Should You Try to Make Your Baby Move?
No. If you think your baby is moving less, contact your midwife or maternity unit now instead of trying to get them moving. Tommy's says you should not try to make your baby move, the HSE says not to delay getting checked by drinking cold water or eating something sugary, and the Australian guideline says no evidence supports that advice.
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 baby is moving less, call now
Call your midwife or maternity unit immediately if your baby is moving less than usual, you cannot feel movement, or the usual pattern changes, even in the middle of the night. Do not wait to see whether a drink, a snack or a change of position gets your baby moving first.
If you cannot reach them, or you are worried about your own health, call your local emergency number.
What the sources say
Tommy's: do not try
Tommy's answers the question directly: you should not try to make your baby move. If you think your baby is moving less, or movements are weaker, contact your midwife or maternity unit immediately.
The HSE: no cold water or sugar first
The HSE's summary of Ireland's national guideline says not to delay getting checked by drinking cold water or eating something sugary, and not to follow advice on ways to stimulate movement, which it says research does not support.
Australia and New Zealand: no evidence
The guideline for clinicians says women are often told a baby may move after something sweet or a cold or fizzy drink, that no evidence supports this, and that getting checked should not be delayed by trying food or drink (grade B).
The NHS and the RCOG: call, do not wait
The NHS says to call immediately and not to wait until the next day. The RCOG's patient information says to seek help immediately and never to go to sleep ignoring a reduction or change in movements.
Some US counting advice differs
Cleveland Clinic lists a walk, a sweet drink, a meal, lying on your left side or loud music as things to try if you have not felt movement, and says that if 10 movements have not come in two hours you can try again later, though it also says it might be time to tell your provider. The UK, Irish and Australian sources above say not to delay.
What the studies found about sugar
In a 2016 trial of 50 women with reduced movements, glucose given by drip did not change the movements counted over the next 30 minutes compared with salt water. The RCOG's 2026 guideline says some studies found more movement after the mother's blood glucose rose and others did not, so the effect is unclear.
Why it can seem to work
The RCOG's 2026 guideline lists focused attention and mealtimes among the things that raise how much movement women notice. A 2019 study found women were more likely to feel strong movements when sitting quietly than while having a cold drink or eating. The sources above say to get checked rather than test movements this way.
Common questions
Does cold water make a baby move?
No study we read tested it. The Australian guideline says no evidence supports the advice to have a cold or fizzy drink, and the HSE says not to delay getting checked by drinking cold water. If your baby is moving less, call your midwife or maternity unit now.
Does sugar or juice make a baby kick more?
The evidence is mixed and weak. The RCOG's 2026 guideline calls the effect of glucose unclear, and a 2016 trial found glucose given by drip made no difference to movements over 30 minutes. Either way, the HSE and the Australian guideline say not to delay being checked to try it.
Should I lie on my left side and count before I call?
No. The RCOG's 2011 guideline had a 2-hour step for women who were unsure, and its 2026 edition does not include it. The NHS says to call immediately. If you are unsure whether movements have changed, call and ask.
What will happen when I call?
You will usually be asked to come in. The RCOG's 2026 guideline says a clinician should listen for the heartbeat and examine you, and from 26 weeks record a CTG; a scan may follow. The guide to the RCOG guideline sets out each step.
Can Bumpi Kicks tell me whether my baby is fine after a snack?
No. It records the movements you tap and cannot tell you whether your baby is well. If movements have reduced or changed, call your care team.
Sources
These are the sources behind the statements on this page. We opened each one and checked it on the date shown.
- Tommy's, Baby movements in pregnancy, last reviewed 30 January 2026
Tommy's says you should not try to make your baby move, and to contact your midwife or maternity unit immediately if you think your baby is moving less or movements are weaker.
Limits: UK charity advice. The same page says not to use hand-held monitors, stethoscopes, Dopplers or phone apps to check your baby's heartbeat, because even if you hear a heartbeat this does not mean your baby is well.
Checked . Read directly from the source.
- Health Service Executive, National Women and Infants Health Programme, Plain language summary: Reduced fetal movements (file in the RCPI website's 2024 folder, no date printed)
The HSE's summary of Ireland's guideline says not to delay getting checked by drinking cold water or eating something sugary, and not to follow advice on ways to stimulate a baby's movements.
Limits: It says such practices, including concentrating on movements for a period of time, are not supported by research or evidence, and that checking the heartbeat at home with phone apps, a handheld monitor or a Doppler is not recommended. A summary for patients.
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 (recommendation 2C and section 5)
The Australian and New Zealand guideline says getting checked should not be delayed by trying to stimulate the baby with food or drink, and that there is no evidence for this advice.
Limits: Graded B. Section 5 says women are often told a baby may move after something sweet or a cold or fizzy drink, but no evidence supports this, and movements were not shown to increase with intravenous glucose or a recent meal. A guideline for singleton pregnancies from 28 weeks, due for review by October 2025; we found no newer version.
Checked . Read directly from the source.
- 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.
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 that if your baby moves less than usual or the pattern changes, it is essential to contact your midwife or maternity unit immediately, and that over 28 weeks you must not wait until the next day.
