What to Do When Your Baby Won’t Burp and Gets Hiccups Instead

Wondering why your baby won’t burp and gets hiccups instead? Learn how to stop baby hiccups after feeding with these solutions!

Baby Won't Burp and Gets HiccupsIt’s bad enough when you’re worried that you can’t get your baby to burp, but what do you do when he starts to hiccup, too?

Sure, infant hiccups are cute (they make you think of bubbles popping, don’t they?). But sometimes you wonder if you’re doing something wrong.

You pat your baby’s back for what seems like forever and finally put him down after he has fallen asleep, except he wakes up a few minutes later with hiccups. Other times, he gets the hiccups even if he had last fed an hour ago, or he’s extra fussy, spitting and hiccuping after every feeding.

And that’s on the good days.

Sometimes, he looks uncomfortable, complete with scrunched legs and loud crying. The hiccups can affect his sleep, giving him trouble especially in the middle of the night. And once in a while, the hiccups do bother him, even if other people say they shouldn’t.

What do you do?

baby feeding every hour and not sleeping

When your baby won’t burp and gets hiccups

I surveyed several parents to learn about their experience with their babies getting the hiccups (instead of burping like they should).

Many were worried that they must’ve been doing something wrong to cause their babies’ discomfort, something to set off the reflex. Others were simply curious why this happened, and wanted to know how to help their babies not get hiccups any longer.

To their relief, these parents learned that hiccups are normal, and that infants outgrow this stage (usually around three months).

As far as why they happen, several reasons came up. For instance, the weight of a full belly can put pressure on the baby’s diaphragm, which is why hiccups often occur after feedings. Sometimes, hiccups happen because she eats too fast, or she swallows air while feeding.

Other times, they can happen when she’s overstimulated, or even when she’s tired. We have to remember that babies have lots of growing parts, so it’s not unusual to see new developments in this newborn stage.

And as many parents can tell you, your baby can burp regularly and still get the hiccups.

Rest assured, you can still do a few things to help her burp instead of get the hiccups. But as always, check with your pediatrician if you’re concerned. In the meantime, I found four categories of home remedies with the most impact: moving, feeding, relaxing, and gripe water. Let’s start:

1. Move

Find a few baby burping tricks in case your current methods aren’t cutting it. For instance, you might:

  • Lay him all the way back to a lying position, then slowly bring him up to a sitting, upright position. Repeat this several times.
  • Put his tummy down along your forearm, supporting his head with your open palm facing up. His limbs would hang on either side of your arm. Then, gently rock him up and down to get a few burps out.
  • Lay him down on his back, then move his left elbow and right knee toward each other. Repeat with his other limbs, moving them to the middle of his body as if they were going to touch. This can help squeeze gas out through the other end.

Do you spend several minutes burping him to no avail? Don’t worry—if he doesn’t burp within five minutes (especially in the middle of the night), move on. You won’t always get a burp out. After all, the point of a burp is to get the gas out, but if he’s comfortable, there’s no need to overdo it.

14 Baby Burping Tricks

2. Feed

A common cure for adult hiccups is to drink a glass of water. It’s no wonder then that many parents found feeding to be a simple way to stop their babies’ hiccups.

If you find that your baby has a case of the hiccups, try feeding her. I know it’s frustrating when you’ve just fed her, but even a few minutes (literally like a minute or two) or a few more ounces can help.

Get tips on burping a newborn after breastfeeding.

Burping a Newborn After Breastfeeding

3. Relax

Your baby’s bout of hiccups can go away once he’s calm. Many parents found that simply getting their babies drowsy and relaxed was enough to ease the hiccups.

Try a few tricks, like gently rocking him to a drowsy state, or sucking on a pacifier. Keep the room subdued, and caress him to help him relax.

The more relaxed (and even sleepy) he can be, the quicker the hiccups can go away.

Free resource: Do you struggle with getting him to sleep? His awake time might be affecting how well he sleeps or not. Join my newsletter and get One Mistake You’re Making with Your Baby’s Awake Time. Don’t make the same mistakes I did—help him fall asleep with this one simple trick! Grab it below:

One Mistake You're Making with Your Baby's Awake Time

4. Gripe water

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Several parents also swear by gripe water as a way to ease their babies’ hiccups. I personally used it not only for hiccups, but for colic and gas, as well.

A few brands of gripe water to try are:

Conclusion

However adorable hiccups might be, they can make any parent wonder if she’s doing something wrong, especially when they happen so often.

Rest assured that hiccups are normal and likely nothing to worry about. You can help them go away sooner by moving your baby, from bouncing her gently to trying new burping positions. Feeding can also stop the hiccups, just as we drink a glass of water.

Helping her relax, even to a sleepy state, can also help the hiccups go away. And you can try offering gripe water to speed things along as well.

No more hiccups, friend—even if they do sound like cute bubbles being popped.

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