Best ways to burp newborn baby: Baby basics: How to burp your baby

How To Burp A Baby and Why It’s Important

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Wouldn’t it be nice if your baby came with their own personalized Care and Feeding pamphlet? Then if you had a question you could turn to page 2 for how to soothe your infant, page 7 for diaper rash tricks, and page 19 for exactly how to burp your baby. Getting that big, satisfying burp from your infant can sometimes bring up more questions than actual burps. So, we’ve talked to an expert to get the 411 on burping positions, why burping is important, and all the other questions that arise with those tiny air bubbles that ultimately require a zillion burp cloths. 

Table of Contents

• Why is it important to burp a baby?
• How to burp a baby; The 3 best ways to burp a baby
• How can I make my baby burp faster?
• Do you burp a baby immediately after feeding?
• Do they have to be burped after every feeding?
• What happens if my baby doesn’t burp?
• Are babies uncomfortable until they burp?
• How long do you burp a baby if they don’t burp?
• What if a baby doesn’t burp and falls asleep?
• Is it OK not to burp a baby at night?
• Do breastfed babies need to be burped?
• Do formula-fed babies need to be burped?
• What happens if you don’t burp a baby?
• At what month can you stop burping a baby?
• Is there a burping trick ?
• How much spit up is normal during burping?
• Do bottle fed babies burp more?

Why is it important to burp a baby?

Amna Husain, MD, FAAP, and Bobbie Medical Expert, says that burping your baby is important because it helps remove trapped air from the stomach. “In the first few months of life, babies don’t move around much on their own and need help removing this trapped air,” says Dr. Husain. A baby swallows air along with their milk, and the process of burping helps remove that air. That extra baby gas is pushed out of their belly, up through the esophagus, and out their mouth as a big baby burp. 

How to burp a baby; The 3 best ways to burp a baby

There are several positions for burping that you and your infant can try, and Dr. Husain explains that finding the ideal one will involve trial and error. There’s no exact science for why some babies prefer one method over another, so go with what seems comfortable for your infant. When it comes to patting your baby, Dr. Husain says that regardless of the position, gently pat your baby on the back (not on the bottom) to aid in burping. Patting your baby helps bring up that extra swallowed air so your baby doesn’t feel uncomfortable and gassy. Remember, there’s no set order in which to try these.  

1. Over the shoulder burping: Place your baby’s upper abdomen (or stomach region) against your shoulder. This provides some gentle counter pressure to assist you with burping. Then pat your baby on their mid to upper back to help move the air up and out. Dr. Husain likes this method because, “if your baby spits up frequently, the spit-up will go over your shoulder rather than on your clothes,” she says. If your baby is unable to hold their head above your shoulder, hold your baby so their head rests against your shoulder instead—just remember your favorite burp cloth! 

2. Sitting up burping: This method is Dr. Husain’s personal favorite. “It’s easy to do and not so tough on the body #momshoulderache!” Sit your baby on your lap and support your baby by holding their chin between your index and thumb under their ears. Lean your baby forward a little and begin a gentle patting. Let this posture work for your baby as the sitting up moves air to the top of the stomach and the leaning puts gentle pressure on the tummy to expel it.  

3. Laying across the lap burping: In this case, we might not be saving the best for last because Dr. Husain reveals this is her least favorite. “I think it leads to more vomiting and it’s tough to see the infant’s face.” For those wanting to try, place your baby face down on your lap. Support their head with your free hand and with your other hand pat their back. Dr. Husain adds that this method may be a little uncomfortable for your baby as she has found a baby’s body often feels resistant here.

Is there an optimal burping position? 

Every baby is different which is why Dr. Husain says there’s no one better position. “Finding a position that works best for you and your baby will involve trial and error and may differ from time to time,” she reassures. Try each position as often as you’d like, and don’t forget you can try multiple positions during any burp time. 

Why do you have to burp babies?

When babies are in their first weeks and months of life, they aren’t able to burp themselves. Burping gets rid of the extra air they swallow after feeding because leaving that air in their tiny tummies can make your infant feel bloated and uncomfortable. 

How can I make my baby burp faster?

Burping a newborn in the middle of the night can feel like it takes all night. That’s when you dream of a burping trick to make your baby burp faster. Even though there’s no magic burping trick to help your baby belch like the wind they’re making, Dr. Husain says it’s all about positioning: Air rises, so if you nurse a baby while they’re sitting up, and then burp them sitting up, you’ll find the burp will happen pretty quickly.

Do you burp a baby immediately after feeding?

If you find your baby takes in a lot of air while feeding then you may want to burp more frequently, Dr. Husain says. For breastfed babies, she typically recommends burping in between breasts. If you bottle-feed, she suggests burping after every several ounces of a bottle. “A good rule of thumb is burping every 10-15 minutes,” she advises.  

