How Many Times Per Day Should I Do Kick Counts
It should take between 30 minutes and two hours.
How many times per day should i do kick counts. If the movements seem slow to start try lying on your left side this increases blood flow which helps get baby moving. Take a piece of paper and write down the time you start paying attention put a checkmark on the paper every time you feel movement kick twist punch turn. Call your healthcare provider right away if you notice a significant change in your baby s movement patterns. Ideally you want to feel at least 10 movements within 2 hours.
If your baby moves 10 times in the first hour you can stop counting. Count up to 10 moves. Count each of your baby s movements kicks jabs pokes and rolls as one kick and tap the foot on the app until you reach 10 movements. Wait until baby is 28 weeks.
In each of those active periods the baby should move at least 6 times in a half hour or 10 movements in an hour. Count how many times your baby moves. Here is the count to ten method to do the kick count download the graph here. For more on this process see part 2.
A move is any kick wiggle twist turn roll or stretch. Every pregnancy and every baby is different. Pick the right time of day. You might want to start a notebook or use the various charts below.
You should perform a fetal kick count once a day after 28 weeks of pregnancy as a way to monitor your baby s health. You may feel less sharp kicking and more rolling. Do not count hiccups. Set aside time for kick counts every day and try for roughly the same time each day when baby tends to be most active.
Early evening after dinner is a good time because the fetus is usually more active then. Once you have identified fetal kick patterns monitor them closely. For example sarah may be able to record 10 movements for her baby in 10 minutes but megan s baby may take 30 minutes to record 10 movements. That tends to be after meals in the evening or if you ve just had some sugar.
However if you are monitoring the baby s movements at the same time each day it should take about the same amount of time to feel 10 movements. The american congress of obstetricians and gynecologists acog recommends that you time how long it takes you to feel 10 kicks flutters swishes or rolls. Remember to always track your kick counts in a journal or notebook. It s also recommended to monitor kick counts at the same time every day so that you really start getting a feel for baby s patterns.
I do at least once a day if she is not active if she is active in the morning i usually don t think about doing a kick count again unless she isn t active at night. You will likely feel 10 movements in less time than that. There are many different ways to do a kick count.