How to count fetal kick

During pregnancy, healthy babies usually are active babies.

From the first few days and weeks of pregnancy (when that rapidly expanding cluster of cells is just a cluster of cells) through the end of the third month (when your practitioner's Doppler just might pick up the lovely lub-dub of a heartbeat), the first trimester is a time of astoundingly fast development. But don't expect to feel any fetal movement yet (except the queasiness, the fatigue, the headaches…); your baby is far too tiny, and buried far too deeply within the protective cushioning of your womb, to make a blip on your belly radar. He or she could dance a jig and you'd feel neither a stamp nor a hop. 

When will you actually feel those twitterings of life known as quickening? Some pregnant women (the very thin, or those who have had previous children) first feel their baby's movement as early as the fourth month. Most women won't be aware of, or recognize, the flits and twitches (which can feel a lot like gas or muscle spasms) for at least another few weeks.

By the fifth month, most women are feeling the fidgets and squirms of their active little tenant. The baby's routines will grow increasingly acrobatic (and the punches more powerful) as those little muscles get stronger and those fledgling motor skills develop. 

Your baby picks up the pace in the sixth month. Leg movements will seem more choreographed, and you may start noticing patterns in the pitter-patter of those little feet (although it's just as likely that the behavior won't be predictable).

It starts to get a little cramped in the womb by the seventh month, but your baby still has enough room to toss and turn for a little while longer. Your pint-sized pugilist is getting stronger, and those punches, while comforting, can now be downright jolting. Babies are individuals, just like the rest of us, and the rhythms and patterns of their activity will vary. Try not to compare your baby's movements with those of others (your best friend's pregnancy is different from yours), or of your own previous children. And don't stress if your baby seems unusually active; it doesn't mean you'll have a hyper child later on.

The kick count is an easy, non-invasive test that you can do at home to check your baby's well being. The idea is to be sure he or she is moving around enough.

There are numerous ways to count your baby's movements and numerous opinions on how many movements you are looking for within a certain amount of time. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that you time how long it takes you to feel 10 kicks, flutters, swishes or rolls. Ideally, you want to feel at least 10 movements within 2 hours. Most likely you will feel 10 movements in much less time.

Though strongly recommended for high risk pregnancies, counting fetal movementsbeginning at 28 weeks may be beneficial for all pregnancies.

Remember: Your baby will normally have periods when it is asleep, sometimes lasting as long as four hours; however, this period should not exceed four hours.

Read more:

The first fetal movement