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Burp a Baby After Breastfeeding – Everything Your Need to Know

7 min read

Written by Aparna Hari

Aparna Hari

Her experience in impactful writing combined with her background in Home Sciences makes Aparna the perfect candidate for content writing in the pregnancy and parenting niche.

Burp A Baby After Breastfeeding

It is vital to burp a baby after breastfeeding to ensure good digestion. Although some babies do burp themselves after feeding there are some who need to be burped after a certain point of time. Small babies and newborns need to burp more often than a toddler or an adult. Because they do not eat but drink their calories which means that they also consume a lot of air through this means. It is essential to make your baby burp after each meal, whether it’s day or night and many babies do fall asleep while feeding. In such circumstances, you need to find some other way to make them burp. This is because, when they do wake up, they become trapped with painful gas which might make them uncomfortable.

Babies who are being fed with bottles are the ones who need to be burped, but even breastfeeding babies need to be burped. Babies with bottle feeding are the ones who intake excessive air and this leads to a lot of gas and air in their tummies. Not just this, many babies even swallow a lot of air while breastfeeding which needs to get passed. Not burping can result in spitting up milk in babies and other stomach and digestion-related issues.

In This Article

What is Burping?

Burping is an act of expelling gaseous air from the stomach through the mouth. It mainly happens when the stomach expands due to too much of swallowed air. Burping is also known as belching or eructation. It is very important to expel the air out through burping as it may cause your baby discomfort and uneasiness.

There most common cause of burping in babies is eating or drinking very quickly and intake of too much air. Young babies do gulp excessive air without even realizing it. It is necessary to make babies burp at short intervals, especially after drinking milk. Newborns, especially, must be burped after every feed.

Why Does Your Baby Burp After Breastfeeding?

Your baby burps when they have gathered enough gas in their stomach by swallowing the air while breastfeeding or when they are consuming. When air bubbles do gather in the stomach, they cause discomfort and uneasiness in the stomach which gets released through burping. Burping isn’t bad. Burping your baby is good as it expels gasses from their stomach and gives them utmost relief from the gassiness.

Here are some signs that indicate your baby needs a burping.

Why is Burping Important For a Baby?

Why is Burping Important For a Baby

Babies often swallow air while feeding on a breast and this is when their tummy gets hurt and this can even make them cranky. This trapped gas needs to be released otherwise it can lead to other complications and the best way to get rid of this gas is through burping. When you make your baby burp after each meal, trapped air gets expelled and your baby will feel comfortable.

There are several other reasons why burping is important

1. Good Digestion

Certain foods cause a bacterial breakdown in the large intestine of your baby which can create gas in your baby’s stomach. These foods are the ones that your baby consumes and even which are consumed by mothers and passed on to the babies through breastfeeding.

2. Creating More Space For Feed

Babies tend to ingest a lot of air when breastfeeding. Though with bottle feeding the air intake might be lesser, they tend to ingest air either from an empty bottle or improper positioning of the bottle teat. When air gets filled in the stomach, they may not able able to take more feed.

Freeing up the stomach space by burping can allow your baby to have more feed so that they don’t keep feeling hungry at quick intervals.

When to Burp Your Baby?

While it is important to know why to burp your baby, understanding the right time to burp is equally vital. May a times, your baby will indicate that they are uncomfortable and need burping.

Here are a few pointers to keep in mind.

  • In between feeds, if you feel that your baby is restless and is not accepting their regular amount of feed, you can try burping them and resume the feed.
  • When breastfeeding, you can burp your baby every time you switch breasts.
  • In case you bottle feed, you can burp your baby after every 60 ml of milk consumption.
  • Don’t forget to burp your baby before every feeding session before you put them to bed.
  • If your baby spits up milk or has GERD, regular burping is very important.
  • Gassy, fussy, cranky babies also need regular burping.

[Read : GERD and Reflux in Babies]

How Often Should You Burp Your Baby?

