It is a sigh of relief for parents when your baby has eaten well and is full. That being said, it is essential that along with your baby being full, he/she should be able to digest the feed in order to be saved from any sort of indigestion.
The right way to make sure that the food has digested is to burp your baby. While you are helping your infant tiny tot it is a must to keep in mind that you know the right ways of doing it. Probably burping a baby is rocket science for you at the moment and you need time to learn it, that’s absolutely fine until you learn burping a baby the right way.
This article intends to help all the parents understand the importance of burping a baby, the right ways of burping a baby, the effects of burping a baby, how long to burp a baby and what measures to take when your baby is not burping. Just follow the tips in this article and you will learn it perfectly.
What Is Burping A New Born Baby?
Burping is a natural process of getting assured that the feed taken is digested properly. A baby usually takes in the air while the feed is ongoing, once you get a sign that the air has come out correctly it means that your baby has burped.
When it comes to a newborn baby, it is a method of giving firm support to the baby by holding him/her in the right position, giving the baby a slight touch on the back in order to enable smooth digestion.
[Read: Growth Spurts For Baby]
Importance Of Burping A Baby
You must know why it is important to burp a baby so that you would never neglect the process and take it seriously. Here is why it is important to burp a baby
Reason No 1- Specifically to avoid the following problems
- Gastric issues
- Crankiness
- Removing too much milk in the form of spit
Reason No 2 – To avoid unnecessary air getting accumulated within.
Reason No 3 – To save your baby from getting constipated.
Reason No 4 – To save your baby from being a victim of gastroesophageal disease reflux and this happens if there is a problem in the gastrointestinal tract.
Reason No 5 – To make your baby feel comfortable from within.
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Therefore, if you should be well aware of the effects of not burping your baby and religiously do it as a routine. Initially, you might forget to do it. Over time it will become a habit.
When To Burp A Baby?
You should burp your baby every time you are done feeding your baby, even if your baby has fallen asleep and you did not burp your baby, you can slowly pick your baby up, burp him/her and then put your baby to sleep.
Now the extent of burping will differ from baby to baby, as long as your baby has made a slight sound, your baby is comfortable.
There is a difference in burping a baby who takes your feed and the one who drinks milk from the bottle. The amount of air both take in varies, the babies who drink milk in the bottle take in more air when compared to the babies who take your feed.
How To Burp A Baby – Learn The Different Positions!
There are different positions and tricks of burping a baby, it is not tough, you must be aware of when to burp a baby, the method of burping a baby and how long to burp a baby. The main idea is to give a slight pressure on your little one’ s stomach so that burping becomes easy. Follow the mentioned below positions and steps to burp a baby
Position 1 – Switch Over Sides o Burp A Sleeping Baby
This position of burping a baby is applicable when you are breastfeeding. Give milk to your baby from both the breasts and also while moving either side, your baby is getting a slight pause to be able to release the little air so that the digestion is smooth. These positions of burping a baby are applicable when your baby is taking feed and falls asleep.
Position 2 – Place Your Baby Over The Shoulder
By placing your baby over the shoulder it makes it easy for the baby to release the air because their stomach is slightly touching your shoulder and there is a movement when you move your hands back and forth on their back, it eases the flow of digestion.
Follow These Steps :
- Carry your baby in such a way that he/she is laying straight on your shoulder.
- Place your left hand between the neck and the head to give your baby firm support.
- Use your right hand to move your hands on the back. You can either move your hand back and forth or move your hand in circular motions.
(Note: Be as gentle as you can)
Position 3 – Burping A Baby On The Lap
Sitting and burping a baby on the lap is as well a comfortable position to burp a baby, you have to give enough support to the chest and back of your baby. But make sure that you do not make your babysit for too long if you are adapting to this technique then make it quick.
