The Art Of Counting Baby’s Kicks: Why It Is Useful

Counting the baby’s kicks is very important because it gives us information about the baby’s health and his movements.

Counting baby’s kicks is an art not very common among pregnant women. If you ask a pregnant woman how many kicks she has felt, chances are she doesn’t know. It is not a question of feelings and emotions, it is actually a very important exercise.

The kick count helps determine the baby’s movement in the womb. The fetus should move on a regular basis every day. Once we begin to identify its rhythm, we can perceive possible alterations. It may not always be kicks; it can be a twist, a blow or a pull.

At the beginning of pregnancy, the baby’s movement is not clearly felt. The fetus may move during the first few weeks, but it is so small that the mother cannot feel it. It is possible that it is confused with gas, as if it were a butterfly in the belly, but it is very important to feel it.

Only from the 26th week does the baby’s movement become more evident. However, there are women who do not even perceive it at the 28th. On the other hand, some women start counting kicks at the end of their 20th week of pregnancy.

Why is it necessary to count kicks?

The daily movement of the fetus is part of its development and the normal evolution of gestation. Therefore, keeping a log of kicks offers important information about the health of the fetus. The baby in the womb shouldn’t stop moving for no apparent reason. If there is a problem, it can be determined by counting the frequency of his movements.

Information that may not seem relevant to us can alert your doctor to significant changes. For example, the baby is not getting enough oxygen or is running out of space in the womb. So, if we notice any variation in the number of kicks we feel, it’s worth discussing it with your doctor.

Experts believe that the sooner such problems are noticed, the more likely it is to intervene in time. For this reason, it is good to start counting kicks every day.

How many kicks have you heard today?

If you are in late pregnancy and you still don’t know anything about how kicks are counted, don’t panic: you still have time. It is likely that if the pregnancy proceeds normally, it is because the baby is fine and there are no changes.

However, it is recommended that you start this practice. How and when to start? Here are some considerations to keep in mind:

• Schedule a moment to count the kicks. Make sure it is at the same time every day.
• To choose the right time, consider in advance the times when the baby appears to be awake and active. If he is not awake, we can gently touch his abdomen to wake him up, have a cold drink or walk for a while.
• It is advisable to do the kick count after eating or having a snack, as food encourages the activity of the fetus. However, when we have consumed caffeine it is preferable to wait about two hours before starting to count the kicks. The activity of the fetus could be affected by caffeine, so the number of kicks will not be totally reliable.

There are many ways to count kicks, your doctor will recommend one. However, the methodology is more or less the following:

• Record the start of the count on a graph or clock to determine how long it takes to count.
• Sit or lie down on the right side. Place your hand on the belly, at the point of greatest protrusion.
• Start counting kicks until 10 moves are registered.
• Record the time it took to count the 10 kicks and write it down somewhere.
• If in a two hour period you have not counted the ten strokes, it is recommended to wait an hour and start over. The baby may be sleeping, something is not necessarily wrong.

The time in which the goal of 10 kicks is reached can range from 30 minutes to two hours. However, under normal conditions it shouldn’t take more than two hours to reach the full count. It is estimated that during this exercise the child can sleep for up to 40 minutes.

When is it best to see your doctor?

Counting the kicks allows us to identify some irregularities, so in those cases it is good to consult your doctor immediately. For example, if we notice that during the day the baby stops moving. It is advisable to go to the specialist even when we cannot hear the baby at any time of the day. Other reasons are as follows:

• There has been a noticeable change in the number of kicks received each day.
• After counting twice in two hours, it was not possible to count 10 kicks.
• You have other doubts about the movement of the fetus.