When to Start Counting Kicks
There is no single week to start counting kicks. Most women first feel movement between 16 and 24 weeks, Cleveland Clinic says counting becomes more important in the third trimester, and ACOG says your provider decides how and when. Ask your midwife or doctor, and tell them if you have not felt movement by 24 weeks.
Written by the Bumpi Kicks team at Speed AI Labs LLP. Last updated . General information, not reviewed by a clinician, and not medical advice. How we write and check these pages.
What sources say about timing
First movements come at different times
The NHS says you should start to feel movement between 16 and 24 weeks. The RCOG says most women first notice it at 18 to 20 weeks, and earlier if they have been pregnant before.
No movement by 24 weeks
The NHS says to tell your midwife if you have not felt your baby move by 24 weeks.
The third trimester
Cleveland Clinic says kick counting becomes more important in the third trimester and to ask your provider when to start and what is normal for you.
Your provider decides
ACOG says your health care professional will tell you how often to count and when to call. The NHS says you do not need to count.
Common questions
Should I start counting at 28 weeks?
Some sources describe the third trimester, which begins around 28 weeks, as the time counting matters more, and the NHS says you do not need to count. Ask your midwife or doctor what they want you to do.
Does Bumpi Kicks track which week I am in?
Yes. You enter your due date during setup and the home screen shows your current pregnancy week. The week is for reference and does not tell the app when you should count.
Sources
These are the sources behind the statements on this page. We opened each one and checked it on the date shown.
- NHS, Your baby's movements, page last reviewed 8 July 2024
The NHS says you should start to feel your baby move between 16 and 24 weeks of pregnancy, and to tell your midwife if you have not felt movement by 24 weeks.
Limits: NHS advice is written for the UK. Advice elsewhere differs, and your own midwife or doctor comes first.
Checked . Read directly from the source.
- Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Your baby's movements in pregnancy (patient information based on Green-top Guideline No. 57, February 2011)
The RCOG says most women first notice their baby moving at 18 to 20 weeks, and that women who have been pregnant before may feel movements from about 16 weeks.
Limits: UK patient information published February 2019 and based on a 2011 guideline. The RCOG published a second edition of the guideline in 2026, which this site has not read. Advice elsewhere differs, and your own midwife or doctor comes first.
Checked . Read directly from the source.
- Cleveland Clinic, Kick Counts (Fetal Movement Counting): Purpose & How To, page last updated 05/08/2026
Cleveland Clinic says kick counting becomes more important in the third trimester, and to talk with your healthcare provider about when to start and what is normal for you.
Limits: The NHS says you do not need to count.
Checked . Read directly from the source.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Special Tests for Monitoring Fetal Well-Being (FAQ098), last reviewed January 2026
ACOG's patient page says your health care professional may ask you to track movements if you feel them less often than normal, that there are different ways to do kick counts, and that your professional will tell you how often to count and when to call.
Limits: This page gives no number of movements and no time limit. Other ACOG documents may describe specific methods.
Checked . Read directly from the source.
- NHS, Your baby's movements, page last reviewed 8 July 2024
The NHS says there is no set number of movements you should feel each day, that you do not need to count your baby's kicks, and that you should get to know your baby's usual pattern.
Limits: NHS advice is written for the UK. Advice elsewhere differs, and your own midwife or doctor comes first.
Checked . Read directly from the source.
Start a daily record today.
Bumpi Kicks keeps a simple log of your kick counts that you can look back on and show your care team.
Free to download. Counting needs a Pro subscription, and the App Store paywall shows the price and any free trial before you pay.