Chorevia

Day 175 of 280 · 25 weeks

Hiccups

Last reviewed · 3 min read · 6 sources · Plain-text version

Small rhythmic jumps in the same spot are probably your baby's hiccups. Why loud noises make them kick, and the courgette that is a zucchini.

Size this week
about the size of a courgette
Length this week
around 34.6 cm from head to heel
A Latina woman lying on a sofa in the evening with one hand flat on her bump under a loose striped top, eyes closed and half smiling, warm lamplight.

Twenty-five weeks. A new size, a new vegetable, and a sensation you may already have felt without knowing what it was.

Your baby

One green zucchini on a plain pale wooden board, soft window light.

Around 34.6cm long from head to heel, approximately the size of a courgette (NHS). In the US the same vegetable is a zucchini; the NHS writes from Britain, so its pages say courgette, and this note says so once and moves on.

Your baby is very active now, and loud noises can make them jump and kick, which shouldn't hurt but may startle you (NHS). You may also feel hiccups (NHS).

Your body

Burping, fullness, heartburn, bloating and nausea after eating are common now because the baby takes up stomach space (NHS). Pregnancy can bring on heartburn or make it worse, and MedlinePlus says heartburn that happens 2 or more days a week should be treated, because reflux can damage the lining of the esophagus; ask your provider what's suitable rather than reaching for whatever is in the cupboard (MedlinePlus). Later this week there's a whole note on eating smaller.

Try today

  1. The hiccup watch

    Time: 5 minutes, whenever you notice them

    1. When you feel small jumps in the same spot, stop and pay attention to whether they repeat at a steady beat. Kicks wander; hiccups tend to stay put.

    2. Note the time and what you were doing.

    3. Note what happens when a door slams or the music goes up; loud noises can make your baby jump and kick (NHS).

    4. Keep the notes for a week. From 28 weeks you'll be asked to track movements properly (OWH); this is the easy version.

    Make it work:

    Hiccups are not something to fix or stop. If you never notice them, that's fine too; the NHS says you "may" feel them, not that you will (NHS).

Watch for

  • Normal

    hiccups, a jump at a loud noise, and a baby who is very active (NHS).

    Call your provider

    if the pattern you've come to expect slows; the NHS says to talk to your midwife if kicking slows (NHS), and the CDC counts the baby's movement slowing or stopping as an urgent warning sign (CDC).

  • Normal

    fullness, burping and heartburn after a meal (NHS).

    Call 911

    or go to the emergency room for severe chest pain or shortness of breath that does not go away; MedlinePlus lists it as a sign of a serious complication (MedlinePlus).

  • Normal

    nausea after eating (NHS).

    Call your provider

    for severe nausea and throwing up, and in particular if you can't keep fluids down for more than 8 hours or food for more than 24 (CDC).

For you

The courgette is "approximately" the size, in the NHS's own word (NHS). Babies come in a range, vegetables come in a range, and nobody is measuring either against the other. Enjoy the picture and don't audit it.

If you're the partner: when she says "now", put your hand where hers is and wait. Hiccups are one of the few things in there that happen on a schedule you can catch.

Sources

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

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