Do you know how important it is to monitor your baby’s movement? I have to admit, having had two children I wasn’t quite aware of the difference it could make, sometimes in extreme circumstances, life or death.

I keep coming across this fabulous charity through all their hard work within the media lately. I felt it was important to show you all the details of what they are fighting for and why.

“Count the kicks” is a mantra that should be at the forefront of every pregnant woman’s mind. It is to this end that Count the kicks (registered charity 1145073) was set up, and continues to grow, empowering mums to be with knowledge and confidence to understand their baby’s movements and trust their instincts.

The key aim at Count the Kicks is to reduce the UK’s current stillbirth rates by educating pregnant women on the importance of monitoring their baby’s movements and reporting any change in their baby’s regular pattern of movement.

Founded in 2010 by Sophia Mason following the loss of her daughter Chloe, the charity has grown exponentially over the last four years they have been handing out their leaflets and stickers with valuable advice. Bounty are a key supporter and the leaflets will soon be appearing in all the bounty packs handed to pregnant women!

Always call your midwife…

• If you notice a change in your baby’s normal movement pattern
• If you have any itching or a rash
• If you have a temperature or fever
• If you have any pain including headaches
• If your vision becomes blurred or you see colours or patches
• If your hands or feet become swollen or painful
• If you have any fluid loss or bleeding
• If you have pain passing urine
• If you have a “bad feeling” or feel uneasy in any way

The idea of stillbirth scares a lot of mums and so it is a subject that is avoided by many pregnant women who believe it can’t happen to them. Rather than focusing on the prospect of stillbirth, Count the Kicks focuses on empowering mums to be to trust their instincts and inform them on when to seek medical advice. By focusing on how mums can be proactive in their babies wellbeing count the kicks works to reduce the number of stillbirths without putting mums off seeking the advice. Nearly all new mums are aware of the cot death risks thanks to the ‘reduce the risk’ campaign that  saw the number of cot deaths fall by 70% since 19901. Count the kicks would like to see this decline in the number of stillbirths through awareness and confidence.

Count the Kicks regularly receives feedback from mums who were alerted to a reduction in their baby’s movements and by contacting their midwives immediately their babies were born safe and well. This includes the founders own son, George, who was born by emergency c section following reduced movement. The success stories such as this show how vital the work of count the kicks is and how getting the message out there really can save lives!

A key element of count the kicks is their website (www.countthekicks.org.uk) that offers up to date information on fetal movement as well as selling their kick counting wristbands and fundraising products. A regular newlsetter for mums and professionals shares any new or updated advice and guidelines from Royal Colleges and NICE. With Dr Bryan Beattie FRCOG and Dr Alexander Heazel as patrons and medical advisors the charity constantly has its finger on the pulse of fetal advice and gets this message out to mums and professionals.  Their website also hosts a maternity services directory to list a vast number of services available to mums and mums-to-be in their area to ensure their pregnancy and birth is an overall enjoyable experience.

The charity will continue its tireless efforts to get the message out to mums to “count the kicks” in the hope that more mums will be bringing home their babies. Then counting the kicks takes on a whole new meaning!

To support count the kicks visit their website www.countthekicks.org.uk, find them on facebook, or follow them on twitter @countthekicks