Page 27 - The Doula Hub - Flip book_Neat

K I C K S C O U N T

• WHY IS COUNTING KICKS SO IMPORTANT? Your baby’s movements are an important way to
check they are well and happy in the later stages of pregnancy. The position of kicks can also tell
you a little more about how baby is positioned once it becomes too big to move around freely.

• WHAT SHOULD IT FEEL LIKE? All babies move slightly differently and all movements count. Some
babies kick, others wriggle or sweep. You’ll get used to how they like to move as well as to the
frequency.

• WHEN SHOULD I START? You should begin to feel baby kick around week 20, but at this point
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there is no clear rhythm, all movement is good. By the 3 trimester (week 28) baby’s movements
should be strong enough to be easy to notice and monitor.
• HOW DO I DO IT? Pick the time of day that your baby is usually most active – just after a meal or
snack is often a good time. Lie on your side or sit with your feet up and check the time. You
should time how long it takes for baby to do 10 kicks. Note it down so the next time you do them
you can spot when something is different.

• WHAT IS ”NORMAL”? The short answer is: what’s normal for you is normal – which is a good
reason to start counting early, so you can get used to what is normal for your baby. Generally
you’d expect baby to do 10 kicks in less than 2 hours, but most babies will not take this long.
Ideally check at the same time each day, but if you miss a day of timing and you can feel baby
moving as normal that’s ok too.

• WHAT IF SOMETHING SEEMS DIFFERENT? The best thing to do is to ring the hospital and
explain. It’s likely that they will ask you to come in so they can check you, just to make sure all is
well, by either listening to baby’s heartbeat or giving you an ultrasound.