Clarification on Kick Counts

Houseplant · July 2013

I just want to clarify that I am interpreting this kick count thing correctly since my doctor has not put much emphasis on them. He said you don't need to do kick counts unless you haven't felt the baby move in a few hours or you can't remember the last time you felt him. My understanding is that if baby is moving less and the movements are less strong in general for a long period of time, you do a kick count. If you can get to 10 movements in an hour (or two) by laying down and drinking something cold, there is no need to get checked out even if the baby continues to be less active in general. Is that how you understand it? Are you supposed to factor in strength of the movements during a kick count or is it just getting to 10 even if they are subtle? Little guy hasn't been as active lately and I want to make sure I'm using kick counts correctly.

CarolinaGirl411 · July 2013

At my appointment at 27 weeks I was told about the kick counts. My OB said after dinner to either sit down or lie on my side and count. If I don't get 10 kicks within an hour, to give them a call. Most nights I don't have to sit or lie for about 20 minutes because he is super active after eating, but that is any time of day after meals.

msronzio · July 2013

My OB literally hasn't said a thing about kick counts. I'm 31w 2d.

I also would like to add that I've noticed in the last few days he's not as active as he was over the past few collective weeks and I finally figured out why. He did a 280 and changed position. Now that what seems like his head and butt are pressing against the front of my belly, I don't feel movement nearly as much as I did when his legs and arms were against the same spots. Like a PP said, some lulls in movement are normal, and this may be one of those weird explanations why.

vvg28 · July 2013

Don't you all think this varies simply by the child too? My little guy has never been a crazy kicker and all has checked out fine with him. He has his spells, but it is by no means all the time. My mom said I wasn't a active baby either. And my doctor hasn't mentioned kick counting yet, but I am only on week 27.

calibr8te · July 2013

@msronzio: Are you not getting headbutts to the belly? I consistently get these from my baby and I can totally feel its little round head. I get these more than leg/arm kicks. Yesterday I had head pressing against my belly first thing in the am and my cat gave a headbutt to the exact spot. They made contact!

Vonkat · July 2013

I just had an appt at 27 weeks. My doctor said about 10 kicks every two hours...

sarah_norton · July 2013

My doctor hasn't said a thing but this little guy is super active so unless its been an hour or two and I haven't felt anything then I don't get worried. I do find if I'm super active he slows down but once I'm still for a while he starts moving again.

BrittanyCupcakes · July 2013

When I went to L&D for decreased movement, the nurse pretty much bit my head off when I said I hadn't been doing kick counts yet. My doctor hasn't mentioned them at all yet.

I have a little question, too. Am I supposed to count each individual kick if she kicks multiple times in a row? Or does that count as one movement?

laurenmdrn16 · July 2013

I think the counts are more to track if there is a definite change in what LO has done before. Obviously, the bigger baby gets, the more cramped it is and you may not feel the somersaults and flips, but jabs and kicks. Also, my midwife said baby will go through growth spurts where there is slightly less activity. Basically, at each apt, she asks "Are you feeling baby move? Any big changes in activity level?" My LO is fairly predictable (wakes up around 7:30 each morning, kicks a lot from 9:00-11:00, some little jabs after lunch, naps during the afternoon, especially if I am exercising/walking after work, and gets super active after dinner and right before bed), so my midwife says there is no reason to do formal kick counts.

@BrittanyCupcakes, I would count each jab or kick as one. So if you feel 5 in a row, I would say five. Unless it feels like hiccups, which I wouldn't consider kicks/jabs to be counted.

AggieAsh23 · July 2013

I just had my 30 week appointment today and asked my doctor about this. She told me 10 movements of any kind or strength in two hours. Anything less that that and i should call. If the baby does 4 quick jabs in a row it counts as 4,etc.

msronzio · July 2013

calibr8te said:

@msronzio: Are you not getting headbutts to the belly? I consistently get these from my baby and I can totally feel its little round head. I get these more than leg/arm kicks. Yesterday I had head pressing against my belly first thing in the am and my cat gave a headbutt to the exact spot. They made contact!

No but I wish I was

For three weeks or so he was facing out towards my belly, so you could feel the foot. It was crazy! Now that he has turned, I can barely feel anything. I can definitely feel where his head and booty are nestled but that's about it. He used to roll but I think he's running out of room. My belly is tiny and the baby feels huge in there lol

That's cute about your kitty

msronzio · July 2013

@BrittanyCupcakes that's insane! If your doctor hasn't said anything it's not your fault. Has me worried now too. I would have never even known about kick counts if I didn't read The Bump. lol

BrittanyCupcakes · July 2013

@msronzio I really didn't like that nurse. She made me feel like a horrible person for waiting so long to come in (we came in at around 1:30am), but then she said to rest for an hour or two after dinner to do my kick counts, and if I didn't have good results, wait another hour or so and try again before coming in. By then it would still be the middle of the night!

It took me about 2 minutes last night to feel all 10 movements, and I wasn't counting every single kick when she did a few in a row. She's a pretty active little girl, so while I knew about kick counts from TB, didn't think it was that big of a deal as long as I'm feeling regular movements. I tend to get OCD about counting things sometimes, so I'd rather not have to do kick counts, or else I could easily spend an entire day watching the clock and counting. When we were hooked up to the monitors at the hospital, I spent most of the time watching the clock and counting her heart beats to figure out her heart rate, since I couldn't see any screens.

msronzio · July 2013

Sometimes I wonder if HC professionals just want something to bitch about. Come in too early, they pick on you. Come in "too late", apparently they pick on you too... Doesn't seem like too late to me if everything was okay. Although I wouldn't classify your case as either. You went in when you were nervous about your LO. Any nurse should be understanding and supportive of that, and you should be taken seriously.

Sorry you had to deal with that. I'd complain to her manager and ask for someone else on that shift to see you.

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