PregnancyBaby Kick Counter, track your baby's movements daily.
You can count your baby’s kicks, rolls, and jabs for free. Use the Count-to-10 method to monitor fetal movement from 28 weeks and know when something needs attention.
Baby Kick Counter
What is kick counting?
Kick counting is a simple daily way to check your baby’s movements. You sit or lie down, start a timer, and count every time you feel your baby kick, roll, jab, or squirm. The goal is to reach a set number of movements, typically 10. Write down how long it takes.
Healthcare providers use kick counting as a low-tech screening tool for fetal wellbeing. An active baby is generally a healthy baby. Changes in your baby's usual movement pattern can be an early warning sign that something needs medical attention, often before other clinical tests would catch it.
Kick counting doesn't require equipment. You can do kick counts with just a piece of paper and a clock. But a fetal movement counter (like the tool above) usually makes kick counting faster. It tracks your history automatically. It also helps you spot trends over days and weeks. That pattern data is what matters — not any single session.
When to start counting kicks.
Most providers recommend beginning daily kick counts at 28 weeks (the start of the third trimester). By 28 weeks, your baby’s nervous system is mature enough to produce regular sleep-wake cycles. At this point, movements are usually strong enough that you can feel them consistently through the uterine wall and abdominal tissue.
You might feel movement earlier. Some women notice flutters as early as 16 to 20 weeks. But those early movements (called quickening) are usually too faint and inconsistent to count reliably. Before 28 weeks, missing a few movements is normal and usually not a cause for concern.
If you have a high-risk pregnancy — conditions like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, or a history of stillbirth — your provider may ask you to start monitoring earlier, sometimes as early as 24 to 26 weeks. Follow their guidance over general timelines.
How to count kicks, the Count-to-10 method.
The Count-to-10 method (also called Cardiff Count-to-Ten) is the most researched kick counting method. It’s also the method most often recommended. Here's how it works:
- Pick a consistent time. Choose a time when your baby is usually active. For most women, this is after a meal or in the evening. Try to do your kick counts around the same time each day.
- Get comfortable. Sit reclined, or lie on your left side. Cut down on distractions. Turn off the TV and put your phone on silent. You need to be focused enough to feel subtle movements.
- Start the timer. Press the kick button on the counter above, or note the time on a clock.
- Record every movement. Kicks, rolls, jabs, and swishes all count as movements. Don’t count hiccups as movements. Hiccups are rhythmic and involuntary. Hiccups are not a sign of active movement. If you feel one long roll that lasts several seconds, count it as one movement.
- Stop at 10. Once you hit 10 movements, write down how long it took. Most babies get to 10 movements in about 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Track your pattern. After a week of daily counting, you'll know your baby's normal. Some babies consistently hit 10 in 15 minutes. Others take an hour. Either one is fine. You’re watching for a big change from what’s normal for your baby.
If you haven’t felt 10 movements after 2 hours, try gently pressing on your belly. Then count for another hour. If you still cannot reach 10, contact your provider.
What counts as normal fetal movement?
There isn’t one universal “normal” number of kicks per hour. Studies show that healthy babies move anywhere from 15 to 40 or more times per hour during active periods. What matters is your baby's individual pattern — not how they compare to statistics or other babies.
Most babies cycle between active phases and sleep phases about every 20 to 40 minutes. During sleep phases, movement drops significantly, and that's expected. The Count-to-10 method uses a 2-hour window. It covers at least one full sleep cycle.
You’ll probably feel more movement after meals, especially after sugary food. Many babies are more active in the evening and at night. Lots of women say they notice more movement when they’re sitting or lying still. Some babies also respond to sounds or pressure. Movement can feel different as pregnancy goes on. Big kicks often turn into rolls and pushes as the baby runs out of room. But the overall frequency should stay roughly the same through the third trimester.
A common misconception is that babies "slow down" before labor. The type of movement shifts, but research consistently shows the number of movements should not decrease. If you notice a significant drop in movement anytime after 28 weeks, take it seriously.
When to Worry About Decreased Fetal Movement
Decreased fetal movement is one of the most important warning signs in the third trimester. Research links reduced movement to complications including fetal distress, growth restriction, placental insufficiency, and stillbirth. This does not mean every quiet day is an emergency — but it does mean you should pay attention.
Contact your healthcare provider if:
- You cannot feel 10 movements within 2 hours during a time your baby is normally active.
- Call your healthcare provider if your baby’s movements feel noticeably weaker or happen less often than what’s normal for your baby.
- You feel no movement at all for several hours during the day.
- Your baby's pattern changes suddenly — for example, from consistently active in the evening to barely moving.
Don’t wait until the next day. Don't rely on home remedies, like drinking juice or poking your belly, instead of getting medical evaluation. These may temporarily stimulate movement, but they cannot assess the baby's underlying condition.
