What is a kick count?
Curious about how to do a kick count?
On average, a first time pregnant person will feel the first sweet flutters of movement from their baby between 16-25 weeks; second time can be as early as 13 weeks! This is also known as the ‘quickening’. At first it can feel like a butterfly in your stomach, but over time those movements get much stronger. It becomes like a conversation between you and your growing little one that is more important the further you get into your pregnancy. Learning how active your baby is can give you peace of mind or clue you in that something may be wrong.
This conversation is called a Kick Count. Starting around 28 weeks, you will want to choose relatively the same time each day when your baby is most active. Many people experience this in the evening around bedtime. When we slow our own movement, it tends to wake baby up and they are ready to party (most of the time on your bladder).
Once you have found a good time, try to get comfy, set a timer and note down how much time it takes for your baby to give you 10 movements or “kicks”. You’ll want to do this each day so that you have a good average. So easy right?!
“Research shows kick counting, keeping a daily record of a baby’s movements during the third trimester, is an easy, free and reliable way to monitor a baby’s well-being in addition to regular prenatal visits.”
If you find that movement has been less than normal throughout the day, try to drink or eat something cold and sugary and rest with your hands on your belly for an hour. If you haven’t gotten 10 movements within that hour (even tiny little nudges) you can contact your provider. This is called a “Formal Kick Count” and can be a great tool if you are doubting how active fetal movements have been that day. Overall, Kick Counts can be a great way to relieve anxiety and keep the conversation going between you and your baby.
Resources
Read more and download the free tracking app: