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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January 24th, 2012 at 8:46 am
My baba gets them too!
I feel bad becuase I find them quite annoying but I know my baby cant help it.
When baby does have them I get an old empty toilet or kitchen roll and put it on my belly where the hiccups are and my husband uses it to hear them!
January 23rd, 2012 at 6:26 pm
I only worry about whether or not they are hurting my son when he has them, but otherwise they are only slightly painful (I’m 40 weeks and some days) when he’s pushing into my ribs when they start… I can’t wait to see him and make sure he’s ok! I find that calming myself down; meditating sort of, helps to make them go away. I wonder though if there’s any truth to the theory that after babies are born what MOM eats can cause hiccups for nursing newborns?!? Maybe eating cereal is giving my lactose intolerant baby hiccups in utero!? I hope not. We’ll see if he gets them when I breastfeed… Good Luck to all the newly forming families!!
December 14th, 2011 at 11:26 pm
Fetal Hiccups can mean that the baby is perfectly healthy or that the baby is not getting enough oxygen. I am the mother of a baby who was stillborn. She had hiccups like crazy and I was told that it was the sign of a healthy baby. My daughter was not getting enough oxygen and she died at 37 weeks.
I would recommend testing if the baby has them too often just to play it safe.
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November 21st, 2011 at 10:08 pm
Who cares if someone thinks the hiccups in utero are annoying? It’s not like they’re mad at the baby or love the baby any less. Jeeze lay off. I’m 31 weeks and my son had the hiccups 3 or 4 times a day, and yes I find it irritating at times. That doesn’t change the fact that I love him so much and can’t wait to finally meet him.
September 13th, 2011 at 3:59 pm
[...] My baby has hiccups! [...]
September 10th, 2011 at 2:45 pm
Im 25 weeks pregnant and I too feel it everytime when my baby gets the hiccups. At first it felt kinda weird and I was wondering what that was but then I read an article on here that expalined what it was and now I know every single time when she has them, this si my first baby so Im actually pretty happy that I get to feel all of her mmovements as I too thought that I would never be able to experience it for my own. It brings alot of joy to me and my husband :]