While hiccups are typically not a problem for a baby, they can at time upset baby and disrupt nap or night sleep. Here is what to do when hiccups are an issue for your baby.
It never seems to fail. Newborns get hiccups often, and pretty assuredly, they get hiccups in the middle of the night. A lot of books you read say something to the effect of, “Don’t worry. Hiccups don’t bother babies.” I am sure that is true sometimes. I have watched a baby hiccup away many times without looking the least bit distressed. There are other times, however, that they sound painful. We have all had those painful hiccups, right? There are also times it is the middle of the night and the hiccups are keeping your baby awake, even if “pleasantly” awake. The sooner your baby is “pleasantly” asleep, the sooner you are asleep, and the nicer you are the next day. Let’s talk about ways to help baby get rid of those hiccups faster so she can go back to sleep.
Use Gripe Water
When McKenna was a baby, I tried gripe water for the first time. I hadn’t heard of it when Brayden or Kaitlyn were babies. Gripe water is a magical thing that I can’t believe I went two whole babies without. 98% of the time, a small dose of gripe water stops baby hiccups immediately. I love gripe water. It also quickly soothes tummy troubles from gas to reflux, so it does more than hiccup control. Even if hiccups is all it did, it is well worth it. Here is what I said when McKenna was a baby:
“I wanted to give a gripe water note. McKenna gets hiccups all the time. Up until a week ago, she got them during every waketime. She got them after every middle of the night feeding. Happily, I can just lay her in bed with her hiccups and she goes to sleep, but I still hated to see her with them. You read in baby books that hiccups don’t bother a baby. Really? How do they know? Anyway, each time McKenna gets the hiccups she groans for the first few. No matter what the books say, I can tell they bother my baby.
So this week I tried giving her a small dosage of gripe water when she got the hiccups. It was magic! They went away immediately every time. You might think it was due to drinking something, but that is not so. She sometimes gets the hiccups in the middle of a feeding, and continues hiccuping while she eats. Drinking does not make them go away for her. It is the gripe water!
The recommended dosage on the gripe water for her age is 1 teaspoon. I just give her 1/4 teaspoon and that cures it.”
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My favorite brand I have tried is Mommy’s Bliss Gripe Water. You don’t need a lot. I would always start with 1/4 of the recommended dosage and if that didn’t stop the hiccups, do another 1/4. With my two non-reflux babies, I only used 2 bottles of gripe water with each baby. Not bad at all! I gave them their grip water right before nap time.
Give gripe water a try if your baby is having tummy troubles or hiccups.
Burp More Often
Sometimes hiccups are happening because of excess gas. If this is true for your baby, you might have some luck with burping more often. This is especially true if your baby gets hicccups while eating. Make sure you burp regularly during and after feeding.
Feed Regulary
If your baby gasps in air, it can lead to hiccups. When you have a regular feeding schedule, you can usually avoid your baby getting really worked up and crying form hunger. That worked up crying can lead to baby sucking in excess air, which can lead to gas issues and lead to hiccups.
Keep Baby Upright After Feeding
You can try to keep your baby in an upright position for 20-30 minutes after feeding to help avoid issues from the feeding.
Give Baby a Pacifier or Something to Suck On
Sometimes it helps baby get rid of hiccups if they suck on a pacifier. This sucking motion can help relax the diaphragm.
When Hiccups Disrupt Sleep
If hiccups regularly disrupt sleep, you want to try the methods listed above to try to prevent them from being an issue in the future. When hiccups disrupt your baby’s sleep, go in and help baby. Maybe burp baby. You might try letting your baby suck on a pacifier. You might give baby gripe water.
When the hiccups have calmed down, redo your sleep routine or do an abbreviated version of the sleep routine so you can clearly communicate to baby that it is still time to sleep.
Why Does Baby Get Hiccups?
HIccups are a contraction of the diaphragm (the muscle at the bottom of the rib cage you use for breathing). The noise come from the vocal cords closing quickly. Most baby hiccups seem to last only about 5-10 minutes.
Interestingly, a 2019 study claims that hiccups are important for baby’s brain development and breathing. If that is true, you would not want to stop hiccups unless they are really bothering your baby. If your baby is not upset, just try to relax and not worry about it.
Conclusion
Newborn hiccups are very normal and typically not something to worry about. They can bother your baby, and if they do, try the measures listed above to help stop those hiccups. If this does not work or your baby is really upset, it si wise to talk to your pediatrician or healthcare provider.
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This post first appeared on this blog in March of 2015