My baby hiccups after every feed. And it is pretty uncomfortable for her. Hubby and I kept wondering why this happens and then one time he suggested it could be because she isn’t getting enough water.
Concerned, I looked it up on the net. Yes, water does play a part, but in easing the hiccups.
For an explanation go here:
Hiccups After Feeding - Diane Sacks
Why nursing babies get hiccups is easily explained: We burp babies to help them with air they swallow during feeding. Swallowed air causes hiccups if the air irritates the diaphragm or the nerve to the diaphragm. Babies who gulp tend to swallow more air and probably need more frequent burping before they get air trapped under the diaphragm.
What to do about the hiccups is a little trickier. They do disappear on their own, but if they persist, a few sucks of water from a spoon tip may help alleviate them. Some say the trick is to try feeding when your baby is calm and not extremely hungry. However, since most babies get excited by feeding and are almost always extremely hungry, especially in the evening, this isn’t the easiest thing to do.
Paediatrician Diane Sacks spent 20 years at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and is currently on staff at North York General Hospital.
October 2002
