Some babies are bothered by air swallowed during a feeding and benefit from burping. When babies aren’t burped during or after feedings, they are more likely to be fussy or spit up.
Fussiness can signal that your baby needs to be burped mid-feeding. Although breastfed babies tend to consume less air than bottle-fed babies, they may benefit from being burped after breastfeeding on each breast. Mothers who bottle-feed may want to burp their babies after every 2–3 ounces, or about halfway through the expected feeding. Paced bottle-feeding may limit the amount of air a baby ingests and reduce the need for burping.
Here are 3 burping positions to try:
- Hold your baby upright against your chest. Position your baby’s chin against your shoulder, support your baby’s head and neck with one hand, and gently pat his back with the other. Swaying or rocking may help your baby relax.
- Hold your baby in a sitting position. Support your baby’s chin with the palm of your hand, and with the other hand gently pat your baby’s back.
- Place your baby on his belly across your lap. Support your baby’s head with one hand, and gently pat his back with your other.
Is your baby’s spit-up cause for concern? Find out here.
