How To Burp a Baby: 3 Different Positions For Newborns
Picture the scene: your baby has just enjoyed a relaxing feeding session with mom or dad and seems happily content when, all of a sudden, they start crying. They were just full and bubbly a second ago; why are they crying out of nowhere? Well, they probably have a classic case of gas!
Unlike you or I, your baby can’t burp on their own. Much like every other aspect of their life, they rely on you to give them a helping hand! After your baby eats, it is important to ensure that they are releasing gas, as it can easily become trapped in their small tummies.
One of the biggest problems new parents face when learning to burp their newborn babies is the fear of hurting them. No one wants to smack their sweet angel on the back! Feel rest assured that your baby is fine with some back pats to release gas. Continue reading to learn about alternative positions to burp your newborn baby.
Burping Positions
Burping your baby can be difficult sometimes. If your baby is anything like both of mine were, I would spend forever trying to burp them, and they just wouldn’t burp! This caused me to seek out different positions to try to encourage them to let go of that trapped gas. Here are some helpful positions to convince your little one to let out those gas bubbles:
Sit down and hold your baby close to your chest while their chin lays on your shoulder. Gently pat your baby’s back with your free hand.
Burp your baby while they sit up. This can be in your lap or on your knee. You will slightly lean them forward and support them by holding your baby’s chin with the palm of your hand and supporting their chest with the heel of your hand. With your other hand, gently pat their back.
Place your baby on their stomach. Be sure their head is above their chest, and gently pat their back.
Helpful Tips for Burping Your Baby
Learning how to burp your baby and what works best for both of you can be a learning curve. Until you get to know what works for your baby and what doesn’t, you will spend time trying to figure things out. Here are a few helpful tips that will save you stress as you burp your baby:
Place a burp cloth or a rag over your shoulder or in front of your baby as you burp them. Babies can have a little spit-up when they are burped as their diet consists completely of liquid. My first child had GERD, so each burp came with plenty of spit-up!
Repetition is key. Use repeated gentle pats on their back to encourage the gas to come up.
Rub their back in between burps. You can pat their back for a few minutes, rub their back in circular motions, and then continue to pat to help work out the gas.
Using these techniques will help you and your baby be more comfortable during burp sessions. For those babies with stubborn gas, many parents have noticed gripe water has helped relieve it.
How Long Should I Burp My Baby?
When it comes to burping your baby, there’s no hard and fast rule as to how long they should be burped. What truly matters is how often you are helping your baby burp! Regardless if they burp or not, you should be offering them chances to burp not only throughout the feeding but after as well.
If you wait too long to burp your baby, they will have swallowed more air than they should’ve, resulting in discomfort. This could mean a crying baby! Stop multiple times throughout their feeding to be sure they are letting out enough gas. As your baby gets older, you do not need to stop as often to burp them as they will soon have the capability to burp on their own.
By the time they are four to six months old, your baby should be getting the hang of burping themselves. It is usually around this time they learn to burp as they are able to move more independently! Like always, this will depend on your baby. If you see your baby is burping all on their own by this time, feel free to allow them to work out gas on their own.
What If My Baby Isn’t Burping?
Everyone tells you that your baby has to burp throughout their feeding as well as after. But what if your baby doesn’t?
This is something that I faced with both of my children. I would breastfeed or bottle feed for a few minutes, stop to try to burp them and then continue the feeding. Sometimes, they would burp, sometimes they wouldn’t. Not every baby will burp for every feeding, and that’s okay! Just be assured that they are awake and alert for their feeding.
Breastfed babies will burp significantly less than bottle-fed babies. This is because they are taking in less air, as bottles can have air pockets. Although your baby may not have a track record of being the best burper, be sure to still burp them throughout the feeding as well as after.
Monitor Your Baby’s Feedings with Baby Connect
Eating is something that your newborn is going to do continually throughout the day. Most newborns eat approximately eight to twelve times in a 24-hour period. This means that they should also be doing a lot of burping!
Keeping track of your baby’s feeding is important as you don’t want to overfeed them. This can cause stomach upset, discomfort, and, of course, excessive gas. With Baby Connect, you can add each feeding, so you’ll never forget how long it has been in between meals!
