Hiccups?

[BlueberryPancake21]

I'm 36 weeks pregnant and my baby gets hiccups every day, often more than once. It's been happening for the last month or so. I've asked my midwife and she doesn't seem worried. I also asked the consultant when I was there for something else and he wasn't worried. I guess I just want to know if other people have had this. I still feel regular movements but they are more like small rolls/wriggles than kicks but I had assumed this was just because they are running out of space.

I genuinely wasn't too concerned until I woke up with it happening in the middle of the night and looked on Google (I know nothing good comes of it...) and stumbled across a couple of US based websites that said to raise this if it happens after 32 weeks as it can be linked to cord compression or prolapse. It was after reading this that I asked my MW. I also saw a really heartbreaking story about a woman who lost her baby at full term only days after an ultrasound that showed everything was fine. The baby was completely wrapped up in their cord and had cut off their oxygen supply - the only sign was prolonged hiccups. She'd called her midwife about the frequent hiccups but been told it was normal. The research seems to be based on sheep not humans but surely the mechanism is the same? This and the story about this lady has me worried.

Has anyone else had this? Did you speak to your Dr and was there anything to worry about or am I overreacting and will just have a hiccup baby?

Dd had hiccups every day from 30ish weeks. Most days she had 4-5 episodes. She's a perfectly healthy toddler.

My baby had hiccups during my last midwife appointment, and they could be heard on the Doppler. I said to the midwife "oh he gets them every day" and she wasn't concerned, it's not something I've been told to look out for either.

It's completely normal! Several times a day!

It’s completely normal and very common. Random US websites are never a source of accurate information! It sounds like you have a severe case of ‘googlitis’, and I totally understand it but it’s a really bad idea - step away from the keyboard!

Thanks everyone - that is reassuring that I'm not the only one. I think I started to worry because the sites I saw are what I would consider "reputable":

www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/baby-hiccups-in-womb
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322372#are-they-normal
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3428685/

I realise they are referring to the same sheep study but this is a medical journal recommending that women who experience recurrent hiccups should have screening of the function of the umbilical cord while the health professionals here are just saying "nah, it's fine".

I know I really do need to step away from the keyboard... it's so hard to do when wfh and bored of work! And now the idea is lodged in my head I just can't shift it. I might go out for a walk...

36 weeks and she gets hiccups multiple times a day.
MW not concerned. Neither am i... last scan at 34w was good...

Are you a sheep? No? Probably fine then! Unless a study is on humans and peer reviewed and published, it’s just rumour and supposition.

@HandforthParishCouncilClerk

Are you a sheep? No? Probably fine then! Unless a study is on humans and peer reviewed and published, it’s just rumour and supposition.

This is right. Look into different kinds of studies - where there is a rare occurrence such as stillbirth, the only way they can study it properly is by post-mortem after the fact. This means a lot of the studies show correlation in a very small group, which may indicate that work could be done on further studies into causation, but doesn’t really prove anything except suggesting future research. (A lot of the stuff on SIDS is the same because it’s so rare.) Sadly, fetuses are so delicate that they do sometimes just die and we’re not sure why.

Also, beware American websites generally! They always say to “ask your doctor” or “request this test”. If any of that actually improved outcomes, we should expect better maternal and fetal outcomes compared to the UK which as we all know is very “put up and shut up, we only test this particular group in this circumstance”. But actually the US performs very very badly globally on maternity care compared to other western countries. Not least of course because the docs have a clear conflict of interest when asked to order an unnecessary test that will make them money!

@HandforthParishCouncilClerk @FudgeSundae Thanks again - I need this kind of perspective. Despite being a normally educated and rational person once my anxiety takes hold that goes out of the window. I am not a sheep. Quite right. And I know what you're saying about the stats and American medical system makes sense as well. Must. Calm. Down.

I was also worried about this when baby started hiccuping 3/4 times a day at around 31 weeks I'm 34 now and it's still happening so I think it's normal!

With my DS I had hiccups every single day until about 20 - 25 weeks. When I stopped getting them I could feel him having hiccups every single day. It was bizarre. When he was born he had hiccups every day for a few weeks. I've never heard of anything like it before, very strange. Hes a healthy almost 3yo now.

36 weeks too and mine gets hiccups 2-4 times a day lasting about 10 mins. I had read the same article as you about it being a concern after 32 weeks and when I mentioned it to my midwife she was confused as to why. She said they’re very reassuring to have along with your normal pattern of movement, so now I quite enjoy when he gets them and I see my belly doing little twitches.

My DD would hiccup all the time and still does! I really wouldn't worry too much but just keep an eye on movements and press for checks if you're really worried.

I'm 38+5 and my little boy has hiccups every day!! In fact it woke me up this morning as they are so bloody strong! It's normal and apparently they continue to hiccup after birth... Dr google isn't the best to go to about things like this, especially when it shows unreliable american websites. I googled it myself and it said that women shouldn't feel hiccups every day after 34 weeks, and shouldn't feel hiccups for more than 10 minutes at a time or more than 4 times a day. I've experienced all of this with hiccups lasting 20 minutes and having them 5/6 times a day! As long as you know babies movements I think it's safe to say it's all normal.

@MotherPiglet

With my DS I had hiccups every single day until about 20 - 25 weeks. When I stopped getting them I could feel him having hiccups every single day. It was bizarre. When he was born he had hiccups every day for a few weeks. I've never heard of anything like it before, very strange. Hes a healthy almost 3yo now.

I had this too! As soon as I stopped getting them baby got them at least once a day, often a lot more! He's now 5 months and still gets hiccups at least twice a week, I say he gets it from me because I've always had really bad, frequent hiccups

behappyandsmile it's such a strange pattern isnt it! I'm pregnant now but have only felt hiccups a few times and had them a few times myself, nothing like with DS. When my 2yo DS gets hiccups now I always think back to his newborn days and how fed up he looked with them haha

My son had hiccups from about 27 weeks 3 times a day at least turned out he had a server allergy to milk and soya ! And I was taken cheese milk soya like it was going out of fashion was told it was a sign he had it from that point in the womb