Do they have to be burped after every feeding?

If you’re waiting to hear that tiny burp, you should know that not all babies will. However, babies cry and can become particularly cranky if they feel the need to burp. Dr. Husain encourages you to walk around with your baby as this can help your baby relax. Another burping trick is to feed your infant a little more so their stomach feels full. 

What happens if my baby doesn’t burp?

If your hand has grown numb from all that back-patting but no burps, don’t worry. Not every baby is a burper and your baby will likely pass out the trapped gas from the other end. Dr. Husain explains that your baby might experience some discomfort, however, they might feel nothing at all! “You don’t need to force a burp, especially after 10-15 min of trying,” she says. 

Are babies uncomfortable until they burp?

Since not all babies burp, or belch it up during every burping session, your baby might be totally happy without burping. However, there are signs your little one could be uncomfortable, so Dr. Husain gives these four indicators your infant might still need to get rid of trapped tummy air: 

• Fussy and/or crying
• Not feeding comfortably
• Difficulty latching
• Pulling away from the bottle or breast

How long do you burp a baby if they don’t burp?

When talking about how long it takes a baby to burp, each baby is different. While some can burp as soon as they’re done feeding, others can take several minutes or longer. If your baby hasn’t burped after trying different methods, walking around, and offering a bit more to eat, Dr. Husain reminds you never need to force a burp—especially after 10 to 15 minutes of doing all the things. 

What if a baby doesn’t burp and falls asleep?

If your baby goes straight from being blissfully milk drunk to falling asleep without burping, Dr. Husain says, she wouldn’t stress. “Burping isn’t a must if the baby is relatively comfortable,” she offers.  

Is it OK not to burp a baby at night?

If your baby immediately falls asleep after their nighttime feeding, they’ll be fine without burping.

Dr. Husain’s Pro Tip: If you dream feed your baby (either bottle or breast), know that it isn’t always necessary to burp them. Your baby may be more relaxed and take in less air in general as they feed.

Do breastfed babies need to be burped?

While breastfed babies may need to be burped less often than bottle-fed babies, your breastfed baby should still be burped. Dr. Husain recommends burping when you switch breasts, and you may find it easier to burp more frequently in the newborn days when your baby nurses from only one breast. 

Do formula-fed babies need to be burped?

Formula-fed babies tend to take in more air while feeding, so give your baby a chance to burp it out. “I recommend trying to burp your baby after every several ounces of formula,” says Dr. Husain. Generally, she suggests burping formula-fed babies as frequently as breastfed babies especially if fed via the paced bottle feeding method.  

What happens if you don’t burp a baby?

Burping your baby in the first few weeks to months of their life helps relieve the extra air they swallowed during feeding. All babies are different so some will burp quickly while others may skip burp time. If you don’t burp your baby and they have trapped gas, they’ll probably just expel it from the other end. 

At what month can you stop burping a baby?

While there’s no hard stopping point for burping your baby, the general time frame is from 4 to 6 months. “Once your baby can move (sit up and rollover), they may not need to be burped,” says. Dr. Husain. She goes on to explain that your little one may burp themselves as mobilization of air occurs with movement. 

Is there a burping trick ?

Dr. Husain invites you to move your baby to the other shoulder or rock them forward and back if sitting up on your lap. She explains this can help mobilize air and bring out the burps. 

How much spit up is normal during burping?

If you’re running out of burp cloths, know that spitting up is totally normal. “If it’s under 15 ml, I’m usually not concerned as it often has to do with their esophagus taking some time to develop muscle which will happen within the first few months,” Dr. Husain says. 

Do bottle fed babies burp more?

You’d be right if you noticed your bottle-fed baby burping more frequently.  “Bottle-fed babies are more likely to take air in especially if you are using paced bottle feeding techniques,” Dr. Husain reveals. 

Conclusion on burping your baby

While there are several positions and burping tricks to try, you and your baby will figure out the best ones together. Burp time can become lovely bonding moments for you and your little one— a time when the sounds of your gentle rhythmic patting increase your trust and connection— and gives your one arm a fabulous workout. 

The content on this site is for informational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Discuss any health or feeding concerns with your infant’s pediatrician. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay it based on the content on this page.

How and When to Burp Your Baby

A key part of your baby’s feeding routine is burping him. Your baby may swallow lots of air while feeding, and burping can help remove some of that gassiness and ease his fussiness. It may also help prevent him from spitting up.

Find out how to burp your baby, and pick up some tips on making burping more effective.

How to Burp Your Baby: Positions to Try

Here are three burping techniques that have stood the test of time. After trying each of them out, you’ll probably settle on one that works best for you and your baby:

1. Hold your baby upright against your chest with his chin on your shoulder, all the while supporting him with one hand as you gently pat his back with your other hand.

2. Place your baby on your lap with him sitting up, all the while supporting his head and chest with one hand while you softly pat his back with your other hand.

