Burping A Newborn Baby - Why, When and How?

Its so heartbreaking to see your baby crying, being cranky and uncomfortable. One of the reasons for your baby to behave this way is air that is trapped inside his tummy. You can avoid this by burping your baby.


Burping a baby


When and how often to burp a newborn baby?

When you are feeding your baby, you should burp him half way in between the feeds. Observe if your baby is showing signs of crankiness, if yes then you should stop feeding and burp your baby first. After burping you can continue feeding. Its better to burp every 15 to 20 minutes in between the feeding session.

Why to burp a newborn baby?

Burping your newborn baby after every feed is very important to get rid of gas and colic related issues. Colic can make your baby fussy and irritable.

When you feed your baby whether its breast milk or formula milk, baby takes in some air along with milk. This air will make your baby uncomfortable and fussy if it doesn't go out. Burping helps in releasing gas from baby's tummy. Some breastfed babies may not take air while being fed. But its not the case with every breastfed baby. Each baby is different. Try what fits best with your baby.

How to burp a newborn baby?

To burp your newborn baby you can follow any of these following techniques. Keep a burping cloth handy as some babies can spit up a small amount of milk while burping.

Over the shoulder technique: 

Hold your baby against your chest so that the baby's chin is resting on your shoulder. Support the baby with one hand and gently rub or pat the baby's back with the other hand. You can do this while you are sitting or standing.

Baby seated on the lap technique: 

Make your baby sit on your lap with one hand supporting against baby's chest and chin. Now gently rub or pat baby's back with the other hand.

Baby laying on the lap: 

You can make your baby laying on your lap with her face down.
Support the baby's head with one hand and make sure that his/her head is slightly upper than the rest of his/her body. Pat or rub gently on the baby's back with the other hand.

Try all the methods and choose which one works best for you and your baby.

How to burp a sleeping baby?

Babies tend to sleep during feeding sessions as feeding experience soothes and gives comfort to the baby. You can burp your sleeping baby by holding the baby on your chest or shoulder and gently patting them on the back. If your baby doesn't burp even after doing this technique for 5 minutes, then you can lay your baby down in an inclined position. This helps to get the air bubbles out through the baby's mouth.

Is it ok to put baby to sleep without burping?

If your baby doesn't take in air while feeding (breastfed babies), then it is ok to put baby to sleep without burping. You will know if your baby doesn't need burping after trying for few times. But in normal cases you should burp your newborn baby.

When to stop burping a baby?

When your baby learns to burp by herself, you can stop burping the baby. It may happen between 4 to 9 months. As babies grow, they learn to suck the milk without taking the air in.

Some tips to reduce gas in babies:

  • If your baby is bottle feeding, check the nipple hole size. Make sure its not large. Check the milk flow from the bottle. It shouldn't be too fast.
  • If you are breastfeeding your baby, include healthy and easily digested foods in your diet. Avoid spicy and oily foods. The food that you eat will pass to your baby and make the baby gassy if you eat spicy and oily foods.
  • Keep your baby in a seated position while feeding.
  • Adjust the baby's mouth and bottle position in a way that the baby sucks only milk and not air.
Follow these tips and techniques to burp your baby. All the best and have a happy parenting. 

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