Is It Normal For My Baby To Experience Hiccups In The Womb?

ByTarin Hussain
Updated: 12 Nov 2025, 11:00 am
Medical Reviewed by Dr. Manjusha Goel

You might have noticed gentle, rhythmic movements in your belly that feel different from kicks or rolls. Those could be your baby’s hiccups, and they often leave parents wondering if everything’s fine. Foetal hiccups are a natural part of development and can start showing up early in pregnancy. They’re one of the many ways your baby’s body gets ready for life outside the womb!

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The first time you feel those little, rhythmic jumps in your belly, you might stop and think, what on earth was that? It’s not quite a kick, and it’s not a roll either. Your baby might actually be hiccupping! Yes, that’s right. Babies can get hiccups even before they’re born. It might sound odd, but it’s completely normal and quite common too. Inside your womb, your baby is busy practising all the skills they’ll need once they’re out in the world. They’re learning how to breathe, swallow, and move. When they swallow amniotic fluid, their diaphragm contracts, causing those little hiccups you feel. It’s a small but amazing sign that your baby’s body is developing just the way it should.
In this article:

What Are Foetal Hiccups in Pregnancy?

Foetal hiccups are small, repetitive movements caused by your baby’s diaphragm (the muscle that helps with breathing). As your baby practises breathing in the womb, they inhale amniotic fluid, which can make their diaphragm contract. This creates that familiar hiccup-like sensation.

It’s kind of like when you get hiccups after eating too quickly, but for your baby, it’s just a sign that their little body is learning how to breathe.

Why Do Babies Get Hiccups in the Womb?

You might be wondering why your baby gets those tiny hiccups in the first place. There are a few key factors tied to your baby’s growth:

Diaphragm Development

Your baby’s diaphragm is still developing. When it contracts, it causes hiccups. These little movements help their lungs get ready for the outside world.

Nervous System Growth

Hiccups also show that your baby’s nervous system is developing well. The nerve that controls the diaphragm is becoming more active, which means your baby’s brain and spinal cord are starting to work together just like they should.

Reflex Practice

Inside your belly, your baby is busy practising different reflexes like sucking, yawning, and even thumb-sucking. Hiccups are part of that same learning process. All these little movements help your baby prepare for feeding and breathing once they’re born.

Possible Umbilical Cord Issues

In rare cases, frequent or prolonged hiccups after 32 weeks could be linked to umbilical cord compression. This can reduce oxygen supply to your baby, so it’s something to watch out for if hiccups seem unusual or excessive.

When Do Foetal Hiccups Start in Pregnancy?

You’ll probably start feeling your baby’s hiccups sometime in the second or third trimester, usually around the sixth month of pregnancy.
Here’s how it usually goes:
  • First-time parents: You may feel hiccups or movements between weeks 18 and 20, when you first notice “quickening” (your baby’s movements).
  • Experienced parents: If you’ve been pregnant before, you may recognise those movements much sooner. Some parents feel hiccups as early as 13 to 16 weeks.
  • Other factors: Your weight or the position of the placenta can affect when you feel these movements. If you carry less weight around your belly, you might notice hiccups earlier.

What Do Foetal Hiccups in Pregnancy Feel Like?

Foetal hiccups can feel a little different from your baby’s usual kicks or rolls, and it might take you some time to recognise them. But once you know what to look for, they’re quite easy to tell apart.
  • Rhythmic sensations: Hiccups feel like gentle, steady pulses or tiny jerks that happen in a regular rhythm. Some parents say it feels like a heartbeat or soft tapping. You’ll often notice the feeling coming from one particular spot.
  • Duration: Each hiccup episode usually lasts 3 to 15 minutes and may happen multiple times a day.
  • Intensity: In the second trimester, hiccups might feel similar to other movements. But by the third trimester, hiccups are usually gentler compared to stronger kicks, which might even show your baby’s hands or feet pressing against your belly.
If you’re sitting still and feel a pulsing sensation in one area, it’s likely hiccups.

Are Foetal Hiccups Normal?

Yes, foetal hiccups are usually completely normal and actually a good sign that your baby is growing well. They’re just one of the many things your baby does in the womb, like kicking, rolling, or even sucking their thumb. Hiccups show that your baby’s lungs, nervous system, and reflexes are developing as they should.

Some babies get hiccups several times a day, while others barely do. Both are perfectly fine. It just depends on your baby’s routine and how active they are.

Foetal hiccups are one of those sweet little parts of pregnancy that remind you your baby’s growing and getting ready for the world. Each hiccup means their diaphragm, lungs, and nervous system are working and getting stronger as they practise breathing inside the womb!

Whether you’re pregnant, a new mom, or navigating postpartum, you don’t have to do it alone. Join our support group to connect, share, and support one another.

FAQs on Is It Normal For My Baby To Experience Hiccups In The Womb?

  1. Where will I feel movement if the baby is breech?
    If your baby is breech, you’ll usually feel kicks lower in your belly or near your bladder.
  2. How to tell the difference between fetal hiccups and kicks?
    Hiccups feel like regular, rhythmic, jerky pulses in one spot, while kicks are stronger, more random, and happen in different areas of your belly.
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