As any parent will know, burping a child after feeding is a very important thing you will need to do. If you are struggling to burp your child, this can be quite stressful.
However, you just need to have patience and persistence to help your baby burp correctly.
Often all your baby will need is a slight repositioning, and then they will be able to burp correctly. In this article, we will be taking a closer look at burping your baby.
We will be talking you through what you need to do if your baby won’t burp after feeding, and the best position for your baby to burp in.
Why Are Babies Burped?
When a baby is fed, it is very important to ensure that you burp them. This is because they are unable to make themselves burp for the most part.
When it comes to feeding, naturally, a baby will swallow air. While this is not ideal, it is a perfectly normal thing to happen.
However, when a baby does this, it can cause discomfort because they have excess wind built up in their tummies. Not only this, but it can cause a baby to spit up, and be cranky too.
This is why burping is such an important part of feeding.
What If My Baby Won’t Burp After Feeding?
In the vast majority of cases, you should not experience any issues when it comes to burping your baby. It is something that is easy to do and is a natural part of feeding a baby.
However, on some occasions, you may find that your baby won’t burp after feeding, or is not burping as much as they normally do.
Night Burps
It is worth noting here that babies do not burp as much at night in comparison to the day in the vast majority of cases. This is because they tend to drink milk slower at night.
When they are feeding at a slower pace, this means that they are not gulping in as much excess air.
Given this, it is normal for a baby to burp less at night. However, this is not always the case and some babies may still burp a lot during the night if they are swallowing a lot of air.
When it comes to a baby not burping after feeding, this is typically linked to how you are burping the child. If you are not burping them correctly, this can be the cause of the lack of burps.
If this is the case, it is recommended to stop burping and to change the position in which you are holding the baby slightly.
This change in position is often enough to help the baby burp and resolve any of the issues. In addition to this, stopping the burping process, waiting a few minutes, and trying again can also be helpful too.
When burping, you will need to take your time and have patience. After a while, the burps that are trapped will release.
The more you burp your baby, the more you will notice what is the best position for your baby, and how much they will typically burp after a feed too.
Every baby is different when it comes to burping. However, if you do have any concerns about this process, then you should always contact a doctor.
This will just help to put your mind at ease to ensure you are doing things correctly, and that your baby is okay. In rare cases, treatment may potentially be needed to help resolve burping issues.
The Best Position To Burp Your Baby In
There are a few ways in which you can burp a baby, and the best position for one baby may not be the best for another.
This is why it is important to change the positioning if you are finding that your burping technique is not working.
The most common burping position is to sit your baby upright while supporting their head and neck. From here, you can gently rub their back until they start to burp.
Alternatively, you can use the over-the-shoulder technique where you hold your child in your arms, with their head resting on your shoulders.
Please see the video below for demonstrations of both of these methods.
These techniques are the most common and effective to use. You should only need to burp a baby for around 5 minutes to help relieve the trapped wind. However, when you are first getting the hang of this, it may take slightly longer to do.
If you are finding that these positions do not work for your baby, you can try bouncing them gently, as this can help to relieve the wind.
Ideally, you will want to burp a baby when they are awake, but naturally, babies will fall asleep while they are nursing.
If a baby falls asleep while they are nursing, you will still need to burp them gently to ensure all of the excess air has been removed from their tummies.
When Do Babies Stop Needing To Be Burped?
It is important to remember that every baby is different, and some will still require burping for longer than others.
However, on average, a baby will need to be burped for around 4-6 months. After this time, they require burping far less often.
Even so, some may still need to be burped occasionally, especially if they are uncomfortable, and are pulling away from feeding a lot.
However, over time, babies do stop gulping in air as much when they are feeding, and they are able to pass gas on their own without assistance.
Summary
We hope that you have found this article useful. As you can see, there are a handful of things you can try if your baby is not burping after feeding.
Typically, if you change their positioning slightly, this will usually solve the issue.
However, if it doesn’t, you will need to be patient and persevere. If you do have any questions or concerns, it is important to contact a doctor to chat through any solutions that they may have.
