Counting Kicks With Twins: What Sources Say
If your babies are moving less, call your maternity unit immediately; you do not need to know which baby has changed. No guideline or health service we read gives a separate kick counting method for twins. Twins Trust says you do not need to keep a daily kick count, Tommy's says its advice rests on evidence in single pregnancies, and one non-profit, Count the Kicks, advises daily counting from 26 weeks and suggests counting one baby at a time.
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.
If your babies' movements change, contact your care team now
Call your maternity unit immediately if your babies are moving less than usual, you cannot feel movement, or the usual pattern changes. Do not wait until the next day or your next appointment, even at night. You do not need to know which baby has changed before you call.
If you cannot reach them, or you are worried about your own health, call your local emergency number.
What sources say about movements in twin pregnancies
There is less research in twins
Twins Trust says there is less research on movements in twins than in pregnancies with one baby, and that much of the guidance draws on singleton evidence. The RCOG's 2011 guideline and the Australian guideline both exclude multiple pregnancy. The RCOG's 2026 edition adds a section on it, which says very few studies exist and asks for a CTG and checks of growth, fluid and umbilical artery Doppler when a woman with twins reports reduced movements. It gives no counting method.
No set number of movements
Twins Trust says there is no set number of movements you should feel each day and that you do not need to keep a daily kick count. What matters is becoming familiar with your babies' usual pattern and noticing changes.
You do not need to know which baby moved
Twins Trust says your awareness of movements is valuable even when you cannot tell the babies apart, and that you do not need to identify which baby has changed before contacting your maternity team. Explain this to them if you cannot tell.
One counting organization gives a method
Count the Kicks says to start counting daily at 26 weeks if you expect twins or multiples, and its blog suggests one complete session for one baby, then the next, as one way to avoid mixing up movements. The blog attributes that tip to a neonatologist on its advisory board and names no guideline. The FAQ credits ACOG for the 26-week figure, but the ACOG opinion it links does not give it.
Studies of reduced movement in twins are small
A 2020 study compared 83 dichorionic twin pregnancies presenting after 34 weeks with reduced movements alone to 83 matched pregnancies, and found a combined measure of adverse neonatal outcomes in 29.5% against 19.2%. A 2023 UK pilot study of 181 women expecting twins found higher odds of a broad composite of adverse outcomes, which includes earlier-than-recommended birth, among women who reported no information about movements in early pregnancy. Women who reported reduced movements did not differ significantly, but the study was too small to rule out a difference, and its authors call it hypothesis-generating.
Reduced movements still need checking
Twins Trust says reduced movements do not tell you what is causing a change and do not automatically mean something is wrong, but they should always be checked. Call your maternity unit immediately if your babies are moving less or you cannot feel movement.
Common questions
How do I count kicks with twins?
No guideline or health service we read gives a twin method. Twins Trust says you do not need to keep a daily kick count and should learn your babies' usual pattern. Count the Kicks advises counting daily from 26 weeks and suggests one complete session for one baby, then the next. Ask your midwife or doctor which they want you to use.
Should I feel twice as many kicks with twins?
No set number applies. Twins Trust says there is no set number of movements you should feel each day, and that what matters is your babies' usual pattern.
What if I cannot tell which baby is moving?
Contact your maternity team anyway. Twins Trust says you do not need to know which baby's movements have changed before asking for help, and to explain this to them if you cannot tell.
When should I contact my maternity unit?
Immediately if your babies are moving less or you cannot feel movement. Twins Trust says not to wait until tomorrow or your next appointment, even in the night, and to seek advice every time you are concerned, even if earlier checks were reassuring.
Does Bumpi Kicks count for twins?
No. Bumpi Kicks has no twin mode: it has one counter and one goal per session, and sessions are not labelled by baby. Count the Kicks says its app can count for one baby or two. The comparison of kick counter apps sets out the differences.
Sources
These are the sources behind the statements on this page. We opened each one and checked it on the date shown.
- Twins Trust, Fetal movements in twins, published 12 October 2026, written by Prof Alexander Heazell
Twins Trust says to call your maternity unit immediately if your babies are moving less or you cannot feel movement, not to wait until tomorrow, and that reduced movements should always be checked.
Limits: A UK charity page that lists the RCOG's 2026 guideline among its references. It also says reduced movements do not automatically mean something is wrong, that there is no set number of movements to feel each day, that you do not need to keep a daily kick count, and that you do not need to know which baby has changed before asking for help. It says there is less research on movements in twins than in pregnancies with one baby, and much of the guidance draws on singleton evidence.
Checked . Read directly from the source.
- Tommy's, Baby movements in pregnancy, last reviewed 30 January 2026
Tommy's says its advice on reduced fetal movements is based on evidence in single pregnancies, and tells people pregnant with more than one baby to contact Twins Trust for more detailed advice.
