Know When Your Unborn Baby Is Stressed - Pay attention to when you first feel your baby start to move. You should feel movement by 22 weeks of pregnancy.
Begin to monitor your baby's movement daily when you reach your third trimester of pregnancy. Choose a time of day when your baby is active, and pay attention to your baby's movements during a two-hour period. If possible, lie down on your side during these two hours so you can focus on your baby's movement.
Know When Your Unborn Baby Is Stressed
Count the number of kicks and movements that you feel. You should feel at least ten movements during a two-hour period of activity.
Call your doctor if you do not feel at least ten movements in two hours or if it takes longer every day for your baby's movements to reach ten. These could be indications that your baby is stressed.
Wait until you are at least 20 weeks pregnant. Before that time, you must ask your doctor to use a Doppler in order to hear your baby's heartbeat.
An unborn baby is affected at some level by everything the mother experiences. When the mother is stressed, her cortisol levels go up, and the levels of cortisol in the amniotic fluid also rise. So if you feel stress, then your unborn baby may also feel stress---although not necessarily to the same extent. However, true fetal stress that can severely affect the baby is more serious, and it is important to determine whether an unborn baby is experiencing severe stress. - by eHow
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