You should burp your baby after each breastfeeding session or after every consumption of 2-3 ounces of milk. Burping your baby is important as this would ensure that the milk doesn’t come back to your baby upright. This would be an unpleasant feeling for both you and your baby.

Common Burping Positions to Burp the Baby Fast

How to burp a baby

To make your baby burp, support your baby’s head and neck and make sure that their tummy and back are positioned nice and straight. Keep rubbing their back until they burp. Do not spend more than 2-3 minutes making your baby burp.

If your baby is not burping with normal techniques, worry not. There are some more tactics that you can use to make your baby burp.

Below mentioned are some of the tactics which can be used to make your baby burp after breastfeeding.

1. Make Your Baby Lay Across Your Lap

This is a position in which your baby can burp. All you need to do is to lay your baby down across your lap and then gently rub their back. Keep patting their back until your baby burps.

2. Over the Shoulder

Another good way to make your baby burp is by placing your baby over your shoulder by making your baby’s head resist your shoulder. Keep patting your baby’s back until it burps.

What if Your Baby Spits up While Burping?

Spitting up in babies is common. Most infants spit while burping.  Burping releases the air bubbles which may also push up remnant milk. The number of times your baby needs to burp depends upon the amount of milk they intake, their age, and the maturity of their digestive system. Making your baby burp frequently in the initial months is necessary since they have an immature digestive system and burping helps them digest milk better and feel better as well.

[Read : Spitting Up in Babies]

What to Do if Your Baby is Not Burping?

What to do if Your Baby is Not Burping

Now as you are aware of how important it is to make your baby burp, it is essential to make sure that your baby burps after every meal. If they do not burp, it becomes a matter of concern and in such situations, you must make use of the above-shared burping positions. Your baby may burp in those positions.

But even if your baby doesn’t burp with the help of those tactics, you should consult your doctor. If your baby doesn’t burp, then they may be spitting more frequently than usual which is not good.

When to Stop Burping a Baby?

Every baby is different and their needs are different too. While some babies need burping assistance from their mothers for up to 6 months, some may even need them for a year long. When your baby eats, they swallow up extra air which needs to be passed with the help of burping.

In general, you may stop burping your baby when they are 4 to 6 months old. But if your baby needs some more help in burping, do not hesitate in helping your baby out.

Best Tips to Burp Your Baby After Breastfeeding

There are several tips which you must keep in mind while making your baby burp:

  • Do not spend ages making your baby burp. Only take 2-3 minutes to make your baby burp.
  • There’s no specific time for a baby’s burp. They can burp whenever they are feeling full.
  • If your baby is not burping, do not force them. It might upset them and make them cranky as well.
  • Parents who want to make their babies burp with different burping positions must experiment with these positions one by one.
  • Hold your baby carefully while making them burp.

[Read : How to Hold a Newborn Baby]

When Should You Consider Seeing a Doctor?

If your baby doesn’t burp after 5 minutes of trying, lie them down and position them in a way that makes them burp. But in this process, do not unnecessarily stress your baby. If your baby doesn’t burp despite using various methods of burping, it’s time to consult a doctor.

FAQ’s

1. Should I Burp My Baby After Breastfeeding?

Yes, you should make your baby burp after the feeding time is over. This is necessary to prevent the milk from coming out.

2. Is it Okay to Put the Baby to Sleep Without Burping?

When your baby is sleeping, they are in the most peaceful state, and hence if you think that it would be discomforting for your babies to make them wake up from sleep to burp, then it is okay to let them sleep without burping.

3. Is One Burp Enough For a Newborn?

Yes, any burp is enough for newborns. One big one, or some small ones, and even if you haven’t heard anything for like 10 minutes, then assume that the burp has just evaporated over time.

Read Also: Gas in Babies: Signs, Symptoms, and Relief

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Aparna Hari,MBA in Marketing,P.G. Diploma in Human Resource Management from IGNOU Bachelor of Sciences (Home Science) from Nagarjuna University

Her experience in impactful writing combined with her background in Home Sciences makes Aparna the perfect candidate for content writing in the pregnancy and parenting niche.Read more.

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