Hiccups? Why and How?

L.,

According to Dr. Oz, a frequent guest on the Oprah Show, hiccups result from the body's need to take in more air. When my daughter experiences hiccups, I sit her up and rub her back. This seems to work for her. This position allows her to take in more air and the back rubbing seems to sooth her as well.

Since birth my daughter has hiccup when she was hungry. I feed her or give her some milk and they disappear. I think she even did it when she was inutero. I would feel her hiccup and it usually was past my time to eat.

Good advice already given on getting rid of them.
Stephanie

Hi L.,
Congrats on the new baby. I had a baby boy June 18th (5 weeks early) think he was ready since he was 6.14 at birth. Anyway, My son had the hiccups before birth and like your son 3-4 times a day. My dr told me i could give him a small amount of warm Pedilyte and it helps in a bottle. I also massage his forehead and that seems to calm him down to get rid of them. My first son still gets them at 2yo more so if he gets tickled too much.

All the best.
SAHM, 39, 2.5yo son and 1 month old son, Married 4 years to a wonderful man who travels too much for business. Love the outdooes.

Hi L. -

congrats on your baby!! I just had my first baby on May 20th and he gets the hiccups A LOT. He had them all the time when I was pregnant, and I was told it'd continue once he was born. I notice my baby gets them when he has a wet diaper, so after I change his diaper I beastfeed him a little bit and the hiccups go away. I think it's the suckling that helps control the spasms in his diaphragm.

Best Wishes!!

Hi L.,

Hiccups are common in all babies. As they master diaphram control they will get them on and off. I felt so bad for my little guy when he would get them but noticed, they didn't seem to bother him. He eventually just stopped getting them so often. I don't really know there is much you can do...

Enjoy your new baby and this wonderful time.

T.

It's awsome to find another home birth mama. I have had all three of mine at home and wouldn't have it any other way. Burp the little guy more frequently and check that when he is nursing that he has a good latch. My third baby clicked sometimes when she nursed and swallowed more air. I had to hold her a little closer to my breast so that she couldn't click. Congratulations!

Hi L.,
My mother tells me that I had hiccups before I was ever born - she could feel them and even hear them! I remember having hiccups almost daily until I was probably 9 or 10. Then, they went away and I haven't been bothered by them since. My doctor growing up said it was that my diaphragm was having some kind of spasm. Apparently it's normal and harmless, and most people grow out of it over time. I'm not really sure what you can do to keep your baby from having hiccups, but it is not harmful to him to have them, just a little uncomfortable to watch as a mom! =) Enjoy your baby!

I and my daughter both get hiccups if we eat too much, too fast or need to burp. All of those thing upset the diaphragm causing hiccups.

Hey L., This is completely normal. My daughter (now 5 months) had them everyday until she was about 3 months old. Now she has them several times a week. Totally fine!!

Supposedly they don't bother the babies as much as the irk us! My son gets them periodically... at least 3 times a week. Remember that everything is still developing inside of him and as it does little things like hiccups occur. Nursing my son helps. Other than that just let it be and they will go away on their own.

It's normal. I think it's from drinking/sucking quickly during a feeding. I give my daughter a small dixie cup filled 1/8 of the way (very tiny amount, just enough for a few gulps) and let her drink from it. It always did the trick. She was about 3 months old. She still gets hiccups at least 2 times a day b/c she won't give up her bottle and she's nearly 1 1/2. When they start drinking from a cup, it's less likely to happen. Hope the dixie cup works for you!

Hi L.-
I've got to agree with everyone else here. Perfectly normal! My son also had the hiccups often when he was an infant. After a few months, they went away. Congrats on your baby boy! :)

My son had hiccups like crazy in my belly and that continued when he came out. Luckily, he wasn't bothered by them. He is two now and will still get them if he laughs really hard. Wellements Gripe water will get rid of them and it is organic and natural. It is really good for gas and teething too!

Hi L.,
Congratulations on your new son, and your home birth! My youngest daughter was born at home. We loved our home birth and getting into our own bed to sleep as the midwives left at dawn. My babies have all had frequent hiccups too, before birth and after. Nursing during hiccups would get them to go away. I looked up hiccups in "The Baby Book" by Dr. Sears he says that all babies hiccup, in the womb and outside. Frequently they occur after burping, the cause is unknown, they don't bother baby, and feeding during them usually settles the spell. Hope this helps. - Kimberly

My daughter had hiccups almost everyday for about 3 months. I was told to burp her a little longer or nurse her when she got hiccups, but nothing really worked that great. They will eventually go away.

Dear L.,
Hiccups are caused by irregular breathing and gulping air.
It doesn't matter whether you nurse or bottle feed, babies trying to breathe and swallow at the same time can be tricky for them. Turning them upright as much as possible after feeding and "burping" them can really help.
As an adult, I get hiccups frequently. Your baby is too young to try this, but a big spoon full of peanut butter works. The other thing you can do is give your baby something to drink while you plug both ears. I don't know why, but swallowing liquid while your ears are plugged is very effective. And painless. Give that a try. You can have one ear up against your chest and your finger over the other ear while your baby drinks. My kids and I are always holding each other's ears when we have the hiccups. It works. Patting your baby or tickling can work too.

Congratulations on your baby!

My son hiccupped before he was born. It's a spasm of the diaphragm and normally will stop by itself after a while. There are many urban legends about what cures hiccups, but I never found any of them worked with my son, although nursing sometimes seemed to stop the spasms. My son did outgrow the hiccups after a couple of months. You may find the same thing with your little boy. Best wishes.

Hiccups in babies do not have a known cause, unlike the adult variety. There are a lot of theories though, a reflex, they get it from giggling or gulping down formula or breast milk. You can't get rid of them and most babies do it. Eventually your baby will stop but it is so normal. Also they are harmless.

Hiccups are caused by muscle spasms of the diaphram. and have a number of causes. most of them harmless.

here's a link to the mayo clinic that has some home remedies you can use.

I always just sit and take deep even breaths and that usually works for me. But that won't work with a baby :) I think when my kids got them I just let them be and they went away on their own.

They can be due to the baby is wet or he is cold. Try wrapping him up like a burrito and put on a beanie.