Limits: UK patient information published February 2019 and based on the 2011 guideline; the RCOG still had it online on 17 October 2026. The guideline's second edition (April 2026) says to report any decrease or stopping of movements and finds insufficient evidence for counting to set numbers. 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 not to rely on home kits for listening to your baby's heartbeat, and never to go to sleep ignoring a reduction or change in your baby's movements.
Limits: UK patient information published February 2019 and based on the 2011 guideline; the RCOG still had it online on 17 October 2026. The guideline's second edition (April 2026) says to report any decrease or stopping of movements and finds insufficient evidence for counting to set numbers. Advice elsewhere differs, and your own midwife or doctor comes first.
Checked . Read directly from the source.
- Cleveland Clinic, Kick Counts (Fetal Movement Counting): Purpose & How To, page last updated 05/08/2026
Cleveland Clinic lists ways to prompt movement if you have not felt it, such as a walk, a sweet drink, a meal, lying on your left side or loud music, and says to contact your provider if you still cannot feel movement.
Limits: The NHS and the RCOG, listed on this site, say to contact your care team immediately about reduced or changed movement and do not tell you to try other things first.
Checked . Read directly from the source.
- 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. Cleveland Clinic also says that if you do not feel 10 movements in two hours it is OK and you can try again later, which differs from the NHS and the RCOG, who say to contact your care team immediately about reduced movement.
Checked . Read directly from the source.
- Michaan N, Baruch Y, Topilsky M, et al. The effect of glucose administration on perceived fetal movements in women with decreased fetal movement, a double-blinded placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Perinatology, 2016;36:598-600
A 2016 randomized trial of 50 women with decreased movements at 28 to 41 weeks found intravenous glucose did not change the movements counted in the next 30 minutes compared with saline.
Limits: 7 against 8.8 movements in 30 minutes, not a significant difference. The glucose was given by drip, not as food or a drink, and the trial was small. The authors call its clinical use questionable. We read the abstract.
Checked . Abstract read at 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 5)
The RCOG's 2026 guideline says some studies found more fetal movement after the mother's blood glucose rose, and other studies refute this, so the effect of glucose is unclear.
Limits: Evidence level 2+. In interviews it cites, 73.6% of low-risk women said movements increased at mealtimes, with fewer movements after a meal as the usual pattern, and 36.8% noticed more activity when hungry. The guideline gives no advice to eat or drink to check on a baby.
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 5, table 1)
The RCOG's 2026 guideline lists focused attention, exercise, anxiety and mealtimes as raising how much movement women notice, and the effect of glucose and caffeine as unclear.
Limits: The same table lists an anterior placenta, some drugs (alcohol, benzodiazepines, methadone), fetal anomalies and distraction as lowering perception, and corticosteroids and a raised body mass index as unclear. The table is about what women notice, not about how to check a baby.
Checked . Read directly from the source.
- Bradford BF, Cronin RS, McKinlay CJD, et al. A diurnal fetal movement pattern: findings from a cross-sectional study of maternally perceived fetal movements in the third trimester of pregnancy. PLoS One, 2019;14:e0217583
A 2019 study of 274 women with healthy outcomes found most felt strong movements in the evening (72.8%) and at night, including bedtime (74.5%), in the third trimester.
Limits: Women were more likely to feel moderate or strong movements when sitting quietly than during activities such as having a cold drink or eating. The authors say care providers should respond to concerns about decreased movements in the evening, as this is unusual. We read the abstract.
Checked . Abstract read at the source.
- Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Reduced Fetal Movements, Green-top Guideline No. 57, first edition, February 2011
The RCOG's 2011 guideline said there is insufficient evidence to recommend formal movement counting with specified alarm limits, and advised women to know their baby's usual pattern.
Limits: The same section advised women who were unsure after 28+0 weeks to lie on their left side, focus on movements for 2 hours and contact their unit if they felt fewer than 10 discrete movements. The 2026 second edition keeps the finding on counting (worded as specified numbers, graded A) and does not include the 2-hour step.
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 8.2)
The RCOG's 2026 guideline says that when a woman reports reduced movements, a clinician should first listen for the baby's heartbeat with a handheld Doppler to exclude fetal death.
Limits: Graded C. It says the clinician must compare the baby's heart rate with the mother's pulse to tell them apart, and that a woman advised by phone or video, without this check, should be told to attend her maternity unit. The examination also includes measuring the bump, blood pressure and a urine test.
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 (sections 8.3 and key recommendations)
The RCOG's 2026 guideline says that from 26+0 weeks, once the heartbeat is confirmed, a woman with reduced movements should have a computerised CTG, initially for at least 20 minutes.
Limits: Graded B. A CTG records the baby's heart rate, which the guideline says rises with 92% to 97% of the large movements a mother feels. In one cohort it cites, 95% of 524 women had a normal CTG at presentation or after an initially non-reassuring one.
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 8.4)
The RCOG's 2026 guideline says that, unless a scan was done in the past 2 weeks, a scan should be among the first checks after 28+0 weeks if reduced movement persists despite a normal CTG or there are risk factors.
Limits: Graded B. The recommendation adds the condition that no scan was done in the previous 2 weeks. The scan measures the baby's size, the fluid around the baby and umbilical artery blood flow. A scan for every woman with reduced movements is not recommended, the guideline says, citing the AFFIRM trial.
Checked . Read directly from the source.