How an Iowa mom and her baby’s lives were saved by this free app
When you’re pregnant, there’s a delicate balance between trusting your instincts and wondering if you’re being “too paranoid.” But as one Iowa mom discovered, trusting that little voice—and pairing it with the right tools—can truly be life-saving.
Lydia Harris, a mom from Davenport, experienced just that. After noticing a change in her baby Gianna’s movements during her pregnancy, Lydia turned to the Count the Kicks app for reassurance. What she found wasn’t just peace of mind—it was a potentially life-saving warning.
As a professional doula, Lydia had more knowledge than most when it came to pregnancy and birth, but even she credits the app with saving her and her baby’s lives. “When I used the app and started noticing [Gianna’s movements slowing], and then confided in a friend, they were like, ‘It’s time for you to go to the doctor.’”
Lydia’s decision to act quickly led her to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication that can endanger both mother and baby. Doctors immediately induced labor, and while it wasn’t the birth experience she’d imagined, Lydia is beyond grateful for the outcome: a healthy baby girl who recently celebrated her first birthday.
How Count the Kicks works
The Count the Kicks app, which began in Iowa in 2008, empowers moms to track their baby’s movements starting at 28 weeks of pregnancy. By counting kicks daily at the same time each day, moms can learn their baby’s unique patterns and recognize when something feels off.
Kimberly Isberg, an advocate for the app, says, “A change in babies’ movements is one of the first—or sometimes the only—signs that there may be an issue in the pregnancy.”
The app allows expectant parents to download and share movement data with their healthcare providers. In fact, Lydia brought her phone to the hospital to show her baby’s unusual patterns, a move that helped doctors act quickly to protect her and her daughter.
Related: Is your baby kicking a lot? Research explains the reason fetuses move so much
My own story
Reading Lydia’s story hit home for me because I’ve been in a similar position. When I was 36 weeks pregnant with my third child, I realized after a long day at work that I hadn’t felt my baby move. At first, I tried not to panic.
But two hours of monitoring her movements turned mild concern into full-blown fear. The truth? I didn’t have a reliable baseline for how many kicks she typically had. I’d always chalked up movement patterns to being random, but in that moment, I felt completely unprepared to know what was “normal” for her.
I finally listened to my intuition and headed to the hospital. That decision turned out to be life-saving: I went into early labor later that night and ultimately suffered a placental abruption. Both my daughter and I survived, but I’ll never forget the sheer terror of not knowing if I had acted quickly enough.
I can’t help but think how much an app like Count the Kicks could have helped me. Knowing what was normal for my baby—and having data to back it up—would have saved me from second-guessing myself during one of the scariest moments of my life.
The power of advocacy
Lydia’s advice to moms is simple but powerful: speak up when something doesn’t feel right. “Let your healthcare provider know if you need help. Let your support circle know that you need help,” she says.
No mom should feel alone in her concerns. Tools like Count the Kicks not only provide practical data but also empower moms to advocate for themselves and their babies.
The app’s impact is clear. In its first 10 years, Iowa’s stillbirth rate dropped by 32%, and advocates hope to replicate that success nationwide. If they do, it could save 7,500 babies every year.
For Lydia, Count the Kicks wasn’t just an app—it was a lifeline. As she watches her daughter Gianna toddle across the living room, she’s reminded every day of how close she came to losing her.
And for moms everywhere, Lydia’s story is a testament to the power of trusting your gut—and having the right tools by your side.
Related: Mom says ‘Count the Kicks’ app saved her baby’s life during her third trimester
