Infant Mortality Awareness Month

September has been declared Infant Mortality Awareness Month. This began as a resolution by Congressman Burgess of Texas in 2005 and was passed in 2006. We focus our attention on the lives of babies.

I would like to remind you to do fetal kick counts beginning around the 7th month of pregnancy, or 28 weeks. You can get to know your baby's patterns of movement and report any changes to your care provider. Decreased fetal movement can be a sign that your baby is in distress.

There are different ways to do this but one follows here. Choose a time of day that your baby is usually active. Try to count around the same time each day, possibly after a meal.

1. Get in a comfortable position, lying down or sitting with your feet up.
2. Write down the date and time you begin counting your baby's movements.
3. Continue counting until your baby has moved 10 times. This includes kicks, rolls, swishes, or flutters.
4. Write the time on the chart (at the 10th movement).
5. If you can't feel the baby move, try waking the baby with a glass of juice or walk around for a few minutes, then start the count again.
6. Call your provider if your baby has not moved 10 times in 2 hours' total time or if you notice a significant decrease in your baby's activity.

Repeat each day for the rest of your pregnancy. It really doesn't take long as the baby will likely move ten times in less than two hours, but this time frame allows for sleep/wake periods.

Don't babies stop or slow down before labor starts? You may have heard that babies slow down, or stop moving in the last few weeks of pregnancy or before labor begins. This is NOT TRUE! In fact, babies who stop moving may be in serious trouble. Babies are suppose to move. They feel a need for change in positions or exercise just as we all do. As your pregnancy progresses and your baby grows larger, he/she will find that it is harder to make the big movements that were possible in earlier months. But, the baby's movements should be just as many in number. The quality of movements will be different. Each baby and pregnancy is different. You know your baby best, and you know when and how much he/she normally moves.