Baby hiccups and reflux

[Bathmatt]

Hello. I am almost 34 weeks and baby is hiccuping like mad every day. My DS hiccuped in the womb too and he had quite bad reflux as a baby and cried a lot. I was just wondering if the hiccups in the womb have anything to do with reflux when they come out? I’m wondering whether I need to start to mentally preparing myself for a constantly colicky refluxy baby like last time ☹️

Ooh that’s interesting! My baby had awful reflux and also hiccuped a lot in the womb! I’ve never read anything about there being a connection though? Fingers crossed you don’t, reflux sucks!

I don’t know the answer but I hope not as mine is hiccuping a decent amount.

My baby had daily hiccups before she was born and was a really hiccupy baby but no reflux! Tbh she was never really sick at all, all those wasted Muslins I brought!😂

Thanks all @JumperooSue this is encouraging! Fingers crossed there is no connection!!!

@Squibble84

Ooh that’s interesting! My baby had awful reflux and also hiccuped a lot in the womb! I’ve never read anything about there being a connection though? Fingers crossed you don’t, reflux sucks!

I could've written this myself! Another one with a super hiccupy baby in the womb and tons of hiccuping episodes once born AND reflux struggles too. DD is almost 15 months now and still occasionally gets hiccups, but thankfully reflux is a distant memory! I also had the WORST heartburn/reflux during pregnancy...probably out of sympathy for what was to come let's hope hiccups this time round are just cute little flutters!

I really hope one day a team of obstetricians/neonatologists/paediatricians would do a study on this and come up some nice simple solutions! Baby reflux is just bloody awful!

@Bathmatt my daughter (nearly 8 months) has had awful reflux all her life and has been to hospital a number of times. Her consultant told me that many spells of hiccups in the womb are related to this. When I was pregnant, she hiccuped constantly.

Anecdotally yes this is a thing! Both of mine were hiccup-ers (noticeably, my belly used to jump!) and both had awful reflux. I know other people who've had it too.

This thread is filling me with dread 😅 I’m 32 weeks and my baby hiccups at least once a day 😩
Is there anything I can do to prepare myself and baby for the reflux??

@Nam095

This thread is filling me with dread 😅 I’m 32 weeks and my baby hiccups at least once a day 😩 Is there anything I can do to prepare myself and baby for the reflux??

In all honesty, no, not in advance. There's nothing you can buy really. Certain bottles help some babies (but not others) it's all a bit of a game of roulette!

Best advice I can give is do some research, find out exactly what the signs are then if you are unlucky and have a reflux baby you can go in to the GP with info early, and not be fobbed off with crappy Gaviscon (which does little except constipate them!).

Also once a day isn't loads. Mine did it all the time!!

@Nam095 cross that bridge IF you get to it. Only 20% of babies actually have 'proper' reflux (not spit up and general being sick).

@RemyMorgan @Chanel05 ha thanks both, I’m just a general worrier 🙈 I have GERD myself and have to take daily prescriptions for it so I know how bad it can be, would be horrible knowing my baby is going through it too!

Both of mine hiccuped a lot when I was pregnant and both have/had reflux. It’s honestly fine though! It can be horrible for some babies but I’ve had happy pukers where they do some very impressive projectile vomits but are totally non fussed by it and gain weight well. The biggest headache is the laundry - I recommend dribble bibs! DC1 grew out of it completely when they started walking at 10 months. DC2 is 3 months but I’m already noticing that the volume of vomit decreasing.

@Chanel05 Is right; there's a world of difference between babies that are bit sicky (like lots/most of them are) and proper reflux (or Gastroesophagal Reflux Disease as it's diagnosed).

For me Baby 1 was never sick but had severe silent reflux which caused pain, fussy feeding, feeding aversion (in the end) and was hospitalised twice with it. Ended up diagnosed with GORD, on two different medications prescribed by a gastric paediatrician by 16 weeks but was completely milk averse by then and had to be dream fed every bloody feed. She's now a healthy five year old with no food or feeding issues but those first three years were a bloody nightmare with feeding/weaning and eating.

Baby 2 was a vomiter, - no pain though! - by which I mean she'd projectile after every feed without fail and could hit a wall from half a room away. A bit of ranitidine from 4 weeks (I knew the drill this time and was not to be fobbed off with nonsense about 'all babies do this') and she was grand, no issues after that. She stayed on it for nearly a year though.

I was really quite unlucky - most people say their babies had reflux when actually they were just a bit sicky. That's normal!

I also never had any indigestion in pregnancy. Not once, no morning sickness either. They were both constant hiccupers though!

I've never read about a connection either, but, two of my four kids always had hiccups when I was pregnant and both had reflux - they were both 12 days early too. Thankfully I knew what to deal with second time, 1st time GP was clueless. Read up just in case.

Don't think so - mine were both really hiccupy, DS2 even had breathing problems when he came out which they said was down to amniotic fluid in the lungs from hiccuping too much. No reflux.

So interesting I didn't realise there was a link! My baby hiccuped loads in womb, at least 4 times a day. She's just been diagnosed with reflux!

I will say too that when my daughter is sick (and is sick 20+ times per day) it can be an awful lot at times but she was born on the 50th centile and is now on the 75th, so it has never impacted her growth.

@RemyMorgan silent reflux is what my DD has - she’s 19 months now and it’s getting better but when she gets a bout of it, it’s a living nightmare! Also so much harder to get diagnosed as many doctors just fob you off as long as they’re gaining weight! Glad yours has grown out of it, they gives me hope!

My daughter had hiccups in the womb fairly often, usually 3+ times a day. I joked that baby would be a thirsty one! She is a VERY impatient baby when it comes to breastfeeding, and manages to take in a lot of air. No reflux but she suffers terribly with wind, and her impatient latch faffing has made my nipples Very Angry.