Your provider will likely do a non-stress test (NST). An NST monitors the baby’s heart rate in response to movement. It’s noninvasive. In some cases, your provider may follow up with an ultrasound or a biophysical profile. Early evaluation matters. Most babies are fine. But if something feels wrong, acting quickly usually leads to better outcomes.
Read our guide on when to go to the hospital during labor for more on recognizing urgent warning signs.
How Pregnancy App Helps You Track Kicks
The web-based kick counter above works well for daily counting. For a complete tracking experience with session history and trend analysis, the Pregnancy App mobile app adds several features:
- One-tap counting. A large button designed for quick tapping. No fumbling with pen and paper.
- Automatic timing. The timer starts on your first kick and stops at 10. You don't have to manage it.
- Session history. Every session is saved so you can review patterns over days and weeks. This is the data your provider may want to see.
- Daily reminders. Set a notification for your preferred counting time so you don't forget.
- Works alongside the full toolkit. The app includes a pregnancy tracker, contraction timer, due date calculator, and hypnobirthing audio sessions — all free.
TL;DR
- Start daily kick counts at 28 weeks of pregnancy.
- Use the Count-to-10 method: count 10 movements within 2 hours, at the same time each day.
- Kicks, rolls, jabs, and swishes count. Hiccups do not.
- Most babies reach 10 movements within 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- If movement decreases or you can't reach 10, call your provider immediately — do not wait until tomorrow.
- Babies do not "slow down" before birth. Fewer movements in late pregnancy is not normal.
Limitations & Safety
This baby kick counter is an informational tool, not a medical device. It doesn’t monitor fetal heart rate. It doesn’t assess fetal wellbeing. It doesn’t diagnose any condition. The counter just records how many times you tap. It can't confirm that each tap was a real fetal movement.
Kick counting is a screening tool. It's not a diagnostic test. A normal session doesn’t guarantee your baby is healthy. An abnormal session doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong. The value of kick counting lies in detecting changes from your baby's established pattern over time.
Do not use this tool as a substitute for prenatal care. If you have concerns about your baby's movement at any point — whether or not the counter shows a normal result — contact your healthcare provider. When in doubt, call. Most providers would rather you call, even if it ends up being a false alarm, than stay quiet when something feels wrong.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start counting baby kicks?
Most providers recommend starting daily kick counts around 28 weeks of pregnancy (the beginning of the third trimester). By this point, your baby usually has regular sleep-wake cycles, so you can start noticing a reliable baseline for normal movement. Some high-risk pregnancies may need earlier monitoring. Ask your provider.
How many kicks should I feel in an hour?
With the Count-to-10 method, most babies do 10 movements within 30 minutes to 2 hours. If it takes longer than 2 hours to feel 10 movements, contact your healthcare provider. Every baby has a different pattern. What matters most is knowing your baby’s normal baseline and noticing changes.
What counts as a kick?
Any distinct fetal movement counts: kicks, rolls, jabs, flutters, and swishes. Don't count hiccups as movements. Hiccups are involuntary. Hiccups aren’t a sign of active movement. If you feel a rolling motion that lasts several seconds, count it as one movement.
What is the Count-to-10 method?
The Count-to-10 method (also called Cardiff Count-to-Ten) is the most widely recommended kick counting approach. Pick a time when your baby is usually active. Start a timer. Tap each time you feel a movement. The goal is 10 movements within 2 hours. Record how long it takes. If it keeps taking longer than usual, or you can't get to 10 movements, call your provider.
Does your baby’s movement slow down near the end of pregnancy?
The type of movement may change — fewer big kicks and more rolls or pushes as space gets tight — but the overall number of movements should not decrease significantly in the third trimester. A persistent drop in movement at any point in late pregnancy warrants a call to your provider. Do not assume reduced movement is normal.
When should you worry about decreased fetal movement?
Contact your healthcare provider if you can’t feel 10 movements within 2 hours. Contact your healthcare provider if movement feels noticeably weaker or less frequent than your baby's normal pattern. Contact your healthcare provider if you feel no movement during a time when your baby is usually active. Don’t wait until the next day. Decreased fetal movement can be an early warning sign. It needs prompt evaluation.
What time of day is best for counting kicks?
Most babies are most active in the evening, roughly between 9 PM and 1 AM, likely due to dropping maternal blood sugar and increased relaxation. But every baby has their own schedule. The best time to count kicks is when your baby is usually most active. Try counting kicks around the same time each day, so your results stay consistent.
Is the baby kick counter free?
Yes. The kick counter on this page and in the Pregnancy App mobile app is completely free. There aren’t any paywalls, ads, or account requirements. You can start counting kicks immediately. The app also saves your session history so you can track patterns over time.