Follow These Steps :
- Make your baby sit on your lap
- Place your right hand on the chest and left hand on the back
- Gently move your hand back and forth or in circular motions on your baby’s back
Position No 4 – Burping A Baby On The Chest
When you burp your baby laying him or her on the chest, the baby does not get a strain on the back nor does the baby have to be strain too much by staying upright, the baby is in a relaxed position and getting to burp. That being said, even the mother does not have to sit totally upright to burp the baby. This is an eased out trick of burping a baby.
Follow These Steps :
- Make sure that your baby’s head is on your chest and your baby’s stomach is touching your stomach
- Place your right hand on the back and move it back and forth or in circular motions
Position 5 – Burping A Baby On The Arm
This position of burping a baby is termed as the colic hold, wherein you hold your baby on your arm by gently turning him/her around. You can sit or stand and do this. What happens here is that your baby is happily laying on your arms and the feed is getting digested.
Follow These Steps :
- While your baby is in your arm, turn him/her around
- Place your left hand on the back and gently move your hands back and forth
(Note: Be careful when you are turning your baby on your arm)
Position 6 – Burping A Baby On The Thighs
This position is ideal for a mother who is tried to get up and a baby is happy to be lying flat on the mother’s knees. This trick of burping a baby is comfortable provided you do it carefully.
Follow These Steps:
- Keep a towel or cloth on your thighs (optional)
- Before you turn your baby around, place your palm on your knees so that you can give support to your baby’s neck
- Turn your baby around with his/her stomach on your thighs and his cheek touching your palms
Final Word
Irrespective of the position you choose to burp your baby make sure that you do it with utmost care and attention. Babies are delicate and they deserve to be handled gently.
How Long To Burp A Baby
The duration of burping a baby also depends on how your baby’s body works, if your baby has reflux then it is obvious that you will have to pay attention to keep your baby up for a while and then attempt to burp your baby.
Ideally, burping should not take more than two minutes and as everybody differs there are chances that your baby might burp in between the feed.
It is slightly different when you have to burp a sleeping baby, while you are feeding if your baby is about to fall asleep or has almost fallen asleep, you should immediately burp your baby by gently moving your hands on his/her back.
You will observe that your baby will throw up and spit out after burping, this is a part of the digestion process. You cannot really say as to what is the right time to stop burping a baby, as you know it varies from body to body.
Generally, this is said by many doctors that the right time to stop is when the baby starts to take other solid food apart from the mother’s feed. Say around 5 months you should stop burping a baby. If you feel your time period of burping your baby is adding on and your baby’s body temperature is increasing beyond 100 degrees F, then you should take your baby for a check-up. All in all, observe the pattern of how your baby is burping so that you know if it is normal or your baby needs to be taken care of.
What To Do If Baby Is Not Burping?
You do not have to get stressed out if your baby does not burp, for all you know it is just taking some time and maybe your baby needs an extra activity . Having said, here are the things you can do if your baby does not burp.
- Give your baby a good massage on the back and give your baby a good leg movement by stretching your baby’s leg back and forth and in circular motions.
- You could gently try massaging your baby on the stomach so that all the accumulated gas comes out of the stomach.
- Try folding your babies legs in such a position that your babies knees touch the stomach and with that pressure, your baby may find it easy to burp.
- Making your baby sit upright is one of the ways to get the gas out of the stomach.
- If you are taking any drops or liquid medicine to get your baby rid of the gas problems then you should do it only with the consultation and permission of your pediatrician.
- Adjusting the position in which you feed your baby is a significant factor that will help your baby burp faster. The best thing you can do is to sit upright and feed your baby.
- If your baby is taking a feed from the bottle, the best way to keep your baby away from swallowing too much air is by giving milk to your baby in a bottle that has a smaller outlet for milk to pass through.
Now you are going to become an expert in burping a baby. You are no more going to feel the fluster of the right method to burp your baby. See to it that you do not forget to burp a baby and you choose an appropriate position to burp your baby.
It is palpable that your baby is going to throw up and spit, that should not worry you but if your baby is doing it too much and you notice anything out of the blue then you should take the necessary precaution.
