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Foetal activity generally increases during the third trimester. Expectant women often feel the baby’s kicks, rolls, nudges and hiccups as the labour approaches. Foetal hiccups are usually felt as very light rhythmic twitching or repetitive pulses in a specific part of the abdomen. The baby’s hiccups in the womb indicate that the baby’s nervous and respiratory systems are steadily maturing, and that the baby is practising crucial breathing movements necessary for life outside the uterus. This blog aims to analyse foetal hiccups while pointing out when to seek medical attention.
Foetal Hiccups: An Insight
While seasoned mothers might be aware of the patterns and intensities of various foetal movements, first-time mothers might ask, why does the baby get hiccups in the womb. The answer simply is that foetal hiccups are simply diaphragm spasms of a developing foetus. The diaphragm, a primary muscle for breathing, is a muscular partition that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. As the baby inhales and exhales amniotic fluid into the lungs, the immature diaphragm is stimulated, leading to spasms or hiccups.
Foetal Hiccups are normal reflexes and indicate healthy lung development. These are generally expected from the second half of the second trimester. Hiccups remain consistent and can almost be predicted around weeks 32-38. As the gestation age advances and the baby prepares for birth in the head-down (cephalic) position, a decrease in hiccups may be anticipated.
A satisfactory answer to the question, how do foetal hiccups feel like, can be that foetal hiccups are felt as consistent faint pulsations or twitches in a specific part of the abdomen. These involuntary contractions of the foetal diaphragm generally occur at an interval of two to four seconds and may last up to five minutes or longer. Foetal hiccups can be spotted as visible jerks in the stomach with each contraction as the delivery nears.
Foetal Hiccups: Causes
Modern medical practitioners agree that foetal hiccups are neither a random nor concerning phenomenon; they suggest that the foetus has achieved several significant developmental milestones:
Maturation of the Central Nervous System
A baby hiccups in the womb when the phrenic nerve is stimulated, resulting in involuntary spasms of the diaphragm. Constant, rhythmic movements are an indication that the required neurological pathways necessary to create such contractions are optimally developed. In other words, foetal hiccups in late pregnancy are a demonstration that the brain and spinal cord can connect with the muscles of the body to transmit messages.
Practice for Breathing
The foetus doesn’t breathe in air; the placenta supplies it with oxygenated blood. However, the baby’s lungs and diaphragm need to prepare for independent breathing after birth. The foetal hiccups in the third trimester provide the required practice to help condition the diaphragm. Foetal hiccups are also a good mechanism for removing the amniotic fluid that fills the baby’s lungs, assisting with expansion once delivered.
Testing a Reflex
The signals used to coordinate hiccupping are very similar to those involved in suckling. It is therefore suggested that the baby’s hiccups during pregnancy might play a pivotal role. Foetal hiccupping serves as the building block to develop the feeding reflex in newborns. It is a natural and predictable growth sequence.
Cord Compression
Oxygen supply to the foetus decreases sharply if the umbilical cord winds around the baby’s neck. This can trigger foetal hiccups.
Foetal Hiccups in the Third Trimester: Frequency and Pattern
Foetal hiccups are indicative of a healthy, thriving baby. As the pregnancy advances, the baby’s nervous system and the brain develop further, gaining control over the muscles’ reflexes. This means that the frequency of baby hiccups in the womb normally decreases. The phrenic nerve stimulation is better monitored by the brain.
The foetus hiccups several times a day in the early part of the third trimester; this gradually decreases to once daily in weeks 32-40. However, if the hiccups disappear completely, or if they increase drastically (more than 4 distinct episodes a day) after the 36th week, combined with decreased foetal movement, a prompt prenatal evaluation is important.
Managing Maternal Discomfort
When concerned expectant parents wonder if foetal hiccups are normal in the third trimester, as it can interfere with the maternal sleep schedule, it would be prudent to learn to adjust to these involuntary reflexes. However, the following can help ease the situation:
Body Position
A change in the maternal position can encourage the foetus to shift position as well. Turning on one’s side, taking a walk, or raising the hips with pillows to alter the pressure on the diaphragm may help allay the hiccups.
Diet
Consuming small meals at short intervals nullifies the problem of fluctuations in blood glucose levels that contribute to increased foetal activity, including hiccups.
Conclusion
To wrap it up, foetal hiccups alongside foetal movements are how a baby communicates with the mother. When questioned about foetal hiccups, what does it mean? This is simply a response to several factors that are usually favourable to the baby’s growth and indicate overall well-being.