Help me with kick counts please

MrsWallick · April 2014

First, I would like to apologize for being completely MIA the past week or two. My company picked up a new contract and it has been impossible to get online at work. I have tried to "love" you all as much as possible, but please forgive my absence lately.

After my visit to L&D 2 weeks ago due to decreased fetal movement, my doctor wanted me to start tracking my kick counts. I have a few questions about how you all do this. First, when she is moving around all day long, I don't bother to sit down and actually count it out. Is that bad? Second, when she starts a boxing match and goes "pow, pow, pow" all in a row, do I count that as one movement or three kicks? And third, often I can see her foot or elbow sticking out. Sometimes I poke it and she moves out of the way, but I can't actually feel it, I just see it, does that count?

I'm just confused about how to actually count these kicks versus movements. I'm sorry if these are really stupid questions, I just want to make sure I'm tracking everything correctly. Thank you!!

MsAmandaPants · April 2014

Thank you for posting this! I am not at the kick count stage quite yet, but have all of these questions!

ksyknelvr73 · April 2014

Um, I'm not sure how much help I am with this...but if I feel him moving all day, I don't bother to actually sit down and do them, so I think that at least answers one of your questions.

My understanding is ANY movement counts.

MickeyM04 · April 2014

My understanding is you are supposed to try to do them at the same time every day (roughly) because baby will often have quiet times and active times and if you try to compare one to the other you might think you are having a slow movement day when in reality baby is always quiet at that time of day. My other understanding is that you are supposed to sit/lie very still for an hour or until you get to 10 movements, whichever is first, and that it doesn't matter whether it's something that you feel or see, any movement counts (but hiccups DO NOT count). I don't know if this is proper but when I get a bunch of movement in a row, I don't count it as separate movemetns unless I can differentiate between each one...like if I'm not sure if it's 3 separate POWS or 1 long ongoing movement, I'll count it as 1 to be safe (so I don't get a false high number that makes me think everything is OK). I have also heard that it is OK to do kick counts once per day although if you notice baby moving slowly you may want to do it sooner. (Like I never do my kick counts til night time but after a very slow morning I did my kick counts from 11-12 today which is when I got a low number.)

SA1112 · April 2014

I had questions about my kick counts as well. It's kind of confusing! My doctor just said to do them at a time that the baby is usually active. I've found though that if I just pick a random time to sit down and focus on the kicks then it can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 50 minutes to get the 10 kicks...but if I start counting at a time when the baby is already moving then I get to 10 within a few minutes. I'm not sure which way is correct.

So I'm not much help but the paper I got from my doctor does says to count all movement including kicks, rolls and flutters. If I feel three kicks right in a row I usually count them as separate. I'm just going to clarify with my doctor at my next appointment and if I were you I'd do the same! Good luck!

MrsWallick · April 2014

Good info! This helps a lot. And I don't feel so stupid knowing that other people had the same thoughts

CaitNMatt · April 2014

Thank you for posting this!! I've been wondering too bc my old OB with DD was all "don't worry about it if she is moving a lot during the day". So I only did them when she was quiet during the day. I'm now 28 weeks and startin to think I should bring this up at my appt this week!

mmsweeney1 · April 2014

@MickeyM04 - I am just curious, why don't hiccups count? (I lost my son late term last year and he had hiccups all the time so I always felt reassured that I could feel him in there.)

MickeyM04 · April 2014

Edited because I found the link (below) so you have the actual info instead of my recollection of the info.

MickeyM04 · April 2014

@mmsweeney1‌ - here it is. Not a substitute for what your doc says but it is a hospital site. I found it when I was looking up frequent fetal hiccups (this LO gets them at least 3 times a day).

https://www.uwhealth.org/obgyn/kick-counts/27850

Junebug060609 · April 2014

Mickey & Theresa pretty much nailed it.

I did them with my previous OB just for however long it took to get 10 moves.

Current OB doesnt want kick counts, but does want to know of changes in movement (lack of it, not the switch from kicks to nudges).

voplo · April 2014

I am so screwed if I have to count kicks. I barely feel anything (still)... With my son he was punching me since 20 weeks....all the night. This one...nothing....I can lay, drink, eat...run...nothing. Is so bad that we spent 1 hour at our a/s and she/he didn't move in the entire time...and we couldn't see the sex (the good part is that the technician took perfect pictures of everything)...

About you questions, I totally agree with @mattsgirl2004 I couldn't have explained better than her. Also during my first pregnancy, my son he used to follow a pattern every day. He would sleep in the mornings and kick afternoons and nights (non-stop), so I was more relaxed counting the kicks during the time he was "sleeping".

MrsWallick · April 2014

@MickeyM04‌ Thanks for that article!! Great explanation!

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