How To Stop Baby Hiccups After Feeding

My sister called me last week. Her baby is three months old. She said beta ko dudh pilane ke baad hichki aa rahi hai. She was very tensed. She said main kya karu. I told her nothing to worry. But she kept calling. So I am writing this for all new parents.

You feed your baby. Baby drinks milk. Sometimes breast milk. Sometimes formula. Then after ten minutes the hichki starts. Small sound. Small jerk. The whole body moves little bit. You feel why this is happening. You feel did I do something wrong.

Let me tell you clearly. Baby hiccups after feeding is very common. I have seen hundreds of babies. Almost all get hiccups. Some get daily. Some get once or twice a week. It is not a disease. It is not a big problem. But yes you want to stop it. I will tell you how.

Why These Hiccups Come?

Inside the chest there is a muscle. It is called diaphragm. This muscle helps breathing. When baby drinks milk, the stomach becomes full. Sometimes full of milk. Sometimes full of air. The baby drinks fast. The baby cries before feeding. All these push the stomach upward. This stomach pushes the diaphragm. The diaphragm gets upset. Then it starts moving in jerks. That jerk is hichki. So simple thing. Full stomach. Trapped air. That is the reason.

Some babies get hiccups when room temperature changes. You give warm milk. Then you put baby on cool bed. The body feels the change. Hiccups start. Some babies get when they laugh a lot. Some babies get when they are excited. But no pain. Baby does not feel any pain. Many babies sleep with hiccups. But parent cannot sleep. Parent keeps watching. So let me tell you what to know about how to stop baby hiccups after feeding.

First Thing – Lift The Baby

Do not keep baby lying down. That is the biggest mistake. When baby lies flat, the stomach pushes the diaphragm more. Hiccups become more. Lift the baby. Put on your shoulder. Keep baby straight. Head on your shoulder. Tummy touching your chest. This position uses gravity. Milk goes down. Air comes up. Hiccups slow down. Keep baby like this for ten minutes. Walk slowly in the room. Do not shake. Do not bounce. Just slow walk. Pat the back slowly. Many times the hiccups stop in five minutes itself.

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Second Thing – Get The Burp Out

This is the main thing. Most hiccups happen because of trapped air. That air needs to come out as burp. Put baby on shoulder. Support baby's bottom with one hand. With other hand pat the middle of the back. Pat slow. Pat pat pat. Then stop. Then again pat pat pat. Do not pat hard. Do not make loud sound. Just soft slow pats. If burp does not come in two three minutes, change position. Sit on a chair. Put baby on your lap. Baby should sit facing left or right. Lean baby little forward. Support baby chest with your hand. Then pat the back again. This sitting position works very well. Many Indian mothers use this. Within few pats the burp comes. Sometimes big burp. Sometimes small burp. Both are fine. Once air goes out, stomach becomes normal. Hiccups stop.

Third Thing – Warm Water Only For Older Babies

This is important. If baby is less than six months, do not give water. Not even one drop. Only mother milk or formula. If baby is above six months, take two spoons of water. Boil the water. Let it become warm. Not hot. Not cold. Warm like how you drink. Give slowly with small spoon. Do not use bottle. Do not force. One spoon. Then see. If hiccups still there, give second spoon after two minutes. The warm water relaxes the stomach muscles. When stomach muscles relax, diaphragm also relaxes. Jerks stop. Many Indian grandmothers do this. It is safe. But again remember the age. Six months or older only.

Fourth Thing – Let Baby Suck Something

Sucking changes the breathing. When baby sucks, the diaphragm movement becomes regular. Regular movement stops the jerks. What can baby suck. If you are breastfeeding, give breast again. But only one minute. Not full feed. Full feed will fill stomach more. That will make hiccups worse. So just one minute of slow sucking. If you use bottle, give pacifier. In India many parents do not like pacifier. That is okay. Wash your finger properly. Then let baby suck your finger. Not whole finger. Just the tip. Do not give any food. Do not put anything sweet on tongue. Do not put honey. Honey is dangerous for small babies. Only plain sucking.

Fifth Thing – Small Tummy Massage

Sometimes above things do not work. Then you can do tummy massage. This moves the trapped air downward. It also relaxes the stomach. First make your hands warm. Rub palms together. Then put hand on baby tummy. Use only two fingers. Make small circles around the belly button. Go clockwise direction. Very light touch. No pressing. No pushing. Just like you touch a flower. Do for one minute. Stop. See if hiccups reduced. If not, do one more minute. This massage also helps baby pass gas from bottom. When gas comes out, tummy becomes soft. Hiccups stop.

What Not To Do?

