During the early weeks of life, a baby will often have hiccups after meals. This should not cause any concern or anxiety. Hiccups result from a normal reflex that begins during the last third of pregnancy and is designed to strengthen the diaphragm, the main muscle of breathing. This reflex continues during the first month or two of postnatal life. The hiccups will stop whether you “do anything” or not. It is not necessary to feed water or peppermint, to burp, or to hold. Hiccups cause distress in parents, not in babies.