3. Lay your baby on your lap with his belly faced down, all the while supporting his head so it’s higher than his chest, and pat his back.

Tips for Burping Your Baby

Try these tips the next time you need to burp your baby:

• Use repeated, gentle pats on her back.

• Cup your hand slightly as you pat her, as this is gentler than using a flattened palm.

• Drape a towel or bib over your lap or shoulder to protect your clothing as you burp your baby, in case your baby spits up (sometimes called “wet burps”).

Now that you know how to burp your baby, and these tips help you do so effectively, here’s a helpful visual guide:

How Long Should You Burp Your Baby?

There is no specific length of time needed for burping your baby. The more important factor is how often you burp him. With that in mind, burp your baby frequently throughout feeds, even when it looks like he doesn’t need to be burped.

Waiting until after a feeding to burp your baby may mean your little one has swallowed too much air and may be fussier, so it’s better to stop feeding every so often and try to burp your little one. You could also try paced bottle feeding, which slows the flow of breast milk or formula from the bottle, which could help prevent gas.

Here are some tips for burping your baby during a feeding:

• If you’re bottle feeding (which can include formula feeding or offering expressed breast milk), you’ll want to burp him after every two to three ounces of milk.

• If you’re breastfeeding, burp your baby each time he switches breasts. Some breastfed babies may not need to burp as often, as they may not swallow as much air.

• If your baby hasn’t burped after some time, go back to feeding. Not every baby burps every time you want him to burp.

If your baby shows any of the following signs, you may want to burp him more regularly — for example, after every ounce of milk during bottle feeding or every five minutes during breastfeeding:

• He is gassy

• He spits up frequently

• He has Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

• He seems very fussy.

After a feeding is over, keep your baby in an upright position for 10 to 15 minutes. This can help prevent him from spitting up. You may need to burp him longer if he does spit up or has been diagnosed with GERD.

Other Instances When Burping Your Baby Might Be Beneficial

If your sleeping baby wakes suddenly and you suspect it may be because of gas, burping her might help relieve the pressure and help her fall back asleep.

A colicky baby, who may cry for three or more hours per day, might have gas from all the air she’s swallowed during one of these crying spells. You may consider burping her to see if it helps comfort her.

We hope these tips can help you burp your baby during feeding time to ensure she’s more comfortable.

Don’t forget to stock up on plenty of diapers, which you will surely need after all these feedings and burpings. Get rewarded for your Pampers purchases by using the Pampers Club app to earn rewards like coupons, gifts, and gift cards.

How to properly hold a newborn after a feed so that the baby spit up

Why it is recommended to hold a newborn upright
Why modern pediatricians do not approve of this method
Why else can a child spit up food
When is it justified to spit up
How to hold a newborn up after feeding

If the baby starts spit up milk or adaptive infant formula, frightened mothers turn to the Internet for help. There you can find recommendations on how to hold a newborn after feeding, including a “column”.

Babies are said to swallow excess air while feeding. The upright position and a pat on the back of the baby should help him release this air, which in turn reduces the frequency of colic and the amount of spitting up. The recommendation took place in the USSR, but even now some pediatricians continue to insist that after feeding the baby should be kept upright.

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The famous American pediatrician Clay Jones and the popular doctor Komarovsky do not recommend carrying babies in a column after feeding. Doctors believe that this is a pointless exercise that does not eliminate the original cause of swallowing air. And it lies in the wrong attachment to the chest. It is because of him that excess air enters the esophagus to the baby.

In addition, there are a number of studies that have confirmed that the restlessness of babies after feeding and reflux is not at all associated with excess air in the stomach. There is no physiological reason why they cannot burp on their own. Therefore, they do not need help in this. And keeping a newborn in a column after feeding is completely optional.

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Another study of 71 pairs of twins showed that a pat on the back had no effect on whether the baby had colic or not. In addition, this action increased the frequency of regurgitation. It turns out that patting a baby on the back, who has just eaten, leads to vomiting.

However, spitting up up to two tablespoons of milk or dairy food per day is normal. If you are afraid that the child may burp during sleep and choke, then put him to sleep on his side. So that he does not accidentally roll over by himself, you can put a towel folded into a tube or a light diaper under his back. Or use a special sleep positioner.

The presence of air in the esophagus is not the only cause of regurgitation. There are at least three more.

• Too much dairy food;
• weakness of the lower esophageal sphincter;
• immaturity of the neuromuscular apparatus of the esophagus.

Carrying your baby upright after feeding may be helpful in one case — if the baby has gastroesophageal reflux. This is a syndrome where the contents of the stomach rise up and regurgitate too often. The doctor establishes the diagnosis. If it is confirmed, then parents are given recommendations that indicate special positions for feeding and wearing after it.

