If you’re a mother-to-be, you’ll notice something strange that many women don’t discuss: hiccups during pregnancy. A lot of women will get hiccups during their first trimester, and these hiccups can persist during the second and third trimesters, too.
You may even find that baby hiccups, too.
Do Pregnant Women Get Hiccups?
Yes. A woman’s body changes, but there’s nothing she can do to change hiccups occurring naturally. When a person has the hiccups, this is an involuntary contraction of the larynx and the diaphragm.
Hiccups actually block the air intake into the body.
Most people will get the hiccups at some point in their lives, and in most cases, the issue will resolve after a few minutes.
Do you get hiccups in early pregnancy?
Yes. You can get them at any time during your pregnancy.
What Do Hiccups Mean When You’re Pregnant?
Nothing. Hiccups occur in every person, and while you may notice that you have more hiccups than normal, this doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you or your baby. Remember, the body is undergoing a plethora of changes that cause hormonal imbalances.
Is it normal to have hiccups during pregnancy?
Sure. Many women find that they hiccup a lot more when they’re pregnant. But some women won’t have hiccups at all, so it’s all dependent on the mother.
Causes of Hiccups During Pregnancy
Spasmodic contractions of the muscles in your chest are what cause hiccups to occur. Even when you’re pregnant, the body will react in the same way. You may find that certain actions can irritate the diaphragm and larynx, too.
A few of the times that people seem to get hiccups more often are:
- Drinking too much
- Drinking too quickly
- Eating too quickly
Women will often ask what are these 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 weeks pregnant hiccups? And they’re just hiccups. They’re nothing to worry about, and you can consult with your doctor to find out if something is wrong if you’re that worried.
Some people say that hiccups during pregnancy are caused by:
- Breathing Pattern Changes– A woman’s breathing patterns will change during pregnancy, and this may have some form of impact on hiccups. While anecdotal, this would account for the physiological changes in the abdomen and may be related to some degree.
- Pressure– Internal pressure from a growing baby will have an impact on your breathing and tissues, so there is a chance that this pressure is contributing to your hiccups, too.
But, there haven’t been many studies done on the matter due to there being no risk of injury or death because of hiccups. Some people may have hiccups for prolonged periods of time, and while they’re uncomfortable and annoying, there is no lasting side effects to speak of.
So the next time you ask yourself why do I hiccup so much during pregnancy, you’ll know that no one really knows for sure.
Are Hiccups a Sign of Pregnancy?
If you have 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 weeks pregnant hiccups, it’s obviously a time when you should know you’re pregnant already. After all, you’ve missed a few periods and should be noticing changes in your body.
Yet, some women do find that they hiccup more often when they just become pregnant and this tips them off to the potential that they’re having a baby.
The problem is that there is no concrete evidence to back up these claims. Some people may notice that they have hiccups more often when pregnant, but for the most part, this is “likely” circumstantial and not really a sign of anything going on.
What Are Fetal Hiccups?
An amazing thing about pregnancy is that you’ll notice your baby doing some weird things inside of womb. Mom may feel a sudden kick from baby, or she may feel something that is a little different – a hiccup.
Baby is still growing, and when the diaphragm contracts, the baby will actually suck in amniotic fluid.
This is a signal from the brain to get the diaphragm working, and when this happens, the fluid makes the hiccup. While some women are worried their baby is choking, this isn’t the case. When the baby is inside of the womb, it will rely completely on mom, so the lungs may be forming, but they really don’t serve a use at this point in the pregnancy.
Your baby may also hiccup when they’re born, and there is no need to worry at this time.
Many women won’t even notice the fetal hiccups occurring, but when they do, they’re most common in the second and third trimester. Kicking is far more noticeable.
7 Tips on How to Stop Hiccups During Pregnancy
It was cute at first, but now you’re finding that hiccups during pregnancy are no fun at all. You have enough trouble sleeping, and the hiccups aren’t making matters any better. The truth is you want to have your baby already and rid yourself of all these odd symptoms.
The good news is that you’ll be able to stop your own hiccups – you can’t really stop fetal hiccups.
A few of the tried and true ways to stop hiccups, include:
- Sugar– a teaspoon of sugar right in the mouth can help a lot. While not scientifically backed, the idea is that the granules cause the esophagus to essentially “reset” causing the contractions to stop. As someone that suffers from hiccups more than the average person, I find sugar to work very well for getting rid of hiccups.
- Ice Cold Water– you can sip ice cold water slowly. The water will cause the contractions to relax and may put an end to those annoying hiccups that are driving you nutty.
- Hold Your Breath – a common form of treatment is to hold your breath for 20 seconds or so. The idea is that you need to do this 3 – 4 times in a row, and it helps stop hiccups. Be careful not to hold your breath to the point that you pass out (people have in the past).
- Lemon– not only will something sweet help you stop hiccups, but something sour will help, too. Suck on a slice of lemon, and you may find that you have no more hiccups during pregnancy.
- Lean Forward– a neat trick that my mom once told me was to lean forward to compress my chest. While this method works most of the time, it’s usually not the first option I try.
- Swallow and Pressure– swallow and put pressure on your nose. I am not sure why this method works, and I am not sure science knows either. But, this method does seem to work for the most part and is worth a try.
- Honey– a personal favorite of mine is to eat a teaspoon of honey. This will act much like the sugar does in our first tip, but the honey will also coat the throat. If you want to amplify the benefits of honey, choose local honey which will help you better combat allergies in your local area.
You may also notice a constant burping during pregnancy, and while annoying, this is caused by gas buildup in the body. See, when you’re pregnant, the transient time through the intestines can be increased by as much as 30%.
This means that it takes far longer for you to digest your foods.
And you won’t be able to pass gas with ease either. In fact, it’s quite annoying and uncomfortable. The good news is that this gas won’t have an impact on your hiccups or cause any lasting side effects either.
In very rare cases, a person may have a medical condition that is causing them to hiccup. When this occurs, a doctor may recommend a muscle relaxant that will help ease the spasmodic contractions in your chest. The problem is that when you take these medications, they can have an impact on your baby, so it’s often ill-advised to take any unnecessary medications while pregnant.
