About Us
We aim to empower Mums with knowledge and confidence throughout pregnancy in the hope that this will result in a reduction in the UKs Stillbirth and Neonatal deaths.
We have a small team of passionate volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure COUNT THE KICKS™ can continue to spread their life saving message.
Here are a few of the people who keep the cogs turning:
Following the loss of my first baby Chloe in 2009 (read Chloe’s story)I decided to start a campaign to empower and inform expectant Mothers throughout pregnancy. During my pregnancy I would always turn to Pregnancy magazines or Websites for advice, rather than my Midwife or hospital because I always felt they were too busy and under pressure so my questions would be a waste of time. But in the end this was the reason I lost my baby and I was determined to stop other expectant Mums from making the same mistake.
Today we have raised well over £30’000 to fund over 1 million stickers, leaflets and posters which have reached expectants Mums right across the UK. I receive emails constantly thanking us because after reading our information Mums went to hospital to be checked when they noticed a change or became worried and now have happy, healthy babies.
My role in COUNT THE KICKS™ involves regularyly meeting and working with other charities, government officials and companies to develope and share our aims. I represent the charity at many regional and national events. I do a lot of presentations for symposiums and conferences along with all the management, Marketing and design aspects of running the charity.
COUNT THE KICKS™ has become a legacy to my daughter, although I don’t want to concentrate on our loss I do feel this has given her death meaning.
If I hadn’t lost Chloe and gone on to build this amazing charity and empower myself with so much knowledge and confidence, I truly believe I would not have my little “Rainbow Baby” George here today.
I recognized a reduction in George’s movements went straight to the hospital where I was admitted for an emergency C-section – my placenta was failing!
George is the proof – Awareness really does Save Lives!
Kerry Shearer – Trustee & Information Distribution Manager
I live in Aberdeen Scotland. I got involved with COUNT THE KICKS™ after meeting Sophia on an online support forum after the loss of my daughter in 2009. Sophia had just lost Chloe and had come up with an idea to try to raise awareness and help other mums; it was so inspiring and really gave me something positive to concentrate on.
I started off helping out with the initial sticker requests and have watched COUNT THE KICKS™ slowly grow and flourish and now I head up a small team as Distribution Manager. We distribute stickers to individuals, business’s, charity events, antenatal groups and medical professionals.
The requests for literature has multiplied greatly over the past few years and my hope is that one day we will be supplying every midwife and maternity hospital in Britain with our CTK literature.
Dr Bryan Beattie FRCOG - Trustee & Medical Advisor
Dr Beattie is an accredited subspecialist Consultant in Fetal Medicine based at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.
He was responsible for setting up the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit at the University Hospital of Wales. He holds the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists / Royal College of Radiologists Joint Diploma in Advanced Obstetric Ultrasound and is accredited by the RCOG as being Subspecialty Trained in Fetal Medicine. He has been performing obstetric ultrasound scans for over 18 years and is a Director of the BUMPS, now MUMS, and UK Network. www.innermostsecrets.com
RESEARCH: Doppler ultrasound in normal and high risk pregnancy. Stem Cell Research
Katie Gilbert – Trustee,Support & Fundraising Manager
I came across count the kicks in may 2010. Someone had posted a picture of a kick counting wristband on a social networking site. I followed the link and read about the campaign and why it was founded.
I ordered a kick counting wristband as I had lost my fourth baby at 19weeks. I was pregnant again and Alfie arrived safely in December 2010. I Found so much encouragement and empowerment through the campaign, and signed up as a volunteer not long after I got my kick counter and raised funds in the Hertfordshire area. This campaign taught me to enjoy my pregnancy and gave me the confidence to approach my midwife whenever I felt concerned with any pregnancy aspect.
I climbed mount snowdon in memory of Chloe in March 2011, and discovered I was pregnant 2 days later!
I hope to do many more fundraisers for the campaign and hope some of you will be joining me to save more babies.
Kellie Strudwick – Merchandise Distributions Manager
I first heard about COUNT THE KICKS™ during my first pregnancy. After around 25 weeks I was noticing erratic movement patterns and sometimes no movement at all so was continually monitored at my local hospital with CTGs and scans to make sure my baby was growing well. Fortunately the baby was completely fine and the problems were put down to my placenta being at the front of my tummy and cushioning the kicks. Id often forget if id felt baby move and was having to find bits of paper to try and write down times/movements etc.
After the delivery of my baby by emergency c-section due to foetal distress, I decided to read more about Sophia’s story & saw they were looking for people to help out and I felt I just had to get involved. I wish Id had the courage to get get in touch before as I have learnt so much and I want every mum to have the type of information I was in desperate need of.
COUNT THE KICKS™ should be a saying on every expectant mums lips and I want to help us achieve that!
Kirsty Madew – Trustee & Membership Manager
I came across COUNT THE KICKS™ in January 2011, via the online auctions that were being held. I instantly felt something from within to want to join this campaign. As a mother of two, one of which was induced and the other c-sectioned early due to my persistence, i knew how important a charity Count The Kicks has to become. After contacting Sophia i took up the role of Membership manager, and i get so much delight in watching our member totals rise. I also send out our e-newsletters which is so much fun putting together. Becoming a trustee was the icing on the cake and i am so proud to be part of this amazing team and charity. I wear my COUNT THE KICKS Pin Badge with pride and I am always looking out for new ways to continue fundraising. I’m so proud when we get messages about babies lives we have saved just by spreading the word about Count The Kicks.
Helen Adams – Information Distributor
In May 2009, our daughter Grace was Stillborn at 39 weeks due to a blood clot on the placenta. I have never had such heartache before and wanted to do something that may stop other families experiencing it. Getting involved with the Count the Kicks campaign gave me that chance, and after the birth of my rainbow twins Ella & Lily in November 2010, i joined their amazing team of people.
I now hope that we can reach every pregnant woman, and give them the information they need to monitor their pregnancy. I’d like to see every Maternity Hospital get involved and distribute the campaign stickers. Knowledge is power!!
Jo Littler RM ADM BSc – Midwife/Medical Advisor
Jo is a qualified midwife who after 13 years in the NHS has a wealth of knowledge regarding you and your pregnancy.
After a short stint in the hospital, then as a community midwife, Jo was selected to develop a teenage pregnancy service for a nearby NHS trust, passionately ensuring young mums were not overlooked and had the resources and correct care they deserved.
For the last 3 years, she has worked in one of the busiest high risk maternity units in the UK and is now taking a secondment. This means she has time to devote to our charity, to help us reassure and empower women.
‘ Sadly I have spent many moments in my career comforting parents during and after the loss of their baby. It seems strange, but I’m truly honoured I was there, I’m glad I could help them, even in a small way.
When I found out about Sophia and her fantastic charity, I knew I wanted to be involved. In many cases, I have seen the baby’s movements were an indicator that things were wrong. Of course, this is not the case all the time. If I can be of any help to reassure women and empower them to seek help when unsure or worried. If that helps save one life, then that’s a wonderful ending.’
