Table of Contents
How to Burp a Baby Correctly?
1. Hold the Baby on Shoulder:
A baby typically feeds for about half an hour to forty five minutes. If your child has fed for this long, he/she has satisfied his/her hunger completely. After a satisfactory session of feeding, the child needs to burp. The best way to burp for a newborn baby is to hold the baby upright on the shoulder. Pat the back of your baby gently until you hear the sound of him/her burping.
2. Burping while the Baby is Sitting:
This method is used for slightly older babies around 4-5 months old. These babies can be made to sit on you lap after feeding with the support of your hand. With your other hand, you can hold the jaw of your child up. Now using the hand that you have supported your baby’s back with, rub the back. Ensure that the head of your child does not drop in the downward direction to stop the blood flowing down on his head.
3. Chest on Thigh Method of Burping:
Place the child on your lap. Now have the baby to lean on your leg in such a way that the chest of your child rests on the thigh of your leg. Now with one hand support the head of the baby by placing hand over the chin and hold it high in a diagonal position. Rub the baby’s back.
4. Baby leaning over your Hand Method:
Have your baby to lean on one of your hand in such a way that the palm of the baby touches the stomach of you child. Now with the other hand, rub the infant’s back. Place the baby between two legs for extra support.
5. Rest the stomach on Your Leg:
The child can be held in a way that his stomach touches lies on your leg. Hold the chin of your baby high to ensure blood does not gush through.
Check out this video to have a clear idea of all methods you could use for burping. Watch and learn.
Extra Tips for Burping and Frequently Asked Questions:
There are a lot of questions that arise in your head especially if you are a first time mother. Well we attempt to answer all of those questions right here in this section below:
1. How often to Burp My Child?
The drill is to have your to burp every single time your child feeds. But if your baby does not burp, do not worry. Babies do not necessarily burp every time they feed. It usually is also a sign that their hunger is not satisfied.
2. What is my child spills curdled milk?
Curdled milk is a sign that your child is healthy. Do not worry about spilling of milk. If you feel your child has choked while feeding, just immediately hold the child up on your shoulders.
3. Why is burping important?
After your baby has fed, the baby needs to burp. The importance of burping is to have the gas accumulated in your baby to escape through burping. Infants are prone to colic pain due to flatulence. The best way to avoid this is to ensure that they burp after feeding. Babies also fart which is a good indication that the gas leaves their body.
4. How do I know if my child has fed enough?
This is a major problem for women who breastfeed their babies. They never come to know if their infants are feeding enough milk or are they hungry? The answer is simple, if your child burps it is a sure indicator of a full stomach. However no burping does not mean your child is still hungry. If your baby keeps crying, chances are that he/she remains unsatisfied and is crying because of hunger.
Mothers who use formula milk to feed their babies use the measurement of a bottle to know if their child has fed properly or is still hungry.
5. What do I do if my Baby sleeps while feeding?
This is another common cause of trouble to all mothers. Baby sleeps while feeding and then as soon as the mother puts the baby down, he/she wakes up. Continue to tickle your baby’s feet to keep him/her awake while feeding. Infants find the task of feeding very tiring and that puts them off to sleep.
You can also try to slap their cheeks gently with your hand to wake them up. Call out their names. They shall wake up and feed.
Burping is not only an activity to adhere to religiously for a healthy child, it is also a way to have physical contact with your baby. It provides the baby the love and affection that he/she may crave for by developing a personal touch. This is a good way to spend time with your baby. If your child is very cranky, you may try to take a short stroll in your house with your baby on your shoulder and have him/her to burp simultaneously.