• I see many parents do wrong things. Please do not do these.
• Do not scare the baby. Some people clap loudly. Some people shout. Some people drop a plate to make sound. This is bad. Baby only cries. Crying brings more air. More air means more hiccups.
• Do not pull the tongue. This is old method. Does not work. Can hurt the baby.
• Do not press the forehead. Some people press the soft spot on top. This is very dangerous. That soft spot is delicate. Never ever press.
• Do not give lemon or bitter things. Some people put karela juice on tongue. Some people put nimbu. This is harmful. Baby stomach is small and soft. Sour things cause pain.
• Do not lay baby flat. I said this before also. Flat position makes hiccups worse.
• Do not keep feeding. More milk means more full stomach. That will not stop hiccups. That will make more hiccups.

How To Make Hiccups Less?

You can stop hiccups before they start. Just change small things.

Feed baby before baby becomes very hungry. When baby is very hungry, baby drinks fast. Fast drinking brings more air. So see early signs. Baby puts hand in mouth. Baby makes small sounds. Baby turns head left right. Feed at that time. Keep baby head higher than tummy while feeding. Do not feed lying flat. Sit and feed. Use a pillow to support your back. If using bottle, buy slow flow nipple. Milk should come drop by drop. Not in flow. If milk flows fast, baby will gulp. Gulping brings air. Burp in the middle of feed. If feed takes twenty minutes, burp at ten minutes. Then continue. Then burp again at end. After feeding, keep baby upright for twenty minutes. Do not put down immediately. Do not play with baby. Do not tickle. Just hold straight.

When To Take Baby To Doctor?

• Most hiccups are normal. But some hiccups need doctor. Take baby to doctor if you see these.
• Hiccups continue for three hours without stopping. Normal hiccups stop in ten twenty minutes. Three hours is too long.
• Baby vomits with force. Small spit up is normal. But milk coming out like fountain is not normal. Especially if it happens every time after feeding.
• Baby not gaining weight. If baby looks thin. If clothes are still loose after many weeks. If hiccups come after every feed and baby is weak. Show to doctor.
• Baby has trouble breathing. If baby makes noise while breathing. If skin turns blue. If baby works hard to breathe. Go to hospital immediately.
• Baby has fever with hiccups. Fever means some infection. Infection can irritate the diaphragm. So fever plus hiccups needs doctor.

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FAQs

Can I give gripe water for hiccups?

Yes you can. Gripe water is common in India. Many mothers use. But buy good brand from medical store. Not from random shop. Give only the amount written on bottle. Do not give to babies younger than one month.

Does cold weather cause hiccups?

Yes. In winter months, cold air can start hiccups. Keep baby chest and tummy covered. Use cotton vest. Use sweater. Do not put baby directly in front of heater. Sudden warm to cold change also causes hiccups.

My baby gets hiccups every time after feeding. Is this normal?

If hiccups stop within fifteen twenty minutes and baby is happy and gaining weight, then it is normal. Some babies have sensitive diaphragm. As baby grows older, hiccups become less. By eight to ten months, most babies stop getting frequent hiccups.

Should I stop feeding when hiccups start?

No. If baby is hungry, continue feeding. Hiccups do not harm. Do not stop the feed. But after finishing, do the steps I told.

Do breastfed babies get less hiccups?

Yes. Breastfed babies get less hiccups. Because baby controls the flow. With bottle, milk keeps coming. Baby has to keep swallowing. That brings more air.

One Simple Daily Routine

• Do this every day. It takes little time. But it helps a lot.
• Before feeding, check baby position. Baby should be awake. Baby should not be flat. You sit on chair. Keep baby on lap. Baby head near your elbow. Baby bottom near your hand.
• During feeding, watch baby. If baby stops sucking and looks away, take break. That is time to burp. Do not wait.
• After feeding, do not put baby down for twenty minutes. Keep baby on shoulder. Talk softly. Pat back slowly.
• Before sleep, check tummy. If tummy feels hard, do small massage. If tummy feels soft, baby is fine.
• Do this for one week. You will see less hiccups. Many parents told me that just by burping properly and keeping baby upright, their baby stopped having hiccups.

Conclusion

Do not worry so much. Hiccups are not danger. Your mother faced this. Your grandmother faced this. Their mothers also faced this. Baby is not sick. Baby is not in pain. The most important thing is you stay calm. When you stay calm, baby stays calm. Calm baby has less hiccups. Calm mother knows what to do. Remember three things. Lift baby. Keep upright. Help burp. These three stop most hiccups. For stubborn hiccups, try warm water or tummy massage. Never use fear. Never use force. You are doing good work. Feeding a small baby is hard. Dealing with hiccups is hard. But you are learning. Every day you get better.

If you have doubt, ask your doctor. Good doctor will explain. Do not follow random advice from WhatsApp. Do not follow neighbour who says I did this and it worked. Follow what is safe. Now you know how to stop baby hiccups after feeding. Keep this somewhere. Share with other new parents. Help them also.