When gas bubbles get stuck in your baby's stomach, they can cause a feeling of fullness and discomfort. Burping helps release these gas bubbles up the esophagus and out of the mouth.
"Gas is air that gets trapped in the gastrointestinal system and needs to be released," explains Shalini Forbis, M.D., a pediatrician and for Dayton Children's Hospital in Ohio.
Looking for the best way to burp a newborn? Read on to learn why, when, and how to burp a baby properly.
Babies usually need to burp when they take in air while eating, which makes them feel full too fast.
"This happens more often with bottle-fed babies, who tend to eat faster," says Erika Landau, M.D., a pediatrician in New York City and co-author of .
But she adds that babies can swallow some air while nursing as well. That's especially true if the parent has an oversupply of milk, a fast letdown, or if the baby is very hungry and wants to eat fast.
Gas may also be caused by the breakdown of certain foods in the large intestine. For formula-fed babies, it could be an ingredient in their formula. In the case of breastfed babies, culprits can include the food their lactating parent consumes and . Some of the most
include:
Beans and high-fiber foodsCruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts)Sugar-free candies and gumSodaFruit and fruit drinksDairyChocolate
Finally, if a baby has an intolerance to certain foods, like an ingredient in their formula or something passed through breast milk, their body may react by creating more gas. is the most common culprit here, says Dr. Forbis.
The (AAP) recommends burping your baby regularly, during and after feedings, even if they don't show discomfort or release any gas when you burp them.
"We do not know how much air gets in their little stomachs, so it's a good idea to burp babies even if they do not get to the fussy stage," recommends Dr. Landau.
Wondering how often to burp a newborn during feeding? Try fitting it in naturally. If you're nursing, for example, burp before switching breasts. can burp between every 2 to 3 ounces for newborns up to about 6 months old. Burp your newborn after they're done feeding too.
While a few babies need to be burped more frequently, many parents make the mistake of disrupting feedings with unnecessary attempts at burping. This prolongs the feeding time, frustrating a hungry baby and potentially increasing how much air they swallow.
There are three common burping positions: over your shoulder, sitting on your lap, or face-down on your lap. Choose the one that's most comfortable and effective for getting burps out of your baby. Whichever position you choose, have a burp cloth by your baby's mouth to catch any spit-up.
For the over-the-shoulder burping method, follow these steps:
Stand or sit comfortably, slightly reclining.
Hold your baby under their bottom for support.
Make sure they're facing behind you, looking over your shoulder, with their chin resting on a soft cloth to
from a burp.
Tap or rub the fingertips of your free hand across your baby's shoulder blades. They may move back and forth a bit; this won't hurt as long as your shoulder supports their head.
When burping, "pat your baby on the back, gently, for a minute or so," explains Dr. Forbis. " and hasn't burped yet, you may want to try burping, then stop and let them lie on your lap for a minute, and then try burping again." Changing your baby's position can help move those gas bubbles to a better place to be released.
For lap-sitting burping, follow these steps:
Place your baby sideways on your lap, with their chest leaning slightly forward.Position your hand under their chin (not their throat) to support their chest and head.Pat their back across the shoulder blades to burp them.
Be patient: Coaxing out a burp can take four or five minutes.
For this lying down method, follow these steps:
Lay your baby across your knees on their belly.Make sure their head is slightly higher than the rest of their body.Firmly rub and pat their back.
Note that to prevent gas bubbles, newborns may need to stop feeding several times to burp.
Start by burping every time you switch breasts if nursing or every 2 or 3 ounces if you're using a bottle. Also, the instructions for how to burp a sleeping baby are the same as burping an awake baby—simply use gentler motions.
There's no definitive age to stop burping your baby. But as your little bundle gets older and their digestive system becomes more mature, burping will become less of a necessity, says Dr. Landau.
You'll likely see this change around 4 to 6 months . That said, if you still notice your baby is gassy, continue with burping and other gas-relief techniques until you feel they aren't needed.
If burping doesn't relieve your baby's discomfort, try other positions and techniques to get the gas moving.
"Parents can help by or pushing the legs back and forth when the baby lies on their back—bicycling," suggests Dr. Landau. Letting a baby be can help as well.
You can also try examining the cause of the excess gas. For example, if you're breastfeeding, something in your diet could be the cause your baby's discomfort. "Everyone is different, but one of the most common culprits for gassiness is dairy—milk, cheese, ice cream," says
, a New York lactation consultant.
Other solutions include letting the bottle settle a bit before feeding your baby (shaking adds lots of air to the milk) and . If nursing with an , you can try manually expressing some milk before feeding to avoid overwhelming your baby with the fast flow.
If bottle-feeding, you can switch to a bottle style designed to decrease the amount of air in the bottle. If nothing seems to bring gas relief, there are over-the-counter medicines that parents can try (with a health care provider's approval, of course).
When to Call a Health Care Provider
Usually, gassiness shouldn't come with additional symptoms. Dr. Forbis says other symptoms like the following may indicate that something else is going on:
Temperature over 100.4 F
Diarrhea
Excessive fussiness
Inability to settle
In addition, remember that burps and spit-up are completely normal, but projectile vomiting is not. If your baby violently vomits up large amounts after feedings, contact a health care provider to look for other causes.
