Fetus hiccups

[smeep]

Okay, this sounds like crap to me BUT I'm not a midwife or anything so I thought I'd ask you lovely ladies. This is what my friend posted, what is your take on it?

Ok, so I shouldn't have done it, but I googled " hiccups + fetus" and read some stuff that says if a baby hiccups a lot, it might mean that their cord is wrapped around their neck and that they aren't getting enough oxygen from us. My little one gets the hiccups on average of 2-3 times per day. I noticed that they started increasing 2-3 weeks ago. Other research also said it was normal. Is this stuff true?

[pamamidwife]

that's some theory that's out there. I think it's all bunk and just a way to heighten fear. hiccups are normal - and it means the baby's lungs are developing and baby is swallowing fluid as it should.

if you actually look at the page that contains that theory, the physician recommends serious in-depth ultrasounds of the cord activity every few weeks. it's a bit crazy - over something, sadly, I feel we have VERY little control over...or idea why it happens.

[Ruthla]

DD2 used to get hiccups all the time in utero- no cord problems at the birth!

[wifeandmom]

While I am not a fan of anectdotal evidence at all, I must say that all three of my children had regular hiccups and none of the three had any cord issues (wasn't around the neck, wasn't kinked, knotted, etc) at delivery.

Current pg is 28+ weeks with baby hiccupping as I type. No indication from u/s that cord is around her neck, kinked, knotted, etc. All FHT measurements completely normal and reactive.

If this is something that's truly worrisome, I wonder why it's so normal for baby to hiccup in the womb, kwim? I can't think of any mom that DIDN'T have a baby who hiccupped in the womb.

[15yrsbetweenboys]

I am not a midwive, doula or birth professional in anyway-but all 3 of mine have had hiccups. My oldest seemed to have them constantly and his cord was not around his neck or body at all.

[CookieMonsterMommy]

Awww...poor mama! Everything is probably fine.

If there were major cord issues (as in enough to cause physical symptoms), the doctor would notice it when he did his fetal heart checks, she'd notice a decrease in fetal movement, etc. if she's real nervous, and not opposed, they can do a quick sono to check cord location and the fetal heart.

Sometimes what feels like hiccups is actually the baby doing a little rhythmic bouncing.

Kinda reminds me of nursing school during med/surg. Every headache was "OMG I have a brain tumor" every bit of anxiety around midterms was "OMG I have palpitations and a heart murmur!" every swollen gland was "OMG I have leukemia!".

When you look for symptoms and problems, they'll gladly appear!

[MamaTaraX]

It will never cease to amaze me the things that "professionals" put out there to drive fear into innocent women.

Namaste, Tara

[KittyKat]

Cord problems are very real, and very tragic. As a momma who has lost a baby I move in slightly different circles than most of you whose lives have not felt the sting of a tragedy like this.

Yes, some hiccups are normal, and most babies do get hiccups in utero. However, combined with certain other symptoms, excessive hiccups CAN be one indicator of cord circulation problems.

And no, most doctors will NOT catch major cord issues during routine examinations. If that were true my loss buddy groups would be BLESSEDLY much smaller than they are!!! More research needs to be done into WHY cord compression happens, and what can be done to prevent more babies from dying. Sadly, for many mommas the first time they learn anything about cord compression and what to watch for is the day they hear "I'm sorry. I can't find the heartbeat" And another momma's whole world comes crashing down around her. Many babies with cord compression die at night due to drops in the mother's blood pressure at night during deep sleep. During the day while the mom is doing kick counts or the doctor is listening to FHT everything seems normal.

So maybe some of the doctors researching this are doing extensive monitoring, more than you'd do with a normal pregnancy. Don't you DARE tell the momma whose first baby died and whose second baby showed clear signs of distress and cord problems but LIVED due to the close watchful care she recieved that it was "crazy" or excessive.

Just so you know, I refuse all ultrasounds for myself during pregnancy, I think the GD test is silly, and I'd gladly give birth in a den I made myself in my backyard if I didn't know my poor DH would not handle that well (we have found a compromise we are both comfortable with). So I'm not some doctor-worshipping technology lover, far from it. I've just seen firsthand what it's like to lose a baby, so I have a different perspective on what pregnancy after loss does to a momma's heart and mind.

I pray none of you ever has to experience the screaming heart shredding grief of burying a baby. I pray none of you will ever know exactly what the heck I'm talking about, but please do try to be sensitive, OK?

[pamamidwife]

Kathryn, I feel for your loss.

However, there is a vast difference between actually doing preventative care and taking something that is a normal occurrence and making women crazy paranoid because of it.

Nobody can deny your tragedy or pain.

We're talking about evidence-based medicine. It would be like saying that all women should receive cesarean sections at 34 weeks to prevent stillbirth.

