Effective Ways to Prevent Hiccup in Newborns

Newborn babies are quite different from mature ones. They breathe fast, eat quite often, urinate quite often, and cry a lot. Newborns are also infamous for keeping parents awake at night. Most parents are prepared for these things and therefore these things do not concern them a lot.

Things that concern most parents are prolonged hiccups. A newborn child may seem in quite a trouble if he is having hiccups. Excess shaking and trembling of a newborn can frighten anyone. That’s what happens with some newborn babies when they hiccup.

Is your newborn child having the same problem? You should read this post to know whether you should worry about newborn baby hiccups or not.  

What are the Causes of Newborn Baby Hiccups?

Hiccups do not scare people at all. Every person can have hiccup reflexes. Parents stay prepared for most diseases, but not hiccups. It is not a disease and it vanishes automatically. You just need to drink some water to get rid of it, but newborns can’t drink water!

The World Health Organization suggests breast milk provides ample water. Newborns do not get thirsty for water, but they do get hungry. It is when the chances of hiccups increase. Some known causes of hiccups are explained below:

Spasm of diaphragm:

Some studies have been conducted in the past to reveal why people have hiccups. Those studies revealed that it occurs mostly due to diaphragm spasm. Some health experts even consider hiccups good for health. You can pass the air out of your stomach and digest food easily.  

Newborns also have hiccups due to spasm of the diaphragm. Their vocal cords shut faster and the air is forced out of the mouth. That’s how excess air is removed from the baby’s stomach and it comes out with that unique hiccup sound.

Overfeeding:

Overfeeding is known as one of the main causes of hiccups in newborns. Newborn babies consume milk pretty slowly. Breastfeeding is a new experience for them and they are a bit weaker after birth. Therefore, they consume milk pretty slowly.

A baby’s milk sucking speed increases after a few weeks of birth. You need to know when the child is full. Start recognizing his signs of satisfaction. Suppose you do not stop breastfeeding, the child can overfeed. It may cause the child to spit some milk out with hiccups.

Eating too fast:

Some babies get quite excited when they are feeding milk. This excitement leads them to consume milk too fast. It does not cause any health issue, but the child also consumes a lot of air. That air gets accumulated in the child’s stomach and then he experiences hiccup reflexes.

You should gently pull the child away from the breast if he sucks milk too fast. Hold him calmly and pat him on his back to calm him down. Thus, the child will be a bit relaxed while breastfeeding. It will prevent the chances of hiccups.

Poor feeding posture:

Poor feeding posture can cause malnutrition in your newborn child and hiccups too. Some mothers think the feeding posture doesn’t matter because the child is going to consume milk anyhow. That is not true because the baby can find it quite daunting to fill his tummy.

He may suck a lot of air and less milk. It will eventually cause hiccups and affect your child’s health! Every new mother should learn how to breastfeed a child properly to ensure the baby is healthy and happy.

How to Deal with Newborn Baby Hiccups?

It is not easy to see your newborn child in any kind of trouble. Hiccups reflexes may make your baby look in a lot of trouble. He is totally fine though! Adults know how to avoid this issue, but what about newborns? How to deal with newborn baby hiccups? Let’s find out:

Hold the baby in the upright position for a while

An infant will suck some air when he is consuming breast milk. It is completely normal for a child and there is a way to prevent hiccups. You should not lay the child down on the bed right after breastfeeding. Hold him in the upright position in your arms for a while.

It is the simplest solution to prevent newborn baby hiccups. Your baby will stay awake for a while and then he will burp. Thus, the child will expel unwanted gases out of his stomach. It won’t cause hiccup reflexes at all.

Always breastfeed in a comforting position

Breastfeeding might be a bit painful for mothers in the first few attempts. You should make sure the baby can easily suck the milk without putting in a lot of efforts. Pick a breastfeeding position that comforts you and the child.

This is how you are going to prevent the child from consuming a lot of air with milk. There won’t be enough gases in your newborn child’s stomach to cause hiccups. So, try this solution to deal with newborn baby hiccups.

Can You Breastfeed a Newborn If He has Hiccup Reflexes?

Most newborns have hiccups after breastfeeding. However, newborns can have hiccups for no reason. This is when the situation gets a bit confusing for mothers. They do not know whether they should breastfeed the baby or not in such a situation.

You should not wait anymore if the baby has hiccup reflexes. Breastfeed your child and then hold him in the upright position. It will prevent the issue of spitting milk out while feeding. Besides, consumed milk will force the occupied air out of the child’s mouth.  

No need to change the feeding pattern:

Mothers should change the breastfeeding pattern only if the baby sucks milk too fast. Let him take some breaths and then continue feeding. This is how your baby will stay calm and he won’t inhale too much gas.

Do not switch to formula milk!

Some parents might wonder the baby is having hiccup reflexes due to feeding breast milk. That’s not true! Breast milk is the best food a newborn child can get! Along with being nutrient-rich, breast milk is easy to digest.

You should switch to formula feeding only when your baby is 6 months old. The baby will be mature enough to adapt to new milk easily. Besides, he will be able to digest formula milk quite easily.

Are Hiccups Painful for Newborns?

Babies react normally when they are having hiccups. It is a normal process of the body to release unwanted gases. Babies do not seem in any sort of pain. Some babies even laugh when they are 5-6 months old.

Hiccups do not cause any sort of pain! However, the baby may feel a bit of discomfort due to ongoing hiccup reflexes. Therefore, parents must pay attention to the child and try to comfort him.

Curing baby’s hiccup problem:

Those hiccup reflexes are a sign that your child has inhaled air while breastfeeding. This issue can last for a few minutes if you let the baby sleep. You should instead hold him in the upright position and roam across the house.

This technique comforts the baby and also cures his hiccup problem. The child will have a few hiccups and then he will burp. That will prevent the issue of choking and hiccup. This technique works, even when your child is having intense hiccup reflexes.

Breastfeed exclusively to prevent newborn baby hiccups:

Breastfeeding is a great solution to prevent baby hiccups. Breast milk is a perfect food that your child gets at the right temperature. He can get enough to fill that tiny tummy and then sleep calmly.

Formula feeding can be a cause of newborn baby hiccups. The baby will experience this issue if you feed cold milk. Besides, he will inhale air if the milk bottle’s nipple is too large. Mothers should dedicate the next six months of their life to take care of the child. Thus, the baby won’t experience any health issue and he will grow perfectly.

Should You Take Your Baby to a Doctor for Hiccups?

Hiccups are pretty important to get rid of inhaled gases. Every newborn child takes some gases into his stomach while feeding. Those gases try to get out when milk occupies their place. The same thing occurs to adults when they eat or drink something.

Hiccups are natural and they should not worry any person at all. Yes, newborns are a bit fragile and require special care. That does not mean newborn baby hiccups are an abnormal thing. It is normal and you should not take your child to a doctor if he is having hiccup reflexes.

Conclusion

You have learned everything about newborn baby hiccups. Now, you will never get too concerned about the baby’s hiccups. You already know that this issue resolves automatically. Even though the child shakes a bit with each hiccup, it does not hurt him at all.

Follow tips shared in this post to ensure your baby never experiences hiccups after breastfeeding. Feed the child if he is having hiccup reflexes before consuming milk. Thus, your newborn child will feel comfortable again!

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