Hiccups in newborn

[littleboyblue]

Ds2 is 12 days old and gets really bad hiccups after every feed! He winds really well during feed and after and is settled in my arms for a while after feed but when I put him down he does lots of leg kicking and gets hiccups. He makes noises like he is swallowing air so I pick him up and do a bit of back rubbing/patting and sometimes get more wind up, but the hiccups can go on for a very long time.
Is there anything I should/should not be doing to help him?

Mine all had bad hiccups, if you are breastfeeding I always found putting them back on for a bit got rid of them really quickly. Other than that I think just keep him upright.

Hiccups are normal, don't worry about them. Winding him again sounds like a good idea to me. Perhaps you might try keeping him upright a little longer after feeding, to see if you can avoid having to wind him again. But the hiccups are not a problem, AFAIK (and IME, too - ds1 was a terrific hiccuper!).

Thanx. I'm ff but have been giving another mouthful after nappy change vto see if that helped.
Just wanted to check as he seems a bit distressed by it. The dummy really calms him, but he doesn't seem to keen on taking it, so maybe there's lots of wind left in there, but can't hear/feel it.....
He also does lots of back arching and goes quite rigid so also thinking early stages of colic? I really ope not. ds1 had colic and reflux, don't want to go through that again

A bit early for colic, I think. But he does sound windy. Have you tried using a different teat? Also try lying him on his side or front for a little while after a meal. All of mine were windy to one degree or another, and all were more comfortable on their sides or fronts while the wind was troubling them.

Yeah, he does seem more comfortable on his side too which is fine during the day, but it's the 2-3 hours I can be sitting up at night with him.
Ds1 was bad with colic from about 6 days, he was showing all the signs but was a bit different from this IIRC.

I did this -

Put him over my shoulder and rubbed on his left hand side upwards - I remember reading this and it worked everytime to bring wind up and got rid of hiccups

I think I heard it's thier body's way of learning how it all works - breathing, diaphragm, muscles, all those bits and co-ordinating thier innards IYSWIM.

DD used to hiccup so much and it didn't seem to bother her but I used to feel so awful about it cause if I had hiccups like that I would be going mad with frustration!

Ilc That's where I find most of wind, just under left arm.
pink hiya
ds1 used to get hiccups and I remember my dad kept picking him up and I'd have to really be quite harsh and tell him to leave ds the hell alone as it wasn't bothering him and I didn't want him to be held all day. Ds2 seems to be quite distressed, and yeah, I'd be climbing the walls if I had them, but makes sense what you said about learning how the body works.
Think I'll def have to strap him into the baby carrier so I can keep him upright for a bit and still do other stuff

A good way of shifting wind that you know is still there but won't come is to hold the baby upright, tip them slowly onto one side, hold horizontal, then slowly back up, then slowly onto the other side and hold again before tilting back upright. Hold in each position for 15 seconds or so. Also can be done forwards and bakwards, but I found side to side most effective. Often the baby would burp as soon as I had brought them back upright, without any patting or jiggling. All of mine would burp after most nappy changes in the early weeks!

Yes, my mum holds a LO upright on her lap, holding the baby with one hand under their chin and the other on their back. Then she gently moves the baby's upper body round in circles. Generally, this is stopped when an enormous burp is produced by the baby . It can also work to ease hiccups.

osteopath got rid of both my boys' hiccups when they were newborns!
they both suffered from them in utero, and a LOT after birth. but she sorted them right out

PC I do the front to back, haven't yet tried side to side but will with next feed. Thanx
Poledra I remember reading somewhere else on here about that, will give that a go too
tiy I could feel it alot in utero too....not sure dp will pay for an oesteopath tbh.....

HI littleboyblue,
My dd had hiccups throughout my pregnancy and for months and months after birth.
She is a happy healthy 2 year old whosse singing and chatting are rarely interuppted by hiccups now!

Really not a great deal you can do, tried every single tip in the book but found winding was best sta up with hand under chin as others have suggested.

thanx lj, pretty much what I thought.....
I'll just carry on doing what we're doing then

When I look back, think it was a huge bonding factor for dh and dd. He used to feel so bad for her that she was hiccuping all the time (although it didn't cause her any distres) that he would endless cuddle , pat and stroke her back. From that time onwards, she has been his little poppet and he is always in demand for cuddles!

How sweet!!

I agree with that, lj - DH is The Burpmeister in this house, and has spent many an hour either cajoling burps out of baby girls or easing their hiccups for them