My Baby Has Hiccups!
Hiccups can be a big worry for many pregnant women and new moms. Why does their baby have them? Is their baby in pain from them? What can they do about them? Rest assured, most of the time the baby is not in pain, and the mother is more bothered by the fact that the hiccups have appeared, than the baby is having them.
Hiccups in Utero
Pregnant women often mention feeling their baby having hiccups while in the womb and wonder what causes this. These hiccups can start in the first trimester, but won’t be felt by mom until late in the second trimester or during the third trimester. Rarely do the hiccups bother the mother-to-be, however some moms might worry that it is hurting their baby.
The exact cause of your baby’s hiccups is unknown. However, many specialists believe that your baby’s hiccups may be helping to strengthen the diaphragm muscle in order to help the baby breathe both in the womb and once they are born. In many cases your baby will have the hiccups at the same time everyday.
Not only can hiccups be felt by the mom-to-be, but it can also be detected during an ultrasound and picked up on a Doppler while at the doctor’s office for a routine visit. After a woman has been assured that these hiccups are normal and are not bothering their baby, then they become something that can be looked forward to on a daily basis, much like their baby kicking.
Hiccups After Birth
If your baby had hiccups while in utero, it is very plausible that he will have the hiccups after he is born. Some babies that did not have them in utero may still have them after birth. Hiccups can start after birth as early as the day your baby is born. Like the hiccups your baby might have had in utero, these hiccups are generally not painful for your baby.
Hiccups after birth occur when the diaphragm muscle contracts causing your baby to take quick short breaths. Normally these hiccups go away after only a few minutes. If they are really bothering you, try burping your baby more often during feedings. To get them to stop you can try to feed your baby whether you are nursing or bottlefeeding. The constant sucking and swallowing can help that muscle relax and help the hiccups stop.
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Mindy Bates says...
I was so relieved to know that hiccups in utero were normal. I am in my third trimester and my son to be has hiccups three times a day. Although I am relieved they are somewhat annoying.
Richard says...
Surely ‘concerning’ is a better choice of word than ‘bothering’ or ‘annoying’. My newborn baby hiccups but I’m more concerned about whether he is OK rather than feeling even remotely irritated. Babies can’t help it, but we can help them. That being said, I am also relieved to find that it is perfectly natural (I came to this site after trying to find advice about what I could do for him once he started hiccuping).
Samantha says...
It sounds to me like Richard is a man and doesnt understand Mindy when she says ITS ANNOYING… I am 33 weeks pregnant and I too have a hiccupping baby. I find it very annoying at times and when I am in a better mood, like when his not beating my guts up, I find it cute. Yes, we all love our babies dearly but when they are inside of you doing things you have no control over its mindboggling. I feel like I have no control over my own body… I don’t like that!!!
Richard says...
Well, yes, I am a man, therefore I can’t empathize (sorry). I just found it a little surprising that this kind of thing would be ‘annoying’ (as I said, I came here to find out how to help my baby). I cannot possibly imagine how uncomfortable (or staggeringly painful) pregnancy and child birth can be, it just seems to me that having a child is a choice and should be a happy occasion, therefore even when my baby is screaming I wish he would stop, but that’s more because I’m concerned about his welfare. That being said, I’m certainly not going to claim that I understand what it’s like to be pregnant, so please excuse me if I sound patronizing!