How to Burp Your Baby The Right Way?

Team AckoFeb 9, 2024

When a baby is born, he mostly feeds on breastmilk and while sucking the milk he fills his stomach with air as well. This air when trapped in the stomach of your baby causes him uneasiness hence, it is essential to make him burp properly after every feed. Burping is basically a process of helping your baby take out the excess air trapped in his stomach to make him comfortable.

How to burp your baby: What is burping?

Burping is a process where there is a release of gas bubbles from the stomach of the baby. When babies do not burp, they get cranky or feel uneasy due to gas trapped in their stomach. Sometimes a baby may spit some milk along with the burp; this is called a wet burp.

How to burp your baby: Why is it important?

Burping helps your baby to stay at ease as the trapped gas is released and your baby remains relaxed. It also helps in emptying your baby’s tummy from excess gas and makes space for more milk. If your baby does not burp then this might lead to gas, crankiness and spitting milk frequently, after every feed.

When is the right time to burp your baby?

After every feed you are required to burp your baby so that there is more room for milk and he feels comfortable as well. Even when you switch between the breasts you are required to gently burp your baby so that he is ready for the next feeding session.

Your baby may sometimes gulp excessive air during breastfeeding so stop feeding, the moment you hear a lot of gulping, try to help your baby burp. Hence, your baby will remain comfortable and drink more milk rather than trapped air in his stomach.

Your baby might not feel hungry but due to excessive trapped gas in his stomach, he may feel uncomfortable. In such a situation make him burp so that his trapped gas releases and he can sleep well during the night.

Burping is also essential for bottle fed babies

Not just babies who feed on breastmilk but babies who take bottle feed should be burped as well. Bottle fed babies tend to swallow more air during feeding as compared to babies who feed on their mother’s milk. 

Breastfed babies suck their mother’s milk slowly whereas bottle fed baby suck on a faster rate as the milk flow is at a faster rate from the bottle. This forces the baby to take in more air in his stomach.

Burping is an essential process that should be done in a right manner for all babies. Doing it in a right way is very important so that it relaxes the baby and keeps his tummy free from excessive air or gas.

Learn about burping your baby to prevent colic

What is the right way to burp a baby?

Burping needs practice and knowledge to give your baby maximum comfort and it should be done in an appropriate manner. Here are some effective burping methods that will help your baby burp comfortably:

On the shoulder

You need to sit straight in a comfortable position and carry your baby on your chest so that his face will rest on your shoulders. Now, hold your baby’s head and back with one hand and with the other hand rub his back gently. This process will take 5-10 minutes and it varies from baby to baby. This process will help your baby burp easily and relieves the air bubbles from his tummy as well.

On your lap

Just sit comfortably and let your child sit on your lap with his face away from you and his back facing towards you. Now hold your baby with one arm and with the second arm rub his back slowly for few minutes. This will relieve his excessive gas in the form of a burp after few minutes.

Face down

For this you have to put a cloth on your lap to catch the spit that flows from your baby’s mouth. Lie your baby down with his face facing on your legs and back facing towards you. You need to keep your baby’s head high or at a comfortable level so that there is no rushing of blood to his head. Pat or rub his back gently for few minutes and this will help your baby to burp easily.

Also read: How to make burping easy for your baby

How to burp your baby: Tips to minimize gulping the air during feeding

Baby swallows lot of air during feeding but with few handy tips you can limit the air that goes inside your baby’s tummy. Here are some handy tips:

1) You need to let your baby sit in an upright position with your support during the feed so that his head remains in a high position and there are less chances of air going in his tummy.

2) Always pick a bottle that has a correct size of hole, as per your baby’s mouth. There are anti-colic feeding bottles available in the market that helps in minimizing the gulping of air during feeding.

Now that you have learned the right way of burping, feed your baby and help him burp!

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only, based on industry experience and secondary sources. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified expert for health or insurance-related decisions. Content is subject to change, refer to current policy wordings for specific ACKO details.