Meet Saleha

• Baby Saves

• 04.10.25

“I got pregnant with my sixth baby, Saleha, at 41, so apps like Count the Kicks were not a thing with my other children. Everything with this pregnancy seemed to be complicated. My blood pressure was a problem almost immediately, but we suspected it was probably a problem before pregnancy because I’m not super about going to the doctor unless I’m pregnant. 

I learned about Count the Kicks from a prenatal group, so I began using it once I could feel Saleha’s movements, which seemed to take longer to feel because I had anterior placenta. My blood pressure became harder and harder to keep up with as the weeks went on. My medication kept getting increased, and as time went on I had to go see the high-risk doctor once a week, and the regular OB-GYN once a week. I could not go more than 2 days without being seen. 

I had noticed over the weekend that I did not feel her moving, so I instantly went to the Count the Kicks app. Her movements had decreased significantly and my blood pressure was high. I went in, got hooked up, and the nurse is like oh your baby sounds great because of her heart rate. She kept repeating that. 

I knew that my baby was not doing what she normally does. I was so upset. The nurse kept saying that she knew I was just ready to have the baby, but everything was fine. She even told the doctor how great everything was, and since I had an appointment the following day, they sent me home. 

I was so upset. I emailed my doctor, who called me first thing the next morning and I came in again. I showed her my app with my blood pressure readings and she instantly had me admitted. My blood pressure had readings of 183/200 at some points and my log from Count the Kicks was showing how she was not moving as normal. 

The other doctor came in to apologize to me as I was being induced. Birth was traumatic and early by almost two months, but I knew it was what we needed. 

When Saleha was born I was told she had a knot in her cord and that it was a good thing I came in because she wouldn’t have made it much longer. They said that sometimes those types of knots result in stillborn births. 

I encourage people to use this app and to advocate for themselves and their babies, because I don’t know what would have happened if we didn’t use it.” -Valerie, W., Saleha’s mom