You may have heard about high-tech ways of checking on the baby during pregnancy: non-stress testing, contraction stress testing, and the biophysical profile are some examples of methods that your doctor or midwife can use to check on your baby. But fetal movement is in itself a really great assessment of how the baby is doing. A baby who moves multiple times a day is getting enough oxygen and nutrients to meet its needs.

In high-risk pregnancies, and sometimes in normal healthy pregnancies, your doctor or midwife may ask you to formally count fetal movements, either once a day until you feel the baby move ten times, or half an hour three times a day. While fetal movement counting doesn't substitute for formal assessment of a high-risk baby, it can be helpful in determining which babies need high-tech testing.

One simple way of tracking fetal movement is to set aside time during the day when your baby tends to move a lot, and pay close attention. I usually suggest writing down the time you are starting, then making little hatch marks each time you feel the baby move. Rolls, kicks, and wiggles all count, but hiccups don't count. Once you feel the baby move ten times, write down the time, and you are done. For most moms, this takes around half an hour. If the baby hasn't moved ten times in two hours, you need to call your doctor or midwife right away so you can have the more high-tech type fetal assessment.

Not all problems can be prevented with fetal movement counting, but it may identify a baby who is in trouble and needs to be delivered soon. If you have questions about whether you should be doing fetal movement counts, ask your doctor or midwife.