[KittyKat]

Back the train up.

Nobody said anything about doing c-sections at 34 weeks. Well, except you.

I'm all for evidence-based care. But, here's the thing, somebody somewhere has to FIND the evidence, right? Doing unnecessary surgery and doing research and monitoring are two VERY different things.

You called the intensive monitoring for women who are at increased risk of stillbirth due to cord compression "crazy" and I merely pointed out that it's NOT crazy to want to have a live baby, and that excessive hiccups IN COMBINATION with certain other factors can be signs of increased risk.

How do YOU define the difference between "crazy paranoid" and informed about a very real and very sad pregnancy complication? Should all women walk around with blinders on, and not ever consider the possibility that something could be wrong? Or is there a place for facing those fears and educating onesself about them?

It's not "crazy" to study what causes cord compression and stillbirth, even if it means a few "paranoid" mothers get more exposure to ultrasound than what you or I would choose. No mother should have to bury her baby, and it's not doing anybody any favors to call the people who are out there trying to get the answers as to why this happens and figure out if there is a way to gain some "control" over the situation "crazy." Just because right now we have few answers and little to no control over this doesn't mean it should stay that way.

[pamamidwife]

Kathryn, I think we're coming from two different places here and your personal grief and tragedy will have to win out in this conversation. I cannot, in good conscience, sit here and argue something like this with someone with a history like yours.

I'm sorry again for your loss.

[Synchro246]

Kathryn, I would like to know (and I think Smeep's friend would like to too) what other indicators when combined with increased fetal hiccups are of concern.

[lolalola]

Hi Ladies: I just wanted to jump in here and say that my son had excessive hiccups in utero. I didn't think too much of it because like most, I was told that hiccups are *normal* etc. One night, 25 days before my due date, I experienced the worst ab pain I have ever felt in my life. Was hospitalized overnight because ds heartbeat was 200 bpm. I had 2 u/s during my hospital stay, and I assured that everything was ok. (The pain couldn't be explained) I went home the next day, and one week to the day I came home I went into labour. It turns out that the cord was wrapped around ds's neck. It was a very scary experince. I am convinced that ds was *early* because of the cord compression, and that the ab pain was related to it.

[MamaTaraX]

Kathryn, I echo Pam's sentiments and I am sorry for your loss and pain.

Namaste, Tara

[GooeyRN]

My baby had hiccoughs while in untero and very frequently for her first 2 months after delivery. She did have her cord wrapped tightly around her neck at birth, but I don't know if it is just a coincidence or not. I really have no idea, and never heard anything either way.

[GooeyRN]

Originally Posted by CookieMonsterMommy

Kinda reminds me of nursing school during med/surg. Every headache was "OMG I have a brain tumor" every bit of anxiety around midterms was "OMG I have palpitations and a heart murmur!" every swollen gland was "OMG I have leukemia!".

When you look for symptoms and problems, they'll gladly appear!

I went through the same thing in nursing school! Several years later I am still alive and well.

[queenphett]

My baby gets hiccups everytime I eat.

My first child had hiccups in utero. He was a boy! They happened sparatically during the day and lasted for up to 30 min sometimes. Now that I am pregnant again they happen more often, in fact every time I eat she gets the hiccups. It doesn't matter what it is, what time it is, what im doing, every time without fail she hiccups after I eat. That is also the only time she gets them. She gets them within 2-5 min after I eat and sometimes they last up to about 15 minutes.

[khaoskat]

I also wondered about this...and spoke with someone who is doing a lot of research on cord issues...and read some of the research reports...

My daughter was stillborn on 10/12/2006, and about a week or two before she was born, she started getting the hiccups a lot, more than she had during the entire pregnancy. I didn't think anything of it, as I thought too it was normal.

Another symptom my daughter had, was some excessive movement late in the third tri-mester, as in around 37 weeks. I still remember going in for my 37 week visit, and my midwife trying to get the HB, and had a hard time because the baby was constantly moving. We even had a good laugh when she said I got an A+++++ for fetal movement.

After reading some information on The pregnancy institutes website and speaking with someone there...it could be a sign of potential issues...not necessarily the cord wrapped around the neck, but also true knots. Additionally, the excessive movement could also be a sign.

The initial/preliminary report says my daughter died of a Grossly true knot.

While some hiccups are normal, I think what the OB is talking about are excessive hiccups, or hiccups that are not part of your child's normal pattern.

I too am similar to kittykat on this, that while some is normal, there is a point where it does become abnormal and that is the line you have to find. To be honest, I really thought it was cute the last week or two when Isabella would get hiccups, because I had never really had them much with any of my pregnancies....but now it makes me wonder, because they basically developed in the last week or two and were not "normal" for her.

Melissa S.