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You may be surprised to learn that hiccups, those annoying little spasms of your diaphragm, start in the womb. Scientists have observed unborn babies hiccupping by the sixth week, though you probably won't be able to feel them until the second half of your pregnancy.

Fetal hiccups can be surprisingly strong and can last for 30 minutes or longer in some cases. Normally, a bout of fetal hiccups lasts for a couple of minutes. Some babies get hiccups several times a day. Others don't hiccup at all, so don't worry if you don't feel the little twitches.

There's no consensus on why babies hiccup in the womb. A group of scientists in Paris believes that hiccupping may help to develop some of...

You may be surprised to learn that hiccups, those annoying little spasms of your diaphragm, start in the womb. Scientists have observed unborn babies hiccupping by the sixth week, though you probably won't be able to feel them until the second half of your pregnancy.

Fetal hiccups can be surprisingly strong and can last for 30 minutes or longer in some cases. Normally, a bout of fetal hiccups lasts for a couple of minutes. Some babies get hiccups several times a day. Others don't hiccup at all, so don't worry if you don't feel the little twitches.

There's no consensus on why babies hiccup in the womb. A group of scientists in Paris believes that hiccupping may help to develop some of the motor patterns a baby will need for nursing and swallowing after birth. Others suggest that fetal hiccups prepare the fetus for breathing and may help strengthen the diaphragm muscle. Research continues on this tiny phenomenon.

Before you hold your breath and count to 10, know that hiccups don't hurt your baby (or cause her discomfort) and they will go away soon. So relax and enjoy the movement.

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