Meet Henry

• Baby Saves

• 10.22.26

“I heard about Count the Kicks from a childbirth education class with my OB-GYN’s office! I knew doing regular kick counts was important, but wasn’t sure which app to choose. Their suggestion helped me choose your app above others. I also liked that it had the contraction counter as well so I didn’t have to download two apps. 

Count the Kicks gave me confidence in a high-risk pregnancy (placenta previa and IVF) after two previous losses. My husband and I went through infertility and had a second trimester loss after our first Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) treatment due to a genetic disorder. I was so anxious about this pregnancy, and using Count the Kicks really eased my mind. I loved being able to see the graphs of my baby’s movement from day to day.

I went into labor on a Friday evening a week and a half before my due date and used the app to track movements and contractions throughout the weekend. On Sunday night, I started having more regular contractions but also showed less intense baby movement. That combo prompted me to go to Labor and Delivery triage where I was admitted right away. 

We eventually decided that Henry needed to be delivered via cesarean section, and after that everything happened pretty quickly. During my C-section the team realized my placenta was abnormally large and showing signs of infection from the meconium. I also experienced a hemorrhage and lost a lot of blood, so I needed a blood transfusion. My care team said they thought my placenta had started to separate from my uterus prematurely due to the infection. 

My providers were glad I came in once I noticed decreased movement because it’s always best to check after any changes. There was meconium when my membranes ruptured so clearly the decrease in movement corresponded with his stress. 

After my C-section my placenta was sent to pathology and they noted the potential for infection related to the meconium presence and inflammation. I think monitoring my kicks and contractions helped me go to the hospital at the right time where I would be the safest. If I had waited longer at home I could have had a rupture or abruption, which certainly could have been deadly. 

I’m a very visual, data-oriented person (I’m a nurse with graduate-level public health training but still doubt myself!), so seeing the graphs and data on the app helped with my decision making while I was tired and in pain.

I would recommend doing kick counts regularly each day and even twice a day if you have time! I thought it wouldn’t be necessary because my little one was so wiggly in utero that I thought it would be really obvious if there was a change. But when I was having contractions and was distracted and tired, it was so nice to have the data to look back at and compare to. It takes the guesswork and self-doubt out of the picture. It’s totally worth a few minutes each day to make sure you and your baby are as safe as possible!” -Grace N., Henry’s mom