Just For Kicks: Your Baby’s Movements And What They Mean?

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By mia bolaris-forget

Most expectant moms count the days and minutes until they first feel their baby kick. But, few moms know that they should count the kicks. In fact, it’s all part taking a proactive role in staying connected to your baby and helping identify treatable problems before its too late, and an easy way to help keep baby safe, especially before heart rate becomes affected and stillbirth becomes a potential possibility.

So, how do you count kicks…let us count the ways. First, we suggest consulting with your doctor to see if he or she has any preferred method or recommendations. Another option is using the method recommended by the American College of Obstetricians ad Gynecologists, which suggests counting how long it takes to feel ten movements. Set aside a specific time daily for tracking kicks, preferably when baby is most active. Count the amount of kicks, rolls, jabs, swishes, and movement you feel. To speed things up a bit, lay on your left side to increase blood flow, one way to get baby moving. Jot down the number of movements you feel with your “goal” being 10 per hour. If you don’t experience ten movements within two hours, wait and try again. However, if you’re still not at ten kicks or movements, its best to give your doctor a call.

Long Island Pregnancy Articles > Just For Kicks: Your Baby’s Movements And What They Mean?