The most common sign of stillbirth is a noticeable decrease or complete stop in your baby’s movements. In many cases, this is the only warning sign. Stillbirth is defined as the loss of a pregnancy after 20 weeks of gestation and before birth, and it affects about 1 in 175 pregnancies in the United States, accounting for roughly 21,000 losses each year.
While reduced fetal movement is the hallmark warning, other physical symptoms can also signal that something is wrong. Knowing what to watch for, and what feels different from your baby’s normal pattern, can help you act quickly when it matters most.
Changes in Fetal Movement
A baby who stops moving or moves significantly less than usual is the single most recognized warning sign of stillbirth. There is no universal “normal” number of movements per day. What matters is the pattern your baby has established and whether that pattern changes. Some babies are naturally more active than others, so the benchmark is always your baby’s typical behavior, not a comparison to anyone else’s pregnancy.
Starting around 26 to 28 weeks, you can begin tracking fetal movement through daily kick counts. The general guideline is to time how long it takes to feel 10 movements, including kicks, flutters, swishes, or rolls. Ideally, you should feel 10 within two hours. If two hours pass without reaching that number, or if your baby’s movements change abruptly, slow down, or stop altogether, that warrants an immediate call to your provider. Waiting to “see if it gets better” can cost critical time.
Pick a time of day when your baby is usually active. Lie on your side or sit quietly and focus on what you feel. Many people find their baby is most active after eating or in the evening. Getting familiar with this routine early makes it much easier to notice when something shifts.
Vaginal Bleeding and Abdominal Pain
Sudden vaginal bleeding in the second or third trimester can be a sign of placental abruption, a condition where the placenta partially or fully separates from the uterine wall before delivery. Placental abruption cuts off the baby’s oxygen and nutrient supply and is one of the known causes of stillbirth.
Symptoms of placental abruption include vaginal bleeding (though not always), abdominal pain, back pain, uterine tenderness or rigidity, and contractions that come one right after another. The pain often starts suddenly. Importantly, the amount of visible bleeding does not reliably indicate how serious the situation is. Blood can become trapped inside the uterus, so a severe abruption can occur with little or no external bleeding. In slower-developing cases, you might notice light, intermittent spotting over days or weeks, sometimes alongside the baby not growing as expected.
Any combination of sudden belly pain and bleeding in the second half of pregnancy should be treated as urgent.
Signs of Preeclampsia
Preeclampsia is a dangerous blood pressure condition that can develop after 20 weeks and is a significant risk factor for stillbirth. Its symptoms often overlap with common pregnancy discomforts, which makes it easy to dismiss them. Knowing the difference matters.
Extreme swelling of the hands or face goes beyond the mild puffiness most people experience late in pregnancy. With preeclampsia, swelling in your hands can make it hard to bend your fingers or wear rings. Your face may look and feel puffy enough that it’s difficult to fully open your eyes. This level of swelling is noticeably abnormal.
A severe headache that won’t go away, gets worse over time, or doesn’t respond to rest and fluids is another red flag. So are sudden vision changes: seeing flashes of light, bright spots, blind spots, blurred or double vision, or brief episodes of being unable to see at all. Severe upper belly pain, particularly on the right side, that starts suddenly or worsens over time is also associated with preeclampsia. These symptoms can escalate quickly and directly threaten both your health and your baby’s.
Fluid Leakage
An unexpected gush or slow leak of fluid from the vagina before 37 weeks may indicate premature rupture of membranes. While this doesn’t automatically mean stillbirth, it signals that the protective environment around your baby has been compromised. Infection risk rises significantly once the amniotic sac breaks, and infection is one of the pathways that can lead to fetal loss. The fluid is typically clear or slightly yellow and odorless, which helps distinguish it from urine. Any unexpected fluid leak before your due date deserves prompt medical evaluation.
Severe Nausea or Vomiting Beyond Early Pregnancy
Most nausea and vomiting eases after the first trimester. If you develop severe nausea or persistent vomiting later in pregnancy, especially if you can’t keep fluids down for more than 8 hours or food down for more than 24 hours, it may point to a serious underlying condition such as preeclampsia, liver problems, or infection. These conditions can compromise both your health and the baby’s if left untreated.
What Kick Counts Look Like in Practice
Kick counting is one of the few things you can do at home that genuinely helps detect problems early. Starting at 26 to 28 weeks, set aside time each day to focus on your baby’s movements. Choose a consistent time, ideally when the baby tends to be active. Lie down on your left side or sit comfortably, and note each movement you feel. You’re looking for 10 movements within a two-hour window.
Most people reach 10 well before two hours. If your baby typically hits that number in 20 minutes and one day takes over an hour, that shift in pattern is worth noting even if you eventually reach 10. A change in the quality of movement also matters. If your baby usually delivers strong kicks and you’re only feeling faint flutters, that counts as a change.
Keep in mind that babies do have sleep cycles, usually lasting 20 to 40 minutes. A brief quiet period is normal. What’s not normal is a sustained, noticeable reduction from your baby’s established pattern. If something feels off, don’t wait until the next day to reassess. Contact your maternity provider or go to your labor and delivery unit right away. Being evaluated and sent home reassured is always a better outcome than waiting too long.
Less Obvious Warning Signs
Some signs are subtler and easy to attribute to normal pregnancy. Sudden, severe back pain that doesn’t feel muscular and doesn’t improve with rest or position changes can indicate abruption or other complications. A general feeling that something is wrong, even without a specific symptom you can name, is worth taking seriously. Many people who experienced stillbirth later recalled a gut feeling that something had changed before they had clinical confirmation.
Uterine contractions that come frequently and feel different from Braxton Hicks contractions (which are irregular, painless, and stop on their own) can also signal a problem, especially if they’re accompanied by pain, bleeding, or reduced fetal movement. The combination of multiple symptoms at once raises the level of urgency considerably.