There’s so much to learn when you become a new mother, and even something as seemingly simple as burping your baby can turn out to be more complicated than you ever imagined. If you’d like to perfect your approach to burping, we’re here to help, so read on to find out more.
When to Burp Your Baby
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to this but your baby will let you know when they need burped - either after a feed or during and after each feed. It can take quite a few burps before your baby feels any relief. Trapped air occurs when your baby swallows an air bubble which becomes lodged and causes discomfort. You’ll soon pick up on your baby’s signals that they have trapped air.
