The sleep rules

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Pre-birth

Your baby may be no bigger than a Mars bar at the moment, but you may even worry about his sleeping habits while he's in the womb.

A mum-to-be's daily bustle can rock a baby to sleep, so when she finally puts her feet up or her head down, that's when the baby kicks into activity, or at least makes his presence felt. So, after a restless night of toilet-trips and indoor footy, you'd expect any tired mum-to-be to cheer on some peace and tranquillity. But there's something about an unmoving baby that wakes up the worry gene, and this wills her to wake the baby.

'I was completely paranoid during my pregnancy, and if I couldn't feel the baby move for periods longer than about half an hour, I'd convince myself there was something seriously wrong,' says Gemma, mum to Beatrice, now 2 months. 'Trying to get her moving was the easiest way to reassure me.'

'It's important that parents monitor movements so they can report a change in the pattern,' says Gail Johnson, of The Royal College of Midwives. 'By all means wake the baby - but not every hour of the day!

Having a cold drink or sucking ice cubes seems to do the trick. But people can over-worry. And sometimes a mum just won't notice the baby's movements if she's busy.'

By Rachel Lefever