Gut instinct and confidence from the knowledge I gained from Kicks Count made me visit the MAU on the morning I turned 34 weeks, on my way to work. Explaining I hadn't felt baby move much that morning I was immediately hooked up onto a CTG and within 5 minutes a little alarm went off to tell me that baby's heart rate was over 220 bpm. The reason she wasn't moving was because she was working so hard with her heart that she didn't have the energy to move.

I was rushed to Central Delivery for further monitoring, and told that if it continued to be elevated I would be induced. Thankfully it was intermittent, but from that point on I had biweekly scans and daily CTGs to monitor baby's heart. The decision was made to bring her out at 37 weeks via elective c section, two weeks earlier than planned.

If I hadn't gone into the unit that day with reduced movements, nothing would have been picked up and the outcome could have been so much worse.

Thank you for giving me the skills and knowledge to follow my 'mother's instinct', and for giving baby Iris the best outcome possible.