Baby hiccups after feeding: what to do? How to properly feed a baby

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The most joyful and bright event in the life of every family, no doubt, is the birth of a child. For nine months, a woman with bated breath has been watching changes in her body. Gynecologists are monitoring her he alth and the development of the baby. Finally, this long-awaited and joyful event is happening - you become a mother and the happiest woman in the world.

And a few days later, on the threshold of the maternity hospital, you are met by the proud and happy father of the child. If you live on your own and your grandmothers don’t visit you often, then from now on your full-fledged family life begins with diapers and diapers, night awakenings and baby baths.

It is important for every mother that her baby grows up he althy and strong. When, after giving birth, a woman leaves the maternity hospital, in which she was surrounded by the care of experienced medical staff, the decision of all issues that may be associated with the condition of the baby falls on her shoulders. And from thathow ready she is to make quick decisions depends largely not only on the he alth of the crumbs, but also on the atmosphere in the house.

Why is the baby crying?

Many future mothers draw idyllic pictures for themselves during pregnancy: a rosy-cheeked robust man sleeps peacefully in a crib or stays awake, turning over his arms and legs.

Undoubtedly, such situations are not uncommon when the child is he althy and full, but it also happens that the baby tries to cry to young parents about some kind of discomfort. Quite often, mothers react nervously to the crying of a child: they do not understand its true causes. They torment themselves about any changes that happen to their babies. And even the assurances of the pediatrician that all the indicators and tests of the child are normal do not distract them from the fears that arise. One of these is hiccups in newborns after feeding. What to do in such a situation? Where to go?

First of all, mom should calm down, because your child is acutely aware of any nervous breakdowns. You should know that babies still in the womb hiccup for several minutes with varying intensity. Thus, the baby controls the process of swallowing and breathing in the womb. Numerous studies confirm that this period does not cause inconvenience to either mother or baby. And only continuous hiccups can alert and become a reason to see a doctor.

When a baby hiccups after feeding, but not for long - this is not a pathology, but a completely normal phenomenon for both breastfed babies andfor artificial people. During crying, all muscles tense in a child, he instinctively captures the air that enters the stomach. The diaphragm is irritated by the enlarged walls of the stomach, the baby begins to hiccup.

Don't call the doctor and panic. But you should know about the causes of hiccups and the actions of parents seeking to help their child cope with this condition.

Hiccups in a newborn

Why does the baby hiccup after feeding? This condition is explained by spasm during diaphragm contraction. It is accompanied by a short intense sigh. In other words, this condition causes compression of the vagus nerve, which crosses the diaphragm and is connected to the internal organs. The diaphragm contracts, releasing the nerve and restoring the normal functioning of the whole organism.

Hiccups of the newborn after feeding may be disturbing occasionally or continue for quite a long time. What to do? How to help the baby? In the first case, if this happens sporadically, hiccups are harmless to the baby. But if it lasts two days or more, you need to consult a specialist. So, serious diseases associated with damage to the spinal cord or brain, prolonged compression of the phrenic nerve can manifest.

Babies can hiccup in diseases of the liver, intestines, stomach. Protracted hiccups can be a symptom of diabetes, gastroesophageal disease, parasite infestation. If the baby spits up and hiccups after feeding for a long time and cough is noted, thenthe child should be shown to a doctor who will conduct the necessary examinations and begin to treat the disease, not the hiccups.

Causes of hiccups in babies

There are a number of reasons why a baby hiccups more often than an adult:

• During feeding, the baby swallows a lot of air, which leads to excessive distension of the small stomach.
• The same thing happens when overfeeding a baby.
• Decrease in body temperature, hypothermia.
• Strong excitement, fear (very bright light, too loud music) cause muscle tension.
• Insufficient maturity of the baby's internal organs - their final formation will last another 2 - 3 months.

How can I help my baby?

It is very important to find out the cause of hiccups and try to eliminate it. A few simple manipulations will help mommy not to get confused and help the baby.

Why does the baby hiccup after breastfeeding? This is usually due to the fact that the child has drunk too much milk, when it flows from the breast too quickly, in a jet. So, more liquid milk flows out, which is much more in a young mother than “back”, nutritious and thicker, providing saturation. What should be done in this case?

Before feeding, express some milk and try to attach the baby to the breast correctly. Keep the baby at an angle or press the tummy closer to the chest. The baby must grasp the breast correctly - the areola, and not just the nipple.

