Hiccupping in babies, in contrast, doesn't appear to upset them – their breathing isn't affected and, if they are asleep, will usually happily sleep through them. So, it's often best just to let the hiccups stop on their own.
Can you put baby down with hiccups? In most cases, it's totally fine to put baby on their back when they have hiccups; those little diaphragm spasms don't interfere with breathing so there's no physical or medical reason not to.
Change Your Baby's Position
It is fine to try to either lay your baby down or prop them into a sitting position depending on where they were when the hiccups started. Changing positions won't always stop a baby's hiccups, but it can help.
Wait Until Newborn Hiccups Stop on Their Own
If your baby doesn't seem to be bothered by the hiccups, you can simply let them run their course. Typically, they'll resolve without any intervention.
The exact cause of this isn't known, but baby hiccups are often linked to eating, drinking, and strong emotions including stress or excitement.
Keep your baby upright after feeding
Instead of laying your baby down flat after feeding, keep them upright for about 30 minutes so gravity can help them digest their food. Otherwise, they're more likely to spit up.
Take heart that when sleepy babies feed, they're usually so relaxed that they're less likely to intake extra air. If you find that he isn't fussy, wiggly, or restless at wake-up time, he may not need to burp each time. In short, it's okay to put him to sleep without burping.
The key message here is that it is ok to put a baby to sleep without burping. For many babies, parents find they don't notice an improvement in sleep if they purposefully relieve gas before putting their baby down to bed. However, some babies do tend to sleep better by burping their baby before falling asleep.
Older research has described infant smiles during sleep as reflex-like. Studies suggest that smiles during active sleep are generated in the cerebral cortex, the outer part of the brain. Researchers believe spontaneous smiles that occur during sleep may help develop the muscles used to smile.
If your baby has gas, try rotating his legs like he's on a bicycle, try infant gas drops, massage Opens a new window his tummy and offer your baby extra tummy time. If you've just fed your baby and he seems uncomfortable, try burping him again to relieve gas pain.
If your baby hiccups frequently, try feeding your baby smaller amounts at more frequent intervals, which can help keep him from swallowing as much air during each feeding time. Try a new position. According to the Cleveland Clinic Opens a new window, holding your baby a bit more vertically could help.
Quite simply, baby hiccups in the womb are the little movements baby's diaphragm makes when they begin to practice breathing. As baby inhales, amniotic fluid enters their lungs, causing their developing diaphragm to contract. The result? A tiny case of the hiccups in utero.
A gentle tummy rub
Baby massage is a method nurses use to soothe infants with gas bubbles. It's called the “I love you” massage. Lie your baby down on her back, then start rubbing her tummy in a circular motion and mimic writing the letters “I,” “L” and “U” with two or three fingers across her belly.
Babies under 1-year-old should always be put down on their back. This not only keeps them safest at night – but, luckily, back sleeping is also the best way for gassy babies to sleep!
Also, babies with colic may burp frequently or pass a significant amount of gas, but this is thought to be due to swallowing air while crying, and is not a cause of colic. The face may be flushed. The abdomen may be tense with legs drawn toward it.
You do not need to spend ages winding your baby – a couple of minutes should be enough. There are a few ways to wind your baby. Try them all out and see which works best – or use a combination.
Spit-up is what happens when the contents of your baby's tummy come back up easily -- not forcefully -- through their mouth. It often comes along with a burp. It's not the same as vomiting, which is when your baby throws up their stomach contents with force and muscle contractions.
Normal Newborn Behavior
It is important to understand that newborns have immature respiratory and digestive systems, which can cause them to grunt, squirm, and even make noises while they sleep. These behaviors are often normal and do not necessarily indicate any problem or discomfort.
Breastfed babies feed often, about every 2–3 hours. Bottle-fed babies tend to feed less often, about every 3–4 hours. Newborns who sleep for longer stretches should be awakened to feed. Wake your baby every 3–4 hours to eat until he or she shows good weight gain, which usually happens within the first couple of weeks.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition recommend back sleeping, even for infants with reflux. Elevating the head of baby's crib or having baby sleep in a car seat or swing are not recommended.
Additionally, babies naturally make an O shape with their mouths when they are trying to learn. If your baby does the O shape with its mouth, don't worry it's totally normal act of behavior. This way they are showing excitement, and interest in playing with their parents .
While your baby would have released a lot of wind during the hiccups it still won't mean they are wind free. What it does mean however, is the next burp may take a while for you to release because it is buried deep in the stomach.