Answered by Linda Jonides R.N., C.P.N.P.
"I have worked as a pediatric nurse practitioner (P.N.P.) for over 30 years," says Linda Jonides. "I continue to thoroughly enjoy forming new relationships with parents and newborns and working with them through infancy, childhood, and adolescence."
Linda Jonides is a pediatric nurse practitioner in a private pediatric practice in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She received her Diploma in Nursing and Certificate as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner from The Johns Hopkins Hospital. She is a past recipient of the Michigan PNP of the Year Award. She has a B.S. in Nursing from Eastern Michigan University. She has published articles and lectured on childhood obesity, infant colic, role of the P.N.P., growth and development issues, and infectious diseases. She was an author of "Clinical Insights Column," published biannually in the Journal of Pediatric Health Care for nine years. Jonides is past president of NAPNAP. Currently, she is a steering group work member of NAPNAP's HEAT (healthy eating and activity together) project. One outcome of this group's work is the clinical practice guideline, "Identifying and Preventing Overweight in Childhood," that was published as a supplement to the March/April '06 issue of the Journal of Pediatric Health Care.
Ms. Jonides has been married to John, a university professor, since 1971.
Question
How can I prevent my 2-week-old from getting hiccups after every meal?
Answer
Hiccups are very common, especially in the first few months of life, and they usually bother parents more than babies. To my knowledge, there is no one way to prevent hiccups. You are doing the right thing by trying to burp her. You might try burping her even more often than you do to see if that helps. Also, try changing positions slightly when you feed her, and try feeding her more slowly.
Spitting up is also very common, and the amount of fluid that comes out usually looks larger than it is. She'll be weighed at her next checkup, and that's the best way to tell if she's spitting up too much. If she's gaining weight well, then she's keeping enough milk down. Spitting up is a nuisance, but most often it's not a physical problem, especially if she seems content afterward. If she is fussy with every feeding or when she spits up, or if you are worried about her weight gain, then be sure to check with your health care provider.
