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November 2011 Moms
WARM SUMMERS
member
Explain kick counts to me please?
WARM SUMMERS
member
I went for my 28 week appointment last week and the nurse explained to me that I have to start doing kick counts. She said I pick the baby's most active time of day and must count at least 10 kicks within a 2 hour time frame once a day. My concern is that the baby isn't always active during that same time every day.
I'm doing some reading online and apparently some OBs want you to do them 3 times a day and must count at least 10 kicks within 20 minutes.
Which is correct? I'm so confused!
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Re: Explain kick counts to me please?
ITS A BOY!!!! Born 11/13/11 BFP #4: 10/29/12 edd 7/11/12
I picked up a sheet from my MFM this week. It says to lie down for 30 minutes after each meal and count the # of movements I feel (including hiccups, bumps, kicks, etc). If I detect fewer than 3 movements per 1/2 hour, continue monitoring for another 1/2 hour. I'm supposed to notify my dr if there's less than 20 movements a day.
I thought that was a good way to judge it b/c some days this kid is insane and other days I might just feel a few hiccups - so it gives me a way to quantify if there's a concern or not.
I think it's silly to expect women to lay around for 3 hours a day counting kicks. If you are feeling the baby move frequently, they are probably fine. I've only been doing kick counts on 'quiet' days and usually what happens is the baby is actually moving a lot more than I realized until I laid down.
But yes, just have a glass of water or OJ, like down, and time how long it takes you to get to 10 movements (I usually get there in 20min or less). Anything counts, even the random rustlings. If it takes more than an hour, try it again. If you still aren't having much luck, that's usually when they say to call.
I have a high risk dr and a regular OB, so I've gotten two sets of instructions.
My regular OB is not a big fan of them; my high risk dr is much more strict about them.
My high risk dr says to do them after breakfast and dinner. Must log when you start doing the kick counts, when the first kick occurs and how long it takes to get to ten. High risk dr says if after 15 minutes no movement, to get up, drink orange juice/ice water and to lay back down on left side. Must do it in a quiet room. Hiccups don't count. Anything less than 10, call OB right away. The 3 times I've called for that they had me repeat the hour and I usually got 10 kicks pretty quickly. 1 time I didn't, they had my call my regular OB who then sent me to L & D for monitoring. I usually get 10 very quickly. The longest it has taken since going for montioring ahs been a half hour for 10. I started having to count at 24 weeks. I started feeling a lot more consistent movements at 26 weeks.
My OB has me do them after dinner. Lay on left side and must count 10 in an hour. He also recommends to do them if I've not felt the baby move a lot during the day. He doesn't like starting them until 28 weeks because he feels that movement is a lot more consistent by then. If I don't reach 10 in an hour, his recommendation is to then drink the juice/ice water, get up, use the bathroom and then try again for an hour. If less than 10 in 2 hours, then call and my OB will then send you to L & D for monitoring. He's not a big fan of them, mostly because every practice varies so much on them and their instructions.
He is not an alarmist when it comes to this and I tend to follow his directions for them, rather than the high risk OB. Afterall, I end up having to call my regular OB for further instructions if I don't reach 10 in an hour, not the high risk. 10 is usually the low threshold for an hour, 10 is definitely too low for two hours.
My LO tends to be the most active after meals or ice water. As I get a little farther along, I am noticing he moves A LOT more. If I don't feel a lot of movements, it's then that I go, slow down, lay on my left side or sit still and try to count. My OB's theory is that if he's moving around during the day and you are getting 10 kick counts within the recommended amount of time, then things are good.
I hope I made some sense....I didn't mean to write you a novel, hehe.
Thanks for your responses ladies! I'm not all there this morning so please forgive me...do I need to sit down and do them more than once a day? Sometimes LO doesn't move at all all day but when I do kick counts at night after dinner I usually get 10 within 20 minutes - but not always.
I work full-time so I don't exactly have time to lay down after every meal for an hour and monitor my kick counts. Thankfully I do get laid off from my job next Wednesday so I can monitor kick counts more frequently.
I hate that I have to monitor them. It just makes room for some major panicking if I don't reach 10 counts in the recommended time. Ugh!
I'm not entirely sure. My OB said that if I don't reach 10 counts to give them a call and they'll perform a stress test and monitor the babys movement and heartbeat for 20 minutes. I'm assuming its to watch the heartbeat and for preterm labor?
The letter from my dr says "It is important for you, as an observer and participant in your obstetric care, to monitor the baby's growth and activity. Expectant mothers that are aware of fetal movements are much better predictors of fetal well-being than outside observers. Please do regular kick counts three times per day for one hour. During this time, observe fetal movements. Four fetal movements in one hour is reassuring. Once a day the kick counts should note ten movements within the hour".
It goes on to recommend ways to get them moving (drinking something cold. lay on your side etc) and says that if you notice a decrease in movement, you should call the dr immediately.
My understanding is that lack of movement could indicate a baby in distress (cord knot, low amniotic fluid, decreased heartrate etc) that would require further observation and or early delivery.
I can't tell the difference between a roll or a kick normally but the hiccups are little movements with a pattern. Like usually like every ten seconds a little teeny movement, then another ten seconds, another teeny movement...at least that's what the nurse told me.
my OB said only do them if i am worried that baby isn't moving very much. she told me to lay on my side..doesn't matter which one. Drink some juice and then do nothing but feel for your baby moving, and you should get ten movements in an hour..
Every doctor is different - some don't require them and some have various sets of rules. Mine sounds a lot like the original post -- 10 counts in two hours. Mine has some specific instructions that came with my sheet. Lay down on your side in a quiet place with both hands on your belly. And mine is to count simply movements not "kicks." I usually do it at night before bed and it doesn't usually take longer than 15-30 minutes. Sometimes I feel it could go faster if I did it at an earlier time, but I don't have the chance to always go lay in my bed and count movements. ha
I think most women know their babies' schedules and can tell normal movements throughout the day, but obviously their schedules vary too. I'm not sure if I would be too worried if I didn't feel exactly when I decided to count, but I haven't had that happen yet.
My doctor didn't seem to think it was too big of a deal and told me not to worry about it too much.