The lead actress in this film has got to have the most annoying voice in the world!!! Whiny, squeaky and irritating. Medically, there are so many inaccuracies. Kelly arrives at work on delivery and proceeds to turn a baby in the womb during labour without any assessment or handover. This would be done (if ever as it's very dangerous) way before labour. She does not wash her hands, doesn't put any kind of uniform on, doesn't review the medical records, doesn't gain consent from the mother and treats the doctor appallingly. Just given birth, runs all over LA without changing her maternity pads! Doesn't need the loo. You pu like mad after delivery!!!!!! The security in the hospitals is amateur. Almost putting a sign up saying 'please enter and steal whatever you like, including babies'. No locked doors, no key pads, no swipe and enter. Especially bad since there are known abductions. Security guards not giving a care in the world. Kelly's magical, self-renewing make-up was a joy to behold! Having said all this, I love a bad movie!!!!

I want my life minutes back. The acting is just terrible. The lead actress is by far the worst but the whole cast was just awful. The story was okay but nothing new. I've seen this so many times over but the story is the least of its problems. The lead actress's constant ugly crying is so distracting you'll laugh through most of the movie. Don't watch this unless you want a good laugh then this movie might be what you're looking for. Her voice is mousy and she is not believable as hospital worker of any kind. The husband was cute but couldn't act either. The criminals' cheap accents were also laughable. I hope a lot of money wasn't spent on this.

It is possible that "Cradles for Cash" (aka, "Maternal Instinct") was intended to raise awareness about the nefarious practices of child abduction and human trafficking. But despite any good intentions, the film was so melodramatic that it lost credibility. The most problematic character was Gloria, who miraculously appeared as a Good Samaritan to assist Kelly Ryan in the recovery of her baby who was abducted almost right under her eye while she was still on her birthing bed. The security at the hospital was deplorable with an easy entrance to the cribs and a guard who was flirting with the imposter nurse who was carrying out the abduction. In the guise of assuaging her guilt, Gloria, who formerly abducted babies herself, pledges to help Kelly recover little Julia. But the action unfolded in a surreal and excessively violent manner with the death of Svetlana who stole Julia out of the hospital; the death of Dr. Lee, a hospital physician participating in the kidnappings; and, finally, the death of Gloria in a gratuitous act committed by the evil mastermind, Mr. Siegel. It would be unlikely that this film would be screened for the purpose of training hospital personnel. But it might be the basis for an opera.

Good enough to hold your attention. Really picked up in the middle to end.

OMG the actress has such a squeaky voice. She plays a nurse whose baby is taken. She's also smarter than the doctor as she delivers a baby avoiding an unnecessary C section. The villains steal babies from the hospital for adoption. Rather stereotypically they make the villains Russian or Eastern European. So when they take our heroines baby she sets out to get baby back.

They could have done something with this premise but the acting from everyone was awful. The main mother (don't remember her name) was very annoying and Whiny throughout the whole movie. I should have stopped watching once she delivered her own baby at the hospital because she apparently knows more than the doctor(what?!). There are much better movies out there to watch! Avoid!!!

The acting is this movie is atrocious. The actual plot in its self is quite good, the acting really lets it down. It could have been so much better, such a pity.

This could have been a good movie and gave it the suspense it was intending to have if the acting was up there but the acting was terrible . The scene where they just casually talk while the little girl is pretending to cry in the back ground while her dead mother is being taken and the Ambos are just ignoring her also , just wow .

This fictional presentation of organised criminal stealing of babies for monetary gain that actually occurs is disappointing Plot reflects what is likely to happen in real life but character behaviour and decisions leave much to be desired: in fact the things they do is silly . Not recommended for either understanding the criminal scene or the actors ability or the writers skill .

source: Maternal Instinct