Tip of the Month

Normal Fetal Activity During Pregnancy

Around the 20th week of pregnancy, you should begin to feel your baby move. At week 20, babies usually weigh only about a pound. As the baby grows, so will the force of the kicks. As you approach third trimester you will begin to recognize the baby’s routine of sleep cycles and play cycles. It is a good idea to become attuned to fetal activity in third trimester so you can recognize big changes. Each day when you wake up, start counting movements, kick, or turns. When you have reached 10, you can check off that day. You may reach this total in 5 minutes or in a few hours. If you do not feel 10 movements in 12 hours, call your doctor’s office. Your doctor will probably recommend that you drink something with caffeine to see if this changes the activity of the baby.