Does Drinking Orange Juice Actually Make Your Baby Move?

Sometimes even the savviest mom-to-be has to separate the truth from fiction when it comes to pregnancy topics. For whatever reason, there seem to be more myths and old wives' tales about pregnancy than almost any other topic, perhaps because the condition was so mysterious in the days before ultrasounds. For instance, does drinking orange juice actually make your baby move or is this just another charming fiction?

First, it helps to understand why pregnant women would want the baby to move in the first place. Fortunately, they are not just following a lark. Baby Center noted that expectant mothers are encouraged to monitor fetal movement to ensure their babies are developing well, as decreased movement may signify a potential cause for concern. So if your little one does not seem to be squirming around as much, then you may understandably look for a way to encourage him to move. Additionally, whenever you visit your doctor's for an ultrasound, the baby may not be in the right position for the scan right away, so it's helpful if your little one is actively moving around, according to Show and Tell Ultrasound Studio. This makes it more likely that your technician will be able to get a good image of the baby, when he's not hiding behind the umbilical cord or his hands.

And it looks like orange juice may actually help encourage these movements. According to the American Pregnancy Association, expectant mothers generally find their babies are most active after a meal or sweet drink. Orange juice certainly qualifies as sweet: according to the United States Department of Agriculture, one orange's worth of juice contains about 7 grams of sugar. And if you buy a bottle of it at the grocery store, your brand may contain added sugar as well. So it's no surprise this drink would help wake up your baby. The next time you need to count your baby's kicks or help him get hyped up for an ultrasound picture, you may want to enjoy a cool glass of orange juice to help him perk up and wiggle around.