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Hiccups in your unborn baby are just a fetal reflex that is remarkably similar to our own. Only the more mature fetuses will hiccup, as hiccups rely on the development of the central nervous system. Some experts think that hiccups in utero is a response to fetal drinking or fetal breathing, which causes the flow of amniotic fluid in and out of the lungs, stimulating the diaphragm to contract.
Hiccups in unborn babies do not seem to cause the same discomfort as it does in adults. Some research even suggests that hiccups are actually soothing to your baby, and help to relieve a variety of pressures on his growing lungs and organs. Your unborn baby may even start hiccupping as early as the last part of your first trimester, although you probably won’t be able to notice them until much later. If your baby has a hiccup while you are at a prenatal exam, you might be able to hear the hiccups with a Doppler heart tone machine. It is also fairly common for newborns to get cases of the hiccups, so dont be surprised when your little one who has been hiccupping in the womb continues to do it after he gets out!