Feeding formula

If afterformula feeding the baby hiccups, preventing hiccups is somewhat more difficult. It is also not uncommon for an artificial child to swallow air and excessive amounts of formula from a bottle. What should a mother do in this situation?

Feed the baby should be more often, but in small portions. In this case, he will not drink too much mixture and overeat. If the baby hiccups after bottle feeding, then you need to help him digest the amount of food that has entered the stomach.

Massage the tummy of the little man with light circular motions for two minutes in a clockwise direction. As a rule, children like this procedure, they begin to smile, the hiccups disappear. If you notice that your tummy has become hard and bloated with gas, an upright position will help.

Stop feeding, scold the baby in a column, hugging him and stroking his back. This should be done until he burps the air that has entered the stomach with food. This will help the baby relax, calm down, and after a while you will feed him.

Correct choice of pacifier

The bottle nipple should be selected with a slow flow and one hole. If your baby hiccups after every feeding, try using anti-colic nipples, which have proven themselves in the fight against hiccups. They have a valve that prevents air from being swallowed.

It is desirable that during feeding the child is not distracted by external stimuli, not in a hurry, since it is a leisurely meal that satisfies the suckingreflex. The mixture for the baby must be bought in accordance with the recommendations of the pediatrician. He will select a composition that does not cause hiccups and regurgitation after eating. Today, anti-colic mixtures have been developed that are thicker in consistency.

Feed by the clock or on demand?

Two decades ago, doctors were convinced that the child should be fed strictly by the hour. However, recent studies have changed this rule. When a baby hiccups after feeding, it can often be assumed that he was too hungry during the “break”. Therefore, he sucks the nipple or breast especially actively and, accordingly, swallows a lot of air. In this case, pediatricians recommend switching him to on-demand feeding.

Hypothermia

Often the baby hiccups after feeding due to short-term hypothermia. The reason may be dressing the child in a cool room. This is evidenced by cool nights, pens, baby's nose. Put warm socks on him, give him some warm water.

What else can cause hiccups?

Not all parents know that the baby hiccups after feeding, thus reacting to external stimuli: loud TV, too noisy guests. By eliminating the source of anxiety, you will allow the baby's nervous system to strengthen. Very soon you will notice that the reaction in the form of hiccups will appear much less frequently.

The final chord of each feeding is the belching of the newborn. This is an important preventive measure for colic and hiccups. If during feedingthe child shows dissatisfaction, behaves too actively, moves his arms intensively, it is necessary to make him burp. After feeding the baby, place him with his tummy on your shoulder and hold in this position until the air comes out.

When the baby hiccups after feeding, take a preventive measure before the start of the "meal". Five minutes before feeding, put the crumbs on the tummy - this will free it from accumulated gases. After feeding, do not lay the baby on the back: carry him in an upright position for 20 minutes. The baby will burp and the hiccups won't bother him.

Signs of increased gas formation (regurgitation, colic, hiccups) may indicate errors in the mother's diet. She should give up cabbage, legumes, citrus fruits, peanuts, tomatoes.

What should not be done with hiccups in a newborn?

Frightening a baby can trigger an attack of hiccups. Throwing up, clapping on the back will not correct the situation, but will only cause the baby to cry and worry. The child must be distracted by stroking him, showing toys. Do not wrap the baby - overheating is more dangerous for him than hypothermia. Make sure that the temperature in the room where the child is located does not fall below +22 °C.

When does hiccups cause anxiety?

We figured out why the baby hiccups after feeding and whether this unpleasant condition can be prevented. True, preventive measures do not always allow you to cope with hiccups. If the newborn hiccups for a long timeseveral times a day, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician, as this may be a sign of one of the serious diseases:

• birth injury;
• changes in the functioning of the nervous system;
• digestion problems;
• inflammation and various infections;
• spinal cord injury.

Inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract or lungs causes irritation of the diaphragm and, as a result, hiccups. "Persistent hiccups" - a syndrome in which the child cries, cannot breathe normally, sleeps restlessly, is characteristic of the pathology of the spinal cord or encephalopathy. This is extremely rare, but parents should make sure and inform the pediatrician about the baby's condition in a timely manner.

Summarize

In a he althy baby, recurrent hiccups, which last no more than a quarter of an hour, do not cause discomfort. Thus, the newborn reacts to some external stimuli. By six months, this condition occurs less and less as the digestive system improves. Until that time, parents should be patient and carry out possible preventive procedures, distract and calm the baby.