What it is
Not feeling baby move, decreased movement, kick counts: this is the one topic where the answer comes first. If your baby is moving less than usual, call your provider or the labor and delivery unit now, at any hour. They want this call. You will not be a bother.
Babies move from about week 16 to 24 on, earlier for mothers who have had a baby before, later with an anterior placenta. By 28 weeks, most babies have a pattern you know: busy after meals, active at night, quiet while you walk. That pattern is your baseline. A change in it is what matters, not a number.
Most of the time a quiet day turns out to be fine. But reduced movement is one of the few warning signs a baby can give. In a share of stillbirths, mothers noticed less movement in the days before. Checking is simple: a heartbeat monitor and often an ultrasound.
What's typical
Babies sleep in cycles of 20 to 40 minutes, up to about 90, and are still during them. They do not slow down near the end of pregnancy. The kind of movement changes, from kicks to rolls, but not how often. The idea that babies run out of room is a myth.
Kick counting is one way to know your baseline. Many providers suggest picking a time the baby is usually active, lying on your side, and noting how long it takes to feel ten movements. Most mothers feel ten within an hour, often within 20 minutes. Count the Kicks, a nonprofit, has a free app. What matters most is comparing today to your own normal.
What's known
ACOG advises mothers to be aware of movement and to call with any decrease. The Count the Kicks campaign, started in Iowa after a cluster of stillbirths, reports a drop in that state's stillbirth rate. Large trials in the UK and Ireland of formal counting programs did not show a drop in stillbirths overall, and some researchers argue that awareness and quick response matter more than any method. There is no evidence that juice, cold water, or poking the belly is a safe substitute for a check.
What helps
- Learn your baby's pattern by 28 weeks. Notice when the busy times are.
- If you are unsure, lie on your left side in a quiet room for up to an hour and pay attention. If you still feel less than usual, call.
- Save the labor and delivery number in your phone under a name you will find at 2 a.m.
- Do not rely on a home doppler. A heartbeat does not rule out a problem, and hunting for one delays the call.
- If you went in and all was fine, go again next time. Repeat visits are expected and welcomed.
When to call someone
- Now, any hour: fewer movements than usual, no movement when you expect it, or a burst of frantic movement followed by stillness. Call or go to labor and delivery.
- Nowreduced movement with bleeding, leaking fluid, severe pain, or a fall.
- At your next visityou have not felt movement by 24 weeks, or you are not sure what you are feeling. Ask them to show you.
Who helps
Tools: Due Date Calculator · My Birth Team
Related
- Placenta previa and other placenta findingsPregnancy: Your Body
- Prenatal tests and ultrasounds: what each one isPregnancy: Your Body
- Itching that won't stop: cholestasisPregnancy: Your Body
- Going past your due datePregnancy: Your Body
- Braxton Hicks and practice contractionsPregnancy: Your Body
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Sources
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Patient FAQ on fetal movement
- Count the Kicks — How to count kicks: parent guide
- Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists — Your baby's movements in pregnancy patient information
- Tommy's — Baby movements in pregnancy
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