Reducing Stillbirth: Count the Kicks Campaign

[CarGirl]

I just want to promote "Count The Kicks"

Please read this, if it helps one Mum not suffer the agony of stillbirth it's worth it

countthekicks.org.uk/

Excellent news.

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Bump in memory of my friend's daughter. Born asleep one year ago tomorrow.

I haven't been around very much for a while.

I am thrilled that you are now considering putting some sort of link or something so people can have easy access to this info.

In loving memory of a very special boy born sleeping, thank you to everyone who has kept this thread bumped in my absence, I hope it helps many more mums and babies in the future.

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A girl I know lost her baby at 42 weeks. The child was perfect, the placenta wasn't. None of us saw that coming. You get past the 13 week stage, and you think you're safe because that's all the media and the midwives warn you about. I can't imagine the trauma of giving birth to a child you know is not going to draw breath. Thankyou for bringing this website to my attention. If I ever become pregnant, hopefully I will be better informed on what to look out for (and not be a completely nervous wreak).

Another bump. Am 21 weeks and have just ordered my bracelet. Like many others on here, a lot of this information was new to me. Thank you for raising awareness and much much sympathy to all here who have lost their precious children x

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Bump 22wks here and after a lack of movement for over 12h I rang triage looking to be told to 'relax, it's fine' only to be called in.Everythign's fine. LO's hiding behind placenta and chilling out (or was until she took umbridge at the doppler). Back to being mercilessly booted today, but it is a very different pattern to last 2 wks. Have now ordered a bracelet and will be finding myself a little book to record any 'feeling' types in, as well as printing off the kick monitor sheets (she used to kick like clockwork). Wish I'd known about looking for feelings/patterns earlier.

Oh (baby brain). Congratulations to all those with scares and a good outcome and much love and sympathy to those with LOs born sleeping xxx

Thanks for this thread, especially to those who have shared stories of your sleeping angels.

I'm 18 weeks into my 3rd pregnancy, and already very anxious about baby movements! I'm a worrier, so monitored my first two carefully, but I now know a few people who have had complications and lost babies at various stages in their pregnancies, which makes me even more of a worrier!

I couldn't find on the website when you should start monitoring kicks?

My midwife did tell me at my 16 week appointment that I should be noticing baby's movements from 20 weeks, which wasn't advice I was given with the other two, so it does show that the information is filtering through, I think. If the campaign just saves a few families the pain of losing their babies, then it's started to do an amazing job.

Also, if there's one message that gets through, it should be that if you're anxious about anything you should see someone straight away and do that very British thing of worrying that you're wasting their time.

Absolutely phlossie

The links in the pages of the site suggested here (from baby centre and ask a mum) contain articles that completely contradict the arguments in count-the-kicks. Summarily the articles in the links argue that counting kicks is unproductive because often the baby's movements are too variable. Often the baby changes position, which means you can't always feel the movements. The advice is to contact your doctor/midwife if you haven't felt anything for a while and if you are worried. Please do not put this threat in a more prominent position. It will just cause unecessary worry.

But isn't the point that people shouldn't feel like they're being stupid or putting medical professionals out by seeking advice when they just 'feel' like something's wrong? Equally, if a mother loses a baby for whatever reason she inevitably blames herself to a lesser or greater extent. If this campaign means that she feels like she has some sort of control, or gives her concerns some kind of legitimate voice, even if the worst happens she will at least have felt that she did everything she could. I think it's as much about empowering pregnant women as anything else.

All to often when fetal movements are reduced mothers are told to lie down/have a cold drink/baby is just getting ready to come out/there isn't much room left. All well and good if there isn't a problem but not so if your baby is almost dead and needs to be delivered asap. Change in movements should always be checked out. This threat needs to be put in a more prominent position because its current position is under a pile of old wives tales under the carpet in a dark room.

I absolutely support the idea of checking with your doctor when you think something is wrong. But this campaign goes about it the wrong the way. Counting the kicks is not a reliable way of making sure everything is OK, simply because the kicks in most cases are too variable. You can advice people to check their blood pressure, for instance, or to check vaginal discharges or to look out for other more telling symptoms. Counting kicks is the old wives' tale that is confusing people here. Sorry to be forceful, but pregnancy is not an illness nor is it meant to be a scary time. Pregnancy is a stage and more often than not it leads to a lot of happiness.

If you placenta starts to separate from your uterus then you get reduced fetal movements, not change in vaginal discharge or blood pressure.

If the cord is compressed then you get reduced fetal movements, not change in vaginal discharge or blood pressure.

When your baby hemorrhages, like mine did, and loses most of his blood then you get reduced fetal movements, not change in vaginal discharge or blood pressure. I didn't have any abnormal discharge, I didn't have abnormal blood pressure, I was not old or fat or ill or a smoker or a drinker or in my first pregnancy. My only symptom was reduced fetal movements. The only reason my baby wasn't stillborn, or more profoundly disabled than he is, is because my perfectly healthy body was on an operating table within an hour of arriving at hospital.

Pregnancy is not an illness but wtf does that have to do with babies becoming ill in utero? Does it mean it doesn't happen? Does in mean that babies don't die every day whilst their mothers have a cold drink?

Your baby not moving is a telling symptom and telling women that their blood pressure is fine therefore their baby is fine is a trifle misleading. Pre Eclampsia is not the be all and end all of ante natal care.