Hiccups - May 2021 Babies | Forums | What to Expect (2025)

FAQs

Do fetal hiccups mean cord compression? ›

Specifically, researchers involved in such studies believe it's possible that hiccups might indicate compression or prolapse of the umbilical cord. However, these studies have only been done on animals, so it's not certain that this is the case in humans. Some mothers might be worried about fetal hiccups.

After week 32, though, it's less common to experience fetal hiccups every day. You may want to contact your doctor if your baby continues to hiccup daily after this point, with the episodes lasting over 15 minutes, or if your baby has three or more series of hiccups in a day.

Doctors do not know the reasons why fetuses hiccup in the womb. Not all of them will get the hiccups, yet others will get them often. Some theories suggest fetal hiccups have links to the developing lungs. However, this is not proven.

By the time the third trimester rolls around, you've probably grown familiar with baby's rhythms. This is also the time when you'll likely feel more frequent hiccups in the womb, which will then decrease as you get closer to delivery.

Having hiccups does not mean something is wrong with your baby, and you don't need to try to get rid of the condition. Let's look at the data to prove it and discuss what's really going on in your belly with every hic, hic, hiccup.

Even the position of your baby can impact how you experience fetal hiccups. According to Eliza Savage, MS, RD, CDN, an author, registered dietitian, and mom of three, "My first baby was breech, so I felt the hiccups closer to my belly button. But my second baby was head down, so I felt them lower in my abdomen.

Parents often wonder if it's OK to let a newborn sleep with hiccups. If your baby isn't having trouble breathing or demonstrating any signs of distress, you can lay them down with hiccups. However, as noted above, keeping babies upright for half an hour after feeding them is best.

Hiccups are especially common in newborns and infants. “We don't know exactly why, but hiccups may be caused by increased gas in the stomach,” Dr. Liermann says. “If babies overfeed or gulp air during eating, that could cause the stomach to expand and rub against the diaphragm, generating those hiccups.”

Your baby starts to swallow amniotic fluid by week 13 of pregnancy. By mid-pregnancy, the amniotic sac contains up to 26 ounces of fluid. The thinking goes that pressure from a buildup of amniotic fluid prompts babies to hiccup and swallow the excess.

How long should fetal hiccups last? ›

Some [people] experience fetal hiccups as soon as 16 weeks, while others notice them later at 20 weeks to 24 weeks.” When fetal hiccups do occur, they usually last an average of three and a half minutes. But some bouts of hiccups may last only one minute while other may last longer—as much as eight minutes.

Count each time the baby moves on his/her own, such as kicks, rolls, punches, turns and stretches. DO NOT count hiccups or movements the baby makes if you push against him/her. How do I know the counts are okay? You should have at least eight movements in two hours for babies that are 32 weeks along or more.

Quickening is when a pregnant person starts to feel their baby's movement in their uterus (womb). It feels like flutters, bubbles or tiny pulses. Quickening happens around 16 to 20 weeks in pregnancy, but some people may feel it sooner or later.

You should start to feel your baby move between 16 to 24 weeks of pregnancy. If this is your first baby, you might not feel movements until after 20 weeks. If you have not felt your baby move by 24 weeks, tell your midwife. They'll check your baby's heartbeat and movements.

There are many signs of umbilical cord compression that medical professionals can look for. These include increased (7) or decreased fetal movement (8), abnormalities in prenatal ultrasounds, and other signs of fetal distress.

Ultrasound is the most reliable method for detecting if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby's neck. Healthcare providers typically identify such cases during routine prenatal scans and monitor them closely to ensure the baby's well-being.

A nuchal cord is when the umbilical cord becomes wrapped around the fetus's neck. Symptoms present in the baby shortly after birth from a prior nuchal cord may include duskiness of face, facial petechia, and bleeding in the whites of the eye.