The first three months of life are often referred to as the period of term or even the fourth trimester of pregnancy. If the baby did not fall asleep after feeding, then it is important for him to be with his mother: to feel her warmth, smell, hear her voice and heartbeat.

It doesn’t matter what position to keep the newborn after feeding, as long as it is physiological. It can be a «cradle», «monkey on a branch», «soldier» with his head on his mother’s shoulder. If feeding occurs before a night’s sleep, then the baby can simply be put in the crib.

After three months of life, the situation may change. To establish a routine, the mother can start feeding the baby in the middle of waking hours so that he does not fall asleep immediately after eating. In this case, after feeding the child, it is better to lower it to the floor so that it can play a little and get tired before going to bed.

References

1. Abaturov A. E. et al. Excess gas syndrome in children // Health of the child, 2012. No. 6 (41).
2. Shcherbakov P. L. Flatulence in children // Difficult patient, 2006. V. 4. No. 9.
3. Zakharova I. N. et al. Pediatric tactics for infantile intestinal colic // RMJ, 2010. T. 18. No. 1.
4. Belousov Yu.V.
5. Kornienko E. A., Mitrofanova N. I., Larchenkova L. V. Lactase deficiency in young children // Questions of modern pediatrics, 2006. V. 5. No. 4.
6. Kholodova I. N., Ilyenko L. I., Rubtsova A. A. Tactics for the treatment of functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract in young children // Medical Council, 2015. No. 1.

Expert

Daria Tigetova

Nursing consultant and mother of two boys.

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Neonatal regurgitation after formula feeding

Neonatal regurgitation after formula feeding

Rassadina Zinaida Vladimirovna
Pediatrician, experience — 14 years

At least 80% of babies under the age of six months regurgitate some amount of food just eaten. This happens for various reasons, and most often it is a variant of the norm.

But since the biggest aspiration of parents during this period is weight gain in the baby, spitting up often causes real panic. The child appears to be malnourished.

Let’s figure it out: what is the norm, and in what cases you need to run to the doctor.

Causes of regurgitation

First, consider the causes of regurgitation, which happens in most babies and should not cause concern to parents:

• Immaturity of the digestive system . In an adult, a special muscular valve or sphincter is located between the stomach and esophagus. It’s called Cardia. This valve prevents food from being thrown back into the esophagus. In babies up to six months, it is not sufficiently developed. Therefore, any contraction of the walls of the stomach causes regurgitation or reverse reflux. This is the absolute norm for all children. Most often, by the age of 6 months, everything passes. In rare cases, it continues until the age of one.
• Overeating . Toddlers do not always eat as much as they need, often they eat as much as they like. And the body already regulates the required amount of food, belching the excess. This cause of regurgitation is typical for artificial children. The mixture comes through the nipple more easily than from the breast. The baby eats faster than the feeling of fullness sets in. So overeating happens.
• Swallowing air with food . In this case, the air goes back along with the milk, and the baby spits up.
• Gas and colic . They can also cause reflux. Air bubbles press against the walls of the intestines and stomach and help food return to the esophagus.
• Increased nervous excitability . When the baby is worried, the walls of the stomach begin to contract and return of the milk eaten occurs.

Alarming symptoms that are the reason for an immediate visit to the doctor are most often accompanied by violations in weight gain, since the milk eaten is not absorbed by the body:

• Frequent regurgitation with a fountain . It can be an indicator of lactase deficiency — in other words, indigestibility of milk. Read more about lactase deficiency in our article. Fountain regurgitation can also occur due to improper development of the baby’s digestive system.
• Regurgitation of yellowish or greenish milk . May be an indicator of an infectious disease. Or occur as a result of the reflux of bile into the stomach. The baby is likely to behave restlessly, because bile irritates the walls of the stomach.

But how to determine the cause of reverse reflux? In fact, this is not necessary! There is only one indicator that is important to monitor — this is weight gain. If your child is gaining weight normally and you are not experiencing warning signs, then there is no cause for concern. The regurgitation will stop on its own as the child grows.

Regurgitation after formula feeding

This is not to say that regurgitation after formula feeding is more common than with breast milk. However, it happens that the mixture did not fit the baby due to the characteristics of the composition.
In any case, remember that if abundant regurgitation occurs with a fountain after the mixture, then there is an indication to consult a doctor. And this must be done immediately.

The pediatrician will determine the cause. And if she is in the mixture, she will prescribe a different or special anti-reflux mixture.

How to reduce regurgitation

It will not be possible to completely get rid of the natural process of returning food, but this process can be facilitated for the baby and parents.

• Carry your baby upright in a «column» position after feeding. So the air that he swallowed during feeding will come out faster.
• Make sure that the baby completely captures the circumference of the nipple. Then the air will not penetrate when sucking.
• Use anti-colic nipples when formula feeding. They are designed in such a way as to prevent air from getting inside.