Up to this point, I thought she was crazy because I hadn’t experienced that could be considered ‘fetal hiccups’, until last night.

Pregnant women often mention feeling their baby having hiccups while in the womb and wonder what causes this. These hiccups can start in the first trimester, but won’t be felt by mom until late in the second trimester or during the third trimester. Rarely do the hiccups bother the mother-to-be, however some moms might worry that it is hurting their baby.

While the exact cause of baby’s hiccups is unknown, many specialists believe that they may be helping to strengthen the diaphragm muscle in order to help the baby breathe both in the womb and once they are born.

In many cases the baby will have the hiccups at the same time everyday.Not only can hiccups be felt by the mom-to-be, but it can also be detected during an ultrasound and picked up on a Doppler while at the doctor’s office for a routine visit. After a mom-to-be has been assured that these hiccups are normal and are not bothering their baby, then they become something that can be looked forward to on a daily basis, much like their baby kicking.

I am loving everything that my little monkey is up to. Now that I know what is happening, I too will be looking forward to hiccups as long as they don’t occur at 3am.

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