How to Burp Your Baby

Photo Courtesy of BaiBoo.com

No one likes being gassy-- but lucky for you, you know how to burp on your own to expel that extra gas. Not so for your mini-me-- babies typically swallow a lot of air as they feed, and thus it is important to burp your newborn after feeding to minimize the gassiness and irritation that can result from gulping down air. Why do they intake so much air? In part because babies feed laying down, and the air sits in the esophagus causing discomfort. Here are three ways to burp your baby to help alleviate that discomfort:

 1. Hold your baby against your chest upright. You can either be standing or sitting for this, whatever is more comfortable for you. Rest your baby’s chin on your shoulder, supporting the baby with one hand. Gently pat your baby’s back with your other hand. The standard for burping is about four minutes-- if your baby hasn’t burped by then, it probably doesn’t need to.

 2. Hold your baby upright in your lap. With one hand, support your baby’s chest and head, being cautious of its neck and throat. With the other hand, gently pat your baby’s back.

 3. Lay your baby on your lap on its stomach. Again, it is important to support your baby’s head to make sure it’s neck is supported, as you always want the neck higher than the chest when burping. Pat your child’s back until it burps.