Does baby keep kicking during labour?

[EJM]

Hi, I dont know if this is an odd question, but do you still feel all the baby kicks and movements during labour.

My baby is a real mover, he has a lot of energy. My mum says its payback as I was like that for her! Most of the time I love it, but occasionally it tickles or even hurts... I can imagine going through a contraction and being kicked in the side at the same time! He's a cheeky thing, so I wouldn't put it past him!

[Marlene]

I know this sounds unbelievable (and I wouldn't have thought it could happen if it didn't happen to me) but, my little boy's head was out and they were suctioning his mouth and nose (as there was mecconium in my waters) and he was still kicking me like crazy!! It was a surreal feeling! he was a constant kicker in the womb as well...did not stop moving and kicking from 17 weeks.

[gorgeous_lea]

Hi EJM

Out of my 4 births, the only one i remember to be kicking me the whole time was my second one, my daughter, she was kicking me right up till i started pushing!!!!!

Good Luck!!!

[Phteven]

Yasin gave me one last kick on his way out - it was pretty weird being kicked in the cervix.

[Spring Angel]

I don't remember Oliver kicking me at all.

That is a really interesting question, next baby im going to try and take notice.

[chocolatecatty]

Lol, and here I was thinking 'as if a baby would kick during labour - surely they'd be focussing on the task at hand!'.

[Chalalan]

Mee too ChocolateCatty! I thought they'd get into the zone and go all passive but obviously not!

Ow to the kick in the cervix Dachlostar.

Good luck with the birth EJM - let us know if your little man does kick during labour.

[Lucy]

Homestly, I cannot for the life of me remember feeling any kicks through any of my labours. Olivia particularly was a hefty kicker whilst I was pg, but during labour I was focused on the contractins......maybe the kicking paled in comparison?

[Cassius2]

Yep, have to say that Leila was a wriggler all through pg and during labour. everytime contraction would come over (during the early ones particularly) she would push against it (not much room for kicking when she was 38 weeks!!). after a while though i stopped noticing...must have been when contractions outweighed the kicking discomfort!! LOL!

Good luck with your labour, it's amazing what us women can do!!

[EJM]

I think I was hoping that he would be concentrating on getting out... I can also imagine legs kicking like a little swimmer in an attempt to go down the birth canal

I guess we will wait and see! I'll let you know, hopefully sooner rather than later!

[MantaRay]

My boys were both kickers too, but I have no idea if they kicked during labour. TBH, I was too busy concentrating on breathing though pains and doing what had to be done, to notice!

[~Saram~]

DS was induced with syntocin and ARm at 36 wks and I only felt him kick as they broke my waters

DD was induced post dates with ARM and she kicked and squirmed the whole time. She was also posterier and I felt her turing for the first hour of labour. She quietened a little during active labour (or I was tuned out) but I remember her kicking in between contrax when we were pushing. It wasn't as weird as you might think :-)

[Mum0809]

I don't remember Harrison kicking me at all. I think I had my mind on other things.

[paradise lost]

I had a homebirth and they asked me to pay attention to bubs kicks during labour because they only listened with the doppler intermittently and obviously a baby in trouble/distress won't move as much. So they listened in every 15-20mins, and asked me if she was moving every 15-20, in between the listening. She kicked and squirmed all the way through, and it was very very handy for me because it was like her saying, in the gaps between contractions (i couldn't feel her kick during them) "Hey mama, i'm ok! You ok?" and it really gave me the peace of knowing she was doing good, and the strength to carry on.

Babies are not passive during labour. When you put a newborn's feet against a hard surface they will push down and "step" - they call it the stepping reflex. During labour, when the uterus contracts the baby pushes with its feet because of the reflex. I read an account once of a woman who'd had 3 kids and then gave birth to her fourth 3 days after he had passed in the womb. He was full term, and had died of a cord accident (his cord was abnormally long, over 150cm). She said labour was very different without the baby being able to do any of the work.

Bx

[Inanna]

From my own experiences all of my babies except my fourth have gone really quiet in labour - something I have learned does happen. Often prior to labour babies get a little quieter and I was completely unaware of movement throughout the labours. My fourth baby I could feel wriggling and kicking during the labour - I remember it well as it was so very different to my previous labour experiences. She actually wriggled with the contractions - I was very aware of her moving her way down. My other three I had no fear that they were not okay and of course the midwife listened to their little heartbeats to tell us that all was okay but there was no movement.

[MantaRay]

in the gaps between contractions (i couldn't feel her kick during them)

Maybe that's why I didn't feel the kicking - I really didn't have gaps between my contractions. That's what you get for having fast and furious labours I guess!

[Tyige]

With DS he stopped moving when I went into labour. But DD was completely opposite she wouldn't stop kicking me.

[DisGirl]

My DS wriggled and kicked all the way through, right through until he was fully out. Even when his head was out he was moving around. Almost made me pass out with that last movement - the weirdest, most unpleasant feeling ever!