Kicks, rolls, swishes and stretches all count as one movement each. Hiccups — small rhythmic pulses that repeat for a while — usually don't.
Movements that count
RCOG describes the movements you feel as a kick, flutter, swish or roll. Count the Kicks lists kicks, jabs, pokes, rolls and swishes. Whatever it feels like, each separate movement counts as one.
Kicks and jabs Rolls and turns Swishes and flutters Stretches and pushes
Hiccups vs kicks
Baby hiccups don't count as movements (Tommy's). Count the Kicks explains why: hiccups are involuntary.
Hiccups are small rhythmic pulses that repeat for a while. They're common, and you can simply leave them out of a count.
If you're not sure
If you're not sure whether something was a movement, count it. What matters is your baby's pattern over days, not any single tap.
How movements change later on
As space gets tighter, kicks may feel more like rolls, stretches and pushes — the character of movements changes. Count the Kicks puts it the same way: more jabs, fewer rolls.
What should not change is how often you feel them. Babies do not slow down before labour — you should feel your baby move right up to and during labour (NHS, RCOG). If you've heard that movements ease off near the end, it's a myth worth forgetting — a drop in movement is always worth a call.
Tightenings aren't kicks
Feeling your bump tighten rather than your baby move? Bump Pulse, our contraction timer, explains Braxton Hicks and real contractions.