Natural Birth and Baby Care.com

Baby Hiccups?

by Gian Carlo Galsim
(Manila, Philippines)

My baby's hiccups often occur right after she wakes up, why is that? And is it ok to breastfeed/bottle-feed when she's having hiccups?

Thank you.

Answer:

Hi Gian,

Baby hiccups are a pretty common concern! In fact, when my first baby was born I was worried something was wrong because she had the hiccups so often.

Thankfully, there's nothing to worry about. Babies just hiccup a lot. Your baby had the hiccups a lot while in the womb, too. As she gets older she won't get them so often.

There's no way to know exactly why she gets them more often upon waking up - that may just be her own pattern. Dr. William Sears says this about baby hiccups: "We don't know the cause, and they don't bother the baby."

It is safe to feed baby (either breast or bottle) while she has the hiccups. In fact, a feeding can often calm them down. If she seems to take a lot of air in just be sure to burp her well throughout the feeding.