What Is the 10-in-2 Kick Counting Method?
The 10-in-2 method is one way to count kicks: note the time, count each movement until you reach 10, and note how long it took. Cleveland Clinic describes it. The NHS says you do not need to count, the RCOG says there is not enough evidence to recommend the routine use of a movement chart, and ACOG says methods vary and your provider decides. Ask your own provider which approach to use.
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 each source says
What the method is
Time how long it takes to feel 10 movements. Cleveland Clinic counts kicks, flutters and rolls and suggests writing down how many minutes it took.
Where the two hours comes from
Cleveland Clinic says ACOG recommends checking for 10 movements within two hours, and also says providers differ on the number and the window. ACOG's own patient page gives no number and says there are different ways to count.
What the NHS and the RCOG say
The NHS says you do not need to count kicks and that there is no set number of movements. The RCOG says no specific number is considered normal and that there is not enough evidence to recommend the routine use of a movement chart. Both say to act at once if the usual pattern changes.
What the evidence review found
A 2015 Cochrane review found no difference in stillbirths between routine counting and mixed or undefined counting, but the studies were too few and too weak to be sure. The women who counted had less anxiety.
Common questions
Who recommends the 10-in-2 method?
It depends on the source. Cleveland Clinic says ACOG recommends checking for 10 movements within two hours. ACOG's own patient page says there are different ways to count and your provider will tell you how. The NHS says you do not need to count, and the RCOG says there is not enough evidence to recommend the routine use of a movement chart. Ask your provider.
What if I do not reach 10 in two hours?
Cleveland Clinic says it may be time to let your provider know. The NHS and the RCOG say to contact your midwife or maternity unit immediately about any reduced movement and not to wait. If you are unsure, call.
Does Bumpi Kicks follow this method?
Bumpi Kicks counts movements toward a goal of 8, 10 or 12 and shows elapsed time. It does not decide whether a count is normal. Use the goal and timing your provider gives you.
Sources
These are the sources behind the statements on this page. We opened each one and checked it on the date shown.
- Cleveland Clinic, Kick Counts (Fetal Movement Counting): Purpose & How To, page last updated 05/08/2026
Cleveland Clinic describes timing how long it takes to feel 10 movements, says providers differ on the number and time window, and says it may be time to tell your provider if 10 have not come after two hours.
Limits: Cleveland Clinic credits the target of 10 movements within two hours to ACOG. ACOG's own patient page, listed on this site, does not state that number.
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.
- 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 there is no specific number of movements that is considered normal, and that there is not enough evidence to recommend the routine use of a movement chart.
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.
- Mangesi L, Hofmeyr GJ, Smith V, Smyth RMD. Fetal movement counting for assessment of fetal wellbeing. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 15 October 2015
A 2015 Cochrane review of five studies (71,458 women) found them too few and too weak to assess stillbirth accurately, with no difference between routine and mixed or undefined counting, and less anxiety in one study of 1,013 women.
Limits: The review is about ten years old and pools studies that used different counting methods. It calls for more research comparing routine and selective counting, and it notes that counting tests can cause considerable anxiety for some women.
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.