Pregnant women may have experienced baby hiccups in the womb. It is usually characterized by jerks from inside the stomach that feel softer than a fist or kick and occur repeatedly with certain pauses. However, is this condition normal? Come onpregnant women refer to this article.
Babies in the womb can indeed experience hiccups, pregnant women. Hiccups are movements of a baby’s diaphragm, the muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity, as he begins to learn to breathe. Hiccups are generally a sign that your baby is developing well, but they can also be a sign of an abnormality.
Signs of a Healthy Baby
Babies can hiccup in the womb at 8-10 weeks of gestation, along with the emergence of the ability to suck and swallow. However, pregnant women usually only start to feel baby hiccups in the womb around the age of 6 months of pregnancy.
The cause of hiccups in babies in the womb is not known for certain, but this is thought to be one of the processes of lung maturation. Hiccups are generally a sign that the baby is developing well in the womb.
If your baby can hiccup, it means he or she has the ability to inhale the amniotic fluid into the lungs and then release it back, just like a person inhales and exhales air. This is a sign that the diaphragm is expanding.
In addition, baby hiccups in the womb is also a sign that the spinal cord and brain have worked and are connected. This means the baby’s nerves are well developed and can later live outside the womb.
Recognize the Signs of Abnormal Hiccups
Hiccups will usually subside after the baby reaches 32 weeks of age, when the ability to breathe is mature. However, pregnant women need to see a doctor for a pregnancy check if after this age the baby continues to hiccup several times a day and the hiccups last for at least 15 minutes at a time.
Pregnant women can also consult a doctor if after 28 weeks of pregnancy the baby’s hiccups feel different, for example, feel harder or last longer than usual.
Hiccups that occur in the later stages of pregnancy can be a sign of an umbilical cord disorder in the baby. This disorder can cause:
- The buildup of carbon dioxide in the baby’s blood
- Changes in baby’s blood pressure
- Changes in baby’s heart rate
- Baby brain damage
- Miscarriage
Baby hiccups in the womb are generally normal and do not require special treatment. Pregnant women can actually have fun because this is a sign that they are growing and developing healthily. Usually, fetal hiccups will subside if the pregnant woman changes her sitting or sleeping position, walks, and drinks water.
However, if these methods do not relieve the baby’s hiccups in the womb or the hiccups last longer and are stronger than usual, it is better for pregnant women to immediately consult a doctor.
