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What a thrill it is for first time mothers to feel their baby`s first kick. Before the days of ultrasound, this was the probably sign of life that the mom may feel. It`s as if the baby`s saying “I`m in here mom and I`m fine.”

Fetal movement is indeed an important way of monitoring your baby`s well being. In fact, for women with history of stillbirth, fetal movement counting is actually highly recommended.1 The movements or kicks usually have a regular pattern. When I was pregnant with my twins, I could even feel two different kicking styles.

Don`t panic, though if things quiet down in there for a while. Baby is probably snoozing. However, a prolonged period when there is no movement is actually a cause for concern. Sudden changes in movement pattern may also be a sign of distress.

For those moms who would like to closely monitor their kids this early, there`s the KickTrak, an easy-to-use digital baby kick counter. It may also be used to time your contractions when you go into labor.

Reference:

1 Reddy UM. Prediction and prevention of recurrent stillbirth. Obstet Gynecol. 2007 Nov;110(5):1151-64.

Tags: baby kick counter, Fetal movement