How to count kicks
The method used in antenatal care is count to ten: record movements until you reach ten, and note how long that took.
- Pick a time your baby is usually busy. For a lot of babies that is after a meal or in the evening.
- Lie on your left side, or sit leaning forward with your bump supported. Lying on your left improves blood flow and you notice more.
- Everything counts — kicks, rolls, jabs, stretches, flutters. Hiccups do not; they are a reflex, not movement.
- Do it at roughly the same time each day. The point is the comparison, and a comparison needs consistency.
What is a "normal" count?
Here is the thing most kick-counting advice gets wrong: there is no universal target. Guidance in the UK and elsewhere has moved away from fixed thresholds precisely because babies differ so much. Ten movements in twenty minutes is normal for one baby; ninety minutes is normal for another.
What matters is your baby's pattern — and any change in it. That is the whole reason to count: not to hit a number, but to know your own baseline well enough to notice when it shifts.
When to start
Movements usually settle into something trackable around week 28. Before that they come and go, and a quiet day does not mean much. From 28 weeks onward, a change in the pattern is the single sign midwives most want you to notice.
The myth that costs lives
Babies do not move less towards the end of pregnancy. This is one of the most persistent and most dangerous pieces of folk wisdom in pregnancy, and it delays people from calling.
What changes is the kind of movement. Space gets tight, so sharp kicks give way to rolls, stretches and pushes. The frequency should stay the same right up to labour. A baby that is moving less near the due date needs checking — not reassurance.
More free tools
Medical note: this counter and the information around it are educational only, and they cannot assess your baby's wellbeing. They do not replace your midwife or doctor. If the movements change or you are worried, call — a counting session is not a substitute for being checked.
Frequently asked questions
How do I count baby kicks?
Lie on your left side at a time your baby is usually active and tap once for every movement — kicks, rolls, jabs and flutters. Hiccups do not count. Note how long ten movements take.
How long should ten movements take?
Often well under two hours, but there is no universal target. Your own baby's usual timing is the number that matters, and a change from it is what to watch for.
When should I start counting?
From around week 28, when movements become consistent enough for a pattern to mean something.
My baby is moving less than usual — what do I do?
Call your midwife or maternity unit now. Do not wait until morning, do not finish a two-hour count first, and do not try cold drinks or sugar. Reduced movement gets checked the same day, every time.
Do babies move less at the end of pregnancy?
No — and believing this is genuinely dangerous. The type of movement changes as space gets tight, but the frequency should not drop.
Is my counting history saved?
Your recent sessions are stored in your own browser only. Nothing is sent to any server. For history that follows you across days with reminders, the Hamli app keeps it on your phone.
Sources and review
- Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) — reduced fetal movements
- Tommy's — awareness of your baby's movements
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) — fetal movement counting
Content last reviewed: · By the NasrTech team · Contact: support@nasrtech.dev