Kicks Count aims to reduce the UK's stillbirth and neonatal death rate by raising awareness of baby movements.

The charity was founded in 2009 in memory of Chloe Wyatt, who was stillborn three days before her due date. Her mum, Sophia, didn't know what to expect and didn't report her significant reduction in movement. After Chloe's death, she realised that, had she know how important movement was, Chloe would probably still be here. It's thought that over a third of stillbirths could be prevented by concerns being reported and babies' found to be in distress delivered. A Kicks-Count-style campaign in Norway was so successful their stillbirth rate halved.

Sophia signed the charity over to the current CEO, Elizabeth Christmas-Hutton in 2013. Elizabeth initially joined as a volunteer and was determined to continue its success in honour of her son, Toby.

Kicks Count is funded almost solely on the generosity of the people who support what we do.

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How do we do help?

We have successfully collaborated with the Department of Health, the NHS, the Royal College of Midwives and many other health organisations to promote consistent messaging around fetal movement. There are a number of different methods we use to raise awareness of this message, including:

• Website:
  
  Our website has current and accurate advice - that people need to know. A recent survey found that 49% of women get their pregnancy information from Google, not their midwife. As there is no regulation around medical messaging on the internet, and there are websites full of out-dated or incorrect advice, our website is one of our most important assets.
  
  
• App:
  
  The Kicks Count app is designed to help women get to know their baby's normal amount of movement. Unlike many other available apps, ours doesn't stop mums from entering sessions when she reaches ten in a day. Our app was developed to compete with the apps that are giving mums with an incorrect way of monitoring their baby and outdated information.
  
  
• Resources for Midwives:
  
  The information in our literature was written in conjunction with the Department of Health, Public Health England, Tommy's and other organisations. We supply leaflets, posters, maternity note inserts, stickers and even waiting room banners. These resources are available for free and are funded by our fundraisers.
  
  
• Exhibitions:
  
  A great way of reaching a huge number of people in a short space of time is to exhibit at a large event. We have attended The Baby Show on many occasions, including a planned visit to the Midlands show in 2020. We've also attended This Morning Live, the Royal College of Midwives exhibition, plus Maternity, Mum and Baby events.
  
  
• Media and Press:
  
  We've been fortunate to feature on popular TV shows such as This Morning, Surprise Surprise and BBC News. In addition, we actively seek opportunities to raise awareness using articles in print and online. To date, we've featured in magazines like Closer and online news outlets such as Huffington Post.
  
  
• Social Media:
  
  Our busy social media channels enable us to reach millions of people, at a relatively low cost too. On social media, we can engage with our supporters, reach new ones, provide accurate information and dispel common pregnancy myths. Of course, our Due in Groups are an important part of our social media strategy, and that's why you're invaluable.

Does it work?

The stillbirth rate has fallen by nearly a fifth over the last decade. The latest published are from 2018 and was the largest drop in the stillbirth rate since records began:

• There were 2,131 neonatal deaths in 2018
• 2,943 babies were stillborn in 2018

There are many organisations and individuals working to prevent stillbirth, with Kicks Count being one of the leading charities in the field. Our campaigning is working, evidenced by the falling number of stillbirths and the plentiful stories and messages we receive.

There is still so much to be done though, the numbers are still too high.