Limits: UK advice. The same page says to contact your maternity unit immediately if you think your baby is moving less than normal.
Checked . Read directly from the source.
- Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Reduced Fetal Movements, Green-top Guideline No. 57, first edition, February 2011 (section 1)
The RCOG's 2011 guideline on reduced fetal movements said it excludes the management of reduced movements in multiple pregnancy.
Limits: A statement of scope in the first edition. The 2026 second edition adds a section on reduced movements in multiple pregnancy.
Checked . Read directly from the source.
- Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand and Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth, Clinical practice guideline for the care of women with decreased fetal movements with a singleton pregnancy from 28 weeks' gestation, version 2.4, March 2023 (section 2.1)
The Australian and New Zealand guideline on decreased fetal movements says its scope excludes the management of decreased movements in multiple pregnancy and before 28 weeks' gestation.
Limits: A statement of scope. It means the guideline gives no twin advice, not that twin advice differs.
Checked . Read directly from the source.
- Whitworth M, Fisher M, Heazell A, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Reduced Fetal Movements, Green-top Guideline No. 57, second edition. BJOG 2026;133(8):e70-e92, first published 27 April 2026 (section 13)
The RCOG's 2026 guideline says a woman with reduced movements in a twin or multiple pregnancy should have a CTG, checks of growth and fluid, and umbilical artery Doppler.
Limits: Graded C. It also says to determine the chorionicity of the pregnancy, that very few studies report on reduced movements in multiple pregnancy, and that none studied care for it. The 2011 edition excluded multiple pregnancy. It gives no counting method for twins.
Checked . Read directly from the source.
- Count the Kicks (Healthy Birth Day, Inc.), Frequently asked questions, and the blog post Counting kicks for twins, 19 May 2022
Count the Kicks says that if you are expecting twins or multiples the recommendation is to start counting daily at 26 weeks, and its blog suggests one complete session for one baby, then the next.
Limits: The blog gives the one-baby-at-a-time tip as one way to avoid mixing up movements and attributes it to a neonatologist on the organization's advisory board, naming no guideline. The FAQ credits ACOG for the 26-week figure, but the ACOG opinion it links does not give it. The FAQ also says its app can count for one baby or two.
Checked . Read directly from the source.
- Levy M, Kovo M, Izaik Y, et al. Reduced fetal movements is twin pregnancies and the association with adverse neonatal outcomes. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, 2020;246:165-168
A 2020 study of 83 dichorionic twin pregnancies with reduced movements alone after 34 weeks found adverse outcomes in 29.5%, against 19.2% in 83 matched pregnancies.
Limits: A single-hospital study in Israel of women who delivered within two weeks. The composite of adverse neonatal outcomes included hypoglycaemia and phototherapy. NICU admission was 32.5% against 19.2%. It shows an association and cannot show that reduced movements caused the outcomes. We read the abstract only.
Checked . Abstract read at the source.
- Greatholder I, Tomlinson E, Wilkinson J, et al. Evaluating antenatal risk in twin pregnancies: a feasibility study to identify modifiable factors associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 2023;102(5):585-596
In a 2023 UK pilot study of 181 women expecting twins, those given no information about movements in early pregnancy had higher odds of a broad composite of adverse outcomes (odds ratio 2.69).
Limits: 95% interval 1.18 to 6.10. The composite includes birth earlier than the UK-recommended gestation. Women who reported an episode of reduced movements did not differ significantly (odds ratio 0.72, 0.36 to 1.42), in a study too small to rule out a difference; the authors call it hypothesis-generating. It shows associations and cannot show that information changed outcomes. The abstract's wording on reduced movements is ambiguous, so this entry follows the results section of the full text.
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- NHS, Your baby's movements, page last reviewed 8 July 2024
The NHS says to call your midwife or maternity unit immediately if your baby moves less than usual, you cannot feel movement, or the usual pattern changes, and not to wait until the next day.
Limits: NHS advice is written for the UK. Advice elsewhere differs, and your own midwife or doctor comes first.
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- Healthy Birth Day, Inc., Count the Kicks! App Store listing, version 7.10.1
Count the Kicks! is free on the App Store and its listing describes movement strength tracking, graphs, provider export, a contraction timer, twin support and 20+ languages.
Limits: The description also mentions notes, scanning of paper charts, iPhone widgets and Siri support. The compatibility section lists iPad and Apple Watch (watchOS 9.0 or later). The description says 20+ languages, while the App Store language list shows 8. App Privacy label as the developer declared it (Apple has not verified it): Data Used to Track You: Identifiers. Data Not Linked to You: Health & Fitness, Contact Info, User Content, Identifiers, Usage Data, Sensitive Info, Diagnostics. Features are as the publisher describes them. We have not tested the app. Listings change, so check the current version.
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