Family Forum / Pregnancy / Pregnancy / April 2005

Clara was the hiccup queen in utero.  I think she spent more time
after the 6th month having hiccups than not.

Larry

My dd hiccuped several times a day during pregnancy and continued this
pattern after birth.  They've definately gotten less frequent as time passes
(so quickly!!).

DD had hiccups in utero once a day, every day. When she was born, she
continued to get hiccups once a day, every day. She was like clockwork.

This one has had hiccups only a handful of times so far this pregnancy (I'm
at 30 weeks). I'm hoping the trend will continue on the outside.

Lucy

Both of mine have been big hiccuppers in utero, much to my dismay. #1
got hiccups about an average amount once outside, I guess - we'll have
to wait a few more weeks to see about this one.

Based on another test group of 3 (ha! Science? What science?), my
friend and I speculated that maybe all that hiccupping on the inside
helps the baby's gastroesophageal system mature - neither of her kids
hiccupped in utero and are champion spitters-up, whereas ds hiccupped
enough to make me seasick and then hardly ever spat up.

I'm sure it's just a coincidence, but telling myself that made me feel
better about all the times where the baby hiccups made *me* feel like
spitting up . . .

Melania
Mom to Joffre (Jan 11, 2003)
and #2 (edd May 21, 2005)

It was true for us. DD1 hiccupped probably 1 or 2 times a day,
and hiccupped frequently once born (not quite that often, but
pretty often).

DD2 rarely hiccupped in utero. She only hiccupps outside
when she gets to laughing alot.

Mary W.

Alexander had hiccups all the time in utero, and continues to have them
regularly now. And these are not the nice, easy "oh, they don't even
bother the baby" hiccups. They are painful (I know cause I have the
same ones--often even now, and I had them all the time in utero also,
my mom says) and don't go away easily. Alexander would be visibly upset
by the hiccups.

I was told that they are good practice for breathing while in utero
(have no idea if this is true). Alexander was born at 34.5 weeks, and I
did not get steroids, and he never even needed blow by oxygen, so I
don't know if it was true, but he never had any breathing issues at
all.

Sharalyn
mom to Alexander James (9/21/01)

DD was hiccupy inutero, and it continued for months after birth. They didn't
seem to bother her, and they're very cute :-)

DD had hiccups daily in utero and daily in the first few months after
she was born.  She never had any spitting up problems.  I also heard
that hiccups in utero were good practise breathing for baby.

Melanie
Mama to 1 yr old DD!

Just as I clicked on this topic, my lil baby started getting hiccoughs
(again!).  He gets them a few times a day - it's cute, I think.  It
means that they are swallowing the amniotic fluid, which is a really
good sign.  They do practice breathing movements, too, which may cause
hiccoughs.  I do know though, that after eating something really sweet
(or tasty to the baby) that they gulp a lot more of the fluid, and get
hiccoughs then, too.

Perhaps you have eaten more sweet things today?

Jo (RM)

My baby frequently got the hiccups in utero and continued to after she
was born. I remember she always got them when I was settling down to go
to sleep, and she still gets them at that time now!

Elle