Pregnancy is considered a natural condition for a woman. Inside, a new life is emerging. During this period, expectant mothers pay attention to every movement of the child. A few months before the birth, the mother feels not only the baby's movement, but also his hiccups. Why the child often hiccups in the abdomen during pregnancy, we will describe in this article.
What it is?
Stinging is considered a natural reaction that occurs in response to a pinched vagus nerve. It passes through the diaphragm and other internal organs. The clamped nerve sends a special signal to the brain about the situation. In response, the diaphragm begins to contract, thereby squeezing out excess air from the baby’s lungs through the mouth. The baby often hiccups in the abdomen during pregnancy around the middle of the gestational period. The phenomenon begins from 24-26 weeks, when the respiratory and nerve centers are already well developed.
How to understand?
To understand that the child hiccups is very easy. To do this, listen to the stomach. When the baby hiccups in the womb, the mother experiences the following symptoms:
- There is a rhythmic shudder of the baby. In this case, the motor activity of the child is absent.
- Shocks are felt that occur at the same interval. This can happen over time.
- Mother hears a measured tapping.
- There is a ticking on one side of the abdomen or a strong pulsation of the lower abdomen.
- If you put your hands on your stomach, you will feel a slight vibration.
The child often hiccups in the abdomen during pregnancy from 30 weeks onwards. The duration of hiccups can be different. There are no specific time limits on the duration of the process. Everything is purely individual. Some babies can hiccup a couple of minutes, while others - an hour or more. Normally, the frequency of seizures ranges from one to seven times a day.
Studies using ultrasound on this topic have shown that the embryo begins to hiccup for several minutes a day at the age of eight weeks. But during this period, the expectant mother does not notice this. And only from 20-24 weeks of pregnancy does a woman begin to feel the baby's hiccups.
Possible reasons
There is no single answer to the question why the baby often hiccups in the abdomen during pregnancy. With confidence, only one thing can be said: the baby at this moment does not feel discomfort or pain, and all vital signs are maintained in good condition. Often, women can not particularly worry about this.
There are three main versions explaining why the baby often hiccups in the abdomen during pregnancy:
- The respiratory system of the baby is being trained. In the process of fetal formation, the nervous system gradually begins to test the performance of swallowing and breathing. The lungs and diaphragm are preparing to perform their functions after birth, because the baby will have to immediately breathe without any preparation. Doctors have suggested that holding your breath while hiccuping prepares the baby for breastfeeding.
- Another reason is considered to be the ingestion of a small amount of amniotic fluid that immediately enters the lungs. Normally, excess fluid that has got into the baby inside is excreted by the kidneys. If the amount of liquid trapped is large, then the diaphragm contracts and hiccups occur.
- Severe physical pressure. This is typical of those babies whose mothers spend most of their time in a sitting position, wear too tight clothes or a bandage. Due to this effect, the child may start to hiccup, as the air outlet from the lungs is difficult, and it is difficult to breathe. Prolonged pressure on the stomach can lead to fetal hypoxia.
- Sometimes hiccups are considered a sign of hypoxia in the baby (oxygen starvation). In this case, there is a too long period of rest of the child or, conversely, excessive, abnormal activity.
There is an opinion that a large amount of sweet in the diet of a pregnant woman leads to frequent ingestion of sweet amniotic fluid by the baby, after which the child begins to hiccup.
Third trimester
The feeling that the baby often hiccups in the abdomen during pregnancy at 36 weeks onwards is considered natural, and rarely indicates any pathology. During this period, all the systems and organs of the baby are already formed. And the lungs begin to produce a surfactant substance (it is required so that the walls of the alveoli do not stick together during breathing).
Depending on the characteristics of the growing organism, the baby often hiccups in the abdomen during pregnancy at 35 weeks, 34 and earlier. As a rule, during this period, the baby learns to breathe, which becomes the cause of the violation of the functions of external respiration. In addition, the third trimester is the time of peak activity of the child. Very often, a woman can confuse rhythmic movements with hiccups.
You should also worry if the baby often hiccups in the abdomen during pregnancy at 38 weeks. During this period, the baby can hiccup for 30-60 minutes. The causes of the process are the same as at earlier dates.
