Prenatal care: kick counts

Here at Osan, it's a little more difficult than it is in the U.S. to get immediate and high quality prenatal care if anything out of the ordinary happens, and we need to take responsibility for our own care, for our sake and that of our unborn children. Delivering a stillborn baby is one of the most horrifying things we can imagine, but it happens to seventy U.S. families every day, or once in approximately 150-200 deliveries. By contrast, SIDS claims about seven infants a day in the U.S. The good news is that like SIDS, the risk of stillbirth can easily be dramatically reduced.

A recent study found that 50% of moms that delivered stillborn babies noticed a decrease in movement in the days immediately prior to the death of their babies. Many stillbirths can be prevented with a simple test you can do at home: the daily kick count.

A daily kick count is just what it sounds like: a daily count of fetal movements. The count enables you to get to know the normal pattern of movement for your baby, so you can tell if the movements decrease, signaling fetal distress. There are a couple of ways to do kick counts, but here is an easy and effective one:

Pick a time of day when your baby is active; evening is generally good.

Time how long it takes to feel ten movements; record it.

Repeat every day; learn your baby's pattern.

If there is a significant decrease in movements or something else concerns you, get in for care immediately. Don't be afraid to kick up a big fuss to get what you need. Your baby is counting on you, too.

For more information, see the Baby Kick Alliance.