There is no specific length of time for which you should burp your baby. Instead, aim to burp your baby frequently during his feeding: If you're bottle feeding, burp him after every two to three ounces of milk.
Always burp your baby when feeding time is over. To help prevent the milk from coming back up, keep your baby upright after feeding for 10 to 15 minutes, or longer if your baby spits up or has GERD. But don't worry if your baby spits sometimes.
New parents may worry that their newborn will have stomach problems if she doesn't burp after feeding. But pediatrician Dr. Cindy Gellner says not to worry: the air in your baby will find a way out.
If the baby does not burp after 5 minutes of trying, gently lie them down on their back, either in their crib or on another safe surface, such as a playpen. After a few minutes, carefully pick the baby up and try burping them again. Sometimes, lying down helps move the air bubbles around, making them easier to release.
Some babies may be more prone to gas and discomfort if they go to sleep without being burped, while others may not have any issues. However, if a baby is already asleep and showing no signs of discomfort, it is generally safe to let them sleep without burping.
Take heart that when sleepy babies feed, they're usually so relaxed that they're less likely to intake extra air. If you find that he isn't fussy, wiggly, or restless at wake-up time, he may not need to burp each time. In short, it's okay to put him to sleep without burping.
What happens if a sleeping baby doesn't burp? If you're concerned about what happens if your baby won't burp after feeding, try not to worry. He'll likely be just fine and will end up passing the gas from the other end.
Spitting up is the easy flow of stomach contents out of the mouth, frequently with a burp. Spitting up doesn't involve forceful muscle contractions, brings up only small amounts of milk, and doesn't distress your baby or make them uncomfortable.
If he won't burp, try patting him more firmly with your whole palm, as light pats may not be effective. Another option is to pat his bottom. Many parents swear this is the only way to get their babies to burp. If patting doesn't work, see if rubbing his back does the trick.
What's the best position to burp my baby? Support your baby's head and neck, make sure their tummy and back is nice and straight (not curled up), and rub or pat their back gently. You don't need to spend ages burping your baby, a couple of minutes should be enough.
Any burp is enough.
It can be one big one, a few small ones. If none is heard within something like 10 minutes, then you can assume that it just slowly evaporated over time.
The idea behind burping a baby is that air gets into the baby's stomach during feeding and the patting or rubbing encourages the bubbles of air to consolidate and move up through the stomach and throat as a belch.
In general, breastfed babies don't need as much burping as bottle-fed babies because they tend to swallow less air when feeding. In fact, some very efficient nursers don't need to be burped at all. But some breastfed babies definitely do need to be burped.
The lengthiest burp lasted one minute 13 seconds and was achieved by Michele Forgione in Reggiolo, Italy, on 16 June 2009.
It's a commonplace occurrence: When a baby is done eating, their mom or dad places them over their shoulder and pats their back to get them to burp. It turns out that this familiar routine is probably useless.
First, hold him high enough so the upper belly is right against your shoulder, creating gentle pressure. Second, get him to relax by rubbing his back in a slow, circular motion, gently at first, and if need be, slightly increase the pressure until he burps,” she says. “Works every time.”
Instead of laying your baby down flat after feeding, keep them upright for about 30 minutes so gravity can help them digest their food. Otherwise, they're more likely to spit up.
Overfeeding always makes spitting up worse. If the stomach is completely full, spitting up is more likely. If your baby is gaining well, give him smaller amounts (at least 1 ounce less than you have been giving). Wait at least 2 and 1/2 hours between feedings.
Additionally, a medical study found that the 'non-nutritive' sucking (sucking without feeding) with a dummy can improve the rate the stomach empties and also decrease the number of reflux episodes in a group of premature infants.
Hiccups are normal and usually don't hurt your baby. In younger babies, hiccups are usually a sign that they need to be seated upright during or after feeding, that feeding needs to be slower for them, or that they need more time before or after feeding to relax.
Many parents ask: Do you burp a baby after a dream feed? and the answer is always yes. You want to burp a baby after a dream feed—or any feed—before putting them back down on their back.
It helps them relieve gas and burp, and also increases stomach emptying and reduces regurgitation. Some babies may spit up soon after feeding, so keep a gap between feeding and tummy time.” *Start with short periods when the baby is in a quiet, receptive state.
But burping (or belching) serves an essential purpose and shouldn't be silenced. Belching is a protective mechanism that prevents the stomach from overinflating. Every time you swallow, you take in a little air, and some of it travels down the esophagus and gets into the upper part of the stomach.
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.