How To Burp A Baby?

Sayani Basu

Author | 607 Articles

Burping a baby is an important part of feeding the little one. It helps to get rid of some of the air that babies tend to swallow during feeding sessions. Not being burped often and swallowing too much air can make the little one spit up and be cranky and uncomfortable. It is advisable to keep baby wipes handy while burping a baby to clean the spit-up.

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If you want to know how to burp a baby correctly, read on.

How To Burp A Newborn?

If you are a new mum, burping a baby can be a daunting task for you. Here are some easy tips on how to burp a baby correctly. There are usually three types of methods for burping newborns:

Sit And Burp

Sit straight and hold your little one against your chest. Make sure that your baby’s chin is resting on your shoulder. Support the little one with one hand and rub him/ her back with another hand. This will relieve your baby of his trapped air bubbles inside the stomach.

You can also try this method in another way. Bring your little one farther up on your shoulder so that your baby’s tummy is lightly pressed with your shoulders. Rub your baby’s back slowly. This will create gentle pressure on your little one’s stomach and will be the best way to burp a baby.

While trying out the alternate method, ensure that your baby can breathe comfortably.

Burp On Lap

Place your little one carefully on your lap while providing support to your baby’s chest and hand with one of your hands. Lightly grip your little one’s jaw in the palm of your other hand, to make sure that your hand is placed in such a way that it both cradles your baby as well as supports your baby’s chest.

Gently pat your baby’s back with your hand to help the little one relieve the gas.

Face Down Burping

In this method of burping a baby, all you need to do is sit upright and place your little one over your legs. Your baby has to be lying perpendicular to your body and across your knees. While supporting the little one’s jaw and chin with one hand, you have to gently rub your baby’s back with the other hand.

Make sure that your baby’s head is not lower than the rest of the body and should be raised around 45 degrees. Now that you know the ways to burp a baby and some of the newborn burping positions, we are sure that you will do this task right! And if you’re wondering how long you should burp your baby, here’s the answer. Medical records suggest that you don’t need to spend several minutes burping newborns. A couple of minutes are enough.

burping a newborn — *If breastfeeding, you must burp your baby when you switch from one breast to the other to make room for more milk. | Image Source: pexels*

How Often Should You Burp Your Baby?

How often should you burp your baby depends on how you’re feeding your baby:

Bottle-feeding: When bottle-feeding, you need to burp at least once, about halfway through the feeding.
Breastfeeding: When breastfeeding, you must burp your baby when you switch from one breast to the other. This will make room for more milk.

Some babies don’t swallow much air and don’t burp frequently. On the other hand, babies pass gas enough that they don’t need to burp. It is advisable to keep a tummy relief roll-on handy if you notice that your baby is constipated or has colic due to the discomfort of gas.