Is it normal for baby kicks to slow down

List of Partners vendors. Whenever you feel like your baby is not moving as much as usual—especially when you're far enough along that you've been feeling regular movement—it is best to call your healthcare provider. There is a good chance that there is nothing wrong with the baby, but it is important that you discuss any changes in your baby's movement with your physician or midwife.

In some cases, decreased movement may be an early warning sign of a condition that could lead to stillbirth , so it is absolutely best to err on the side of caution.

If you are sure your baby's movements have become less frequent than usual, such as if you've been monitoring kick counts , you need to call and discuss this immediately with your physician or midwife.

If you have just noticed a decrease in your baby's movement or you are not sure if your baby is moving less, try counting your baby's kicks over two hours at a time when your baby is usually active. If they usually start kicking after you eat, for example, have a snack and then lie down for a few hours while counting the number of times you feel them kick. If you feel fewer than five kicks in one hour or 10 kicks in 2 hours, call your healthcare provider.

Explain that you haven't felt your baby move as much as normal so you did kick counts. If your physician or midwife has already instructed you to monitor your baby's movement with kick counts explain that your baby kicked less than usual today.

Fetal movement can be irregular when you're still in the second trimester, and there's probably nothing wrong—but if you're worried, call your doctor or midwife. In fact, whenever you're in doubt about whether something is normal or not during pregnancy, call the healthcare provider overseeing your pregnancy and let them make that determination.

It's always better to be extra cautious with a perfectly healthy baby than to risk not getting that extra monitoring when you truly need it. If your physician or midwife feel there is a potential cause for concern based on your observations, they will probably ask you to come in for monitoring. The goal is to feel a minimum of 10 fetal movements within two hours, though it may take only 15 minutes or less.

Different physicians and midwives have different guidelines over exactly when to call. Generally speaking, if you don't feel at least 10 fetal movements in two hours, call your doctor to make sure that you're not at risk for stillbirth. If you're more than 28 weeks pregnant, your doctor may ask you to come in for a non-stress test NST to make sure that your baby isn't in distress.

If you're not confident about your kick count or if you simply can't stop worrying about it, call your physician.

You may feel hesitant to call your doctor if your baby's movements are decreased, fearing that you're feeling anxious over nothing. Even though there is a chance that your baby will begin kicking up a storm the instant you arrive at the doctor's office, taking that chance is preferable to sitting at home and feeling scared that something is wrong with your baby.

After all, if it turns out that something is wrong, your doctor may be able to intervene. Get diet and wellness tips delivered to your inbox. UT Southwestern Medical Center. When should I feel my baby move? Stillbirth is associated with perceived alterations in fetal activity — findings from an international case control study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Special tests for monitoring fetal well-being.

Updated July Stanford Children's Health. Fetal movement counting. Fetal heart monitoring. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellFamily. Do not wait until the next day or next appointment. You will have a full prenatal check-up. If anything is unusual you may have an ultrasound scan to check on your baby. If the movements have slowed down does it mean my b Fewer movements could mean that your baby is unwell, but usually these checks reveal that all is well.

Most women who have experienced one episode of fewer movements have a straightforward pregnancy and healthy baby. Enter your due date or child's birthday dd 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 mm Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec yyyy Trying to conceive? We use your health information to make our site even more helpful. By clicking the button, you agree to our policies and to get emails from us.

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