CINCINNATI — Count the Kicks App is what mother of three Cathleen Wolff used during her third trimester with her daughter Margot — and it is what may have saved her daughter’s life.
Her doctor recommended the app created by Healthy Birth Day, a nonprofit organization, with the support of the Ohio Department of Health.
“It does give you the tools to kind of track the baby’s movements at home and it’s something that you can do and communicate to your doctor how it’s going and how the baby’s movement is, which is such a simple thing to track the health of your baby,” she said.
As instructed, Wolff used the app twice a day. But on Jan. 4 that all changed.
“I had forgotten in the morning so in that evening I had this moment where I thought ‘Oh my gosh I (haven't) really felt the baby move all day,” she said. “So I was like I got to sit down and do my kick counting app.”
But still no kicks. So she went to the hospital. Tests were done and she was sent home. But she later returned to the hospital.
“They had me return 12 hours later to repeat all the testing and monitoring and the baby still wasn’t moving and still wasn’t do it,” she said. “So at that point, they admitted me.”
After three days in the hospital, Margot wasn’t doing well so doctors performed a C-section. Margot was born Jan 8, six weeks early, weighing just 4 pounds, 5 ounces.
“It’s definitely scary just not knowing what to expect, having her so early as well as having the C-section. It was just kind of a lot of overwhelming feelings,” she said.
Margot is one of two babies whose life was saved through the app. If it weren’t for the app, the support of the doctors and stories from other women who use the app, Wolff said she's not sure if Margot would be alive today.
“I think all of those things working together and having the data from the app really helped get her here safely,” she said.