When is a doctor needed?
Hiccup is a completely harmless process. But you should know that there is no reason for excitement, if this does not cause a deterioration in the well-being of the baby or future mother. If the hiccups become regular and longer, it is better to go to the doctor's office. This will help to understand why the baby often hiccups in the abdomen during pregnancy.
If the gynecologist has suspicions, then a woman may be prescribed an additional study:
- CTG (Cardiotocography). During this procedure, a special device is used that records the baby’s heart rate. CGT is performed to exclude diseases of the heart and respiratory system.
You should know that an additional examination is carried out for all pregnant women in whom the babies are overly active. Do not be afraid of this procedure. It is completely painless and safe.
- Ultrasonography. Thanks to this method, doctors evaluate the condition of the fetus, see possible disturbances in the umbilical cord and placenta, which can provoke a complication of breathing functions. In addition to the general study, dopplerometry is also performed. Using it, placental blood flow is assessed. A decrease in its level indicates oxygen deficiency.
If during the study the baby’s diaphragm begins to contract, then with the help of the microphone built into the ultrasound machine, the expectant mother can hear how the baby actually hiccups.
Danger
When hiccups are caused by natural causes, it does not constitute a danger to the child. In the event that hiccups arose as a sign of intrauterine hypoxia, unpleasant consequences can occur.
Untimely treatment of this pathology can lead to asphyxiation or death of the fetus. Recognizing the condition is very easy, the child shows not only hiccups, but also the absence of movements, or vice versa, increased activity. Also, the baby's heart palpitations, up to tachycardia, become more frequent.
Causes of hypoxia
The main factors include the following factors:
- Anemia.
- Long squeezing of the fetus.
- Early detachment of the placenta.
- Disorders of normal blood circulation in the umbilical cord and placenta.
- Pulmonary or cardiovascular diseases in the expectant mother.
- Congenital malformations of the fetus.
If hypoxia is suspected, you should immediately contact a specialist.
What can be done if hiccups cause discomfort?
If the baby often hiccups in the abdomen during pregnancy at 32 weeks or more, you can try the following tips:
- A special set of exercises for pregnant women helps to increase the flow of oxygen.
- With a long hiccup, you can try to go out into the fresh air. Gently swaying in the womb will help the baby calm down.
- The knee-elbow position will help to change the position of the baby's body and remove the fit of hiccups. For this, several approaches of three minutes are enough.
- If the child often hiccups in the abdomen during pregnancy at 33 weeks or in another period of gestation, experts recommend reducing the use of desserts and sweets.
- Mild hypoxia of the child can be treated with special oxygen-rich water.
- The respiratory gymnastics helps to cope with the hiccups of the fetus: a smooth breath and exhale for six seconds each.
- To all methods should be added a conversation with the baby and a long, smooth stroking of the abdomen.
What else can be done?
The development of the baby in the womb throughout pregnancy depends on the well-being of the expectant mother. It is important not to violate the diet and day, as well as comply with all the recommendations of the gynecologist. This should be done from the moment of conception to the end of pregnancy. This should also be supplemented with vitamins and frequent walks in the fresh air. In this case, the child will form without pathologies.
All the feelings disturbing the expectant mother should be discussed with the doctor. In this case, occasionally small deviations from the norm can be corrected by a specialist.
In order to eliminate the risk of oxygen starvation in the baby, you should often walk, regularly visit the fresh air and get enough sleep. You also need to be less in stuffy or smoky rooms.
During pregnancy, it is necessary to exclude emotional negative breakdowns, nervous strain and heavy physical exertion.
What you do not need to do?
During pregnancy, a woman should not:
- Drink alcohol.
- To smoke.
- Perform gymnastic exercises that can harm the fetus.
- Wear belly-squeezing clothing.
- Experiencing heavy physical exertion.
- For a long time to be in unventilated and stuffy rooms.
Finally
Do not worry because the baby often hiccups in the abdomen during pregnancy at 34 weeks. Pregnancy and hiccups in another period should also not cause concern for the expectant mother. This is considered a natural process and you should not worry about it. But in the event that the baby, in addition to the hiccups, shows other abnormal signs, you should seek help from a doctor.