Does the baby kick because it's happy or not happy?

[bumperlicious]

Just wondering if anyone knew of any research to this effect. E.g. got lots of kicking after eating pizza the other day - does this mean I need to be eating more pizza to keep it happy?!
Does it feel squashed and is it likely to kick if it is feeling uncomfortable? At the moment there seems to be no rime or reason to it!

god knows. Doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to my baby's movements. For what it's worth though, I don't think pizza is making your baby happy - I think it's more likely that the quick carbohydrate rush from the dough gave it a burst of energy, hence the kicking.

The midwives always told me that a baby that's moving a lot is a good sign that all is well and they are healthy.

Both, ime!

dd kicked when I played music too loud, or she just didn't like it. She mostly kicked when I was trying to go to sleep or when I had a bath (ie, when I was trying to relax!)

The ds of a friend used to kick when he heard his 2 year old sister cry. Bless him!

I found kicking started when I was resting, as they wake up when you are still

walking around rocks them off to sleep so you won't feel them so much then

I also found lots of kicking after eating something sweet and sugary - in fact when I was worried about not feeling any movements one day the midwife told me to eat some chocolate and go and lie down to see if that would start it off

At 30+5 I am starting to think that I am going to have a hyperactive child as it never seems to stop moving for days at a time. Seems v active during the day, the evening and the night, both arms and legs are going sometimes!!!
Worried that it doesnt understand the concept of sleep!. I am not complaining as it is reassuring all the time to feel it but does the amount it moves now relate in any way to how it will behave when its born?.

i was told by my midwife and gp that the baby movements are their gym, thats how they grow. rush from sugar, caffeine, cold liquids, etc, does get them going too, the same way we feel hyper when we eat/drink certain things.

babies move more when we are resting because thats when they have ample ownership of the space. imagine yourself in a balloon trying to move while the balloon is in movement too... not easy huh? therefore when the baby is born, it will find easy to sleep when we pace up and down with them, because that reminds them of the womb days when it was easier for them to sleep whem mom was awake and to move around when mom was resting...

yes, i gave a lot of thought to it and asked around too!

Ohhhhhhh that was the best part of being pregnant for me, I just loved it when my baby's little foot stuck out and I could grab it with my fingers.......awww bringing back such lovely memories

Btw I am not broody

Midwife advised that if you haven't eaten for a few hours the baby will be still to conserve energy. She recommended a lucozade drop for energy boost to get it going. Mine kicks intensely after chocolate, especially a hot choc drink.

Lucia22 you won't want to hear this but 10yrs ago my sister (a mw) found good scientific research that said your baby develops its sleep/wake habits in last 3 mos of pg. Therefore she didn't want to work night shifts "teaching" her LO that night was day - actually got her employer's policy changed on strength of it!

My first child always kicked after I had eaten and also in response to loud noises. My second was most active in the first hour after I had gone to bed (I think she was probably rocked to sleep during the day, and woke when I was still). My third was like my second, but also always kicked when he was squashed, eg if I sat down and leant forward.

phdlife, does that mean that the patterns of waking it has now are likely to be the same when its born? deep joy!!!