Bringing a newborn home is a celebration, but it is also a period of adjustment for both sides—both for the mother adapting to a new routine and rhythm, and for the baby adjusting to life outside the womb.

Sometimes first-time moms, or even those with more experience, need a few tips to feel more secure and learn how to care for a baby in the best way possible without surprises.

In this chapter, let’s look at the best positions for the baby to sleep and talk about hiccups. If you also want to know how to trim your baby’s nails or how to dress your baby, check out the first post in the series How to care for a baby.

How to Care for a Baby – Hiccups

Hiccups… nothing more common in a baby. But do you know why they happen? Hiccups are related to the amount of air the baby swallows, and contractions of the diaphragm—which is still immature and can be easily irritated by breast milk1.

People used to say that putting a ribbon or a little red dot on the baby’s forehead would make the hiccups go away (who hasn’t heard that?), but it isn’t always effective—in reality, it’s just a superstition.

What to Do When Your Baby Has Hiccups

The ideal thing to do when a baby has hiccups is to sit them in a more upright position on your lap or in a baby chair, because this can help the trapped air escape and relieve the hiccups. Burping the baby greatly reduces the chances of hiccups and also helps prevent choking.

Another situation that can cause a baby to hiccup is cold, so it’s best to avoid the baby losing heat. But if this happens, just warm your baby well and breastfeed for a few more minutes.

Explanatory Video

Babies with Reflux

Babies with reflux have a greater tendency to get hiccups, and more often. Some babies hiccup more than three times a day, and even so, this is considered normal. Hiccups only become a problem and start to interfere when they affect the baby’s growth and the baby starts to eat and sleep less than they should2.

If you feel that your baby hiccups a lot, it’s best to take them to the pediatrician and report it. So, to summarize how to care for a baby with hiccups: Hold your baby at a 60-degree angle to help expel the air bothering the diaphragm and to help the milk flow into the stomach.

Sleeping Positions for Babies

Some moms wonder about the best way to lay their baby down in the crib or bassinet. Many things have been said, but following the pediatrician’s advice, I always put the baby to sleep on their side.

Recent studies have also shown that the best way to put a baby to sleep would be on their back, but there is a risk of choking on milk if the baby has reflux.

The best thing is really not to let your baby sleep face down. Even if your baby prefers this position, the risk of suffocation is very high because they end up breathing the same air they exhale, which is poor in oxygen.

I was always advised to place the baby on their side and support them well to prevent them from rolling onto their stomach. As long as your baby cannot turn over on their own in the crib, you should keep them on their side or back—of course, moms and dads should always stay alert after feeds.

Always keep in mind that whether your baby has hiccups, or before sleeping, the baby should be burped3. If you are not sure your baby burped, just hold them in your arms for a while longer—better safe than sorry. =)

See you next time!

Also see: How to bathe a newborn – 3 different ways.

Photo: Etolane