get worried. I'm
22+4 and definitely couldn't start reliably counting or looking for a pattern yet. Some days there's a lot, and some I don't think I feel anything. Also still having trouble distinguishing kicks from wind at this stage. I'm hoping this is normal?!

user59457812 · 03/02/2012 10:54

Biscuits OP does say she has an anterior placenta. The method I was given is supposed to focus on the most common 'busy' times for baby, early in the morning, and then about dinner time, and I have always got ten movements in those hours of some kind (not just kicks, but wriggles, rolls, pushes etc.). There are massive stretches during the day when I don't feel anything, as baby is presumably asleep (I've been told up to 16 hours in a 24 hr period!) so definitely not ten movements every hour - don't worry. My placenta is also posteria so that might make a difference too.

The midwife and GP seem very unbothered about counting though - they say ten movements a day total is OK and just to keep an eye on any major change.

Best to follow your MW's advice though. The last thing I want to do is worry you as sure there is no need!

user59457812 · 03/02/2012 11:03

The Count the Kicks Campaign recommends the same technique after 28 weeks actually (although only once a day), and has some clear, reassuring advice on how to do it (esp to check baby is actually awake first ):

www.countthekicks.me/HowToCounttheKicks/HowTo/tabid/64/Default.aspx

Biscuitsandtea · 03/02/2012 11:04

Oh yes - sorry hotpink I've been posting on two threads about this today and got confused . I just didn't want to think I'd put an anterior placenta red herring in

OP, with an anterior placenta as hotpink says its still early to be getting definite mvmts. Lots of people can pick up a pattern earlier than 28 weeks, but for me at 28 weeks I was still struggling to feel things so not unusual at all at your stage I would say to not be getting them all the time.

I guess this is the time to just be paying attention when you do feel something and try to see if it's perhaps at the same time of day, or if you've just eaten something specific or some other trigger.

I guess also that the 10 mvmts in an hour v 10 in a day is exactly why the key thing is eventually to learn what's normal for you so you can report any change from that

Biscuitsandtea · 03/02/2012 11:06

Ah that link is interesting - I've never seen that before. I can't think how I'd get 2 hours to lie down every day though to count them? (I guess it would take me that long!)

user59457812 · 03/02/2012 11:35

Biscuits - that's one of the things with kick counting, the stress of trying to find the time! I do one count in bed before I get up (making sure I have enough time before my real alarm), and then an hour after dinner if I'm in. It is our first though so I don't have other kids to sort out.

I have friends who've never done it as they said it just worried them too much - as long as they felt bub moving during the course of the day they were happy.

Count the kicks doesn't say anything about anterior placentas so perhaps it doesn't work in all cases. I think your point about getting used to what's normal for you is really valid.

Original poster

hippieshake · 05/02/2012 13:21

Thanks everyone. I'm noticing that she kicks after I've eaten, and usually just before I go to sleep at night. So I figure I'll just see how she goes with those, and if I get any quiet days then I'll pay a bit more attention.

I'm very active too, so I don't often get time to chill out and wait to see if she kicks :) She is very active herself though considering my anterior placenta. So I'm not worried :)

OP posts:

Sandra2011 · 10/02/2012 22:54

I spoke to my MW regarding this thread and she said you are supposed to have 10 kicks per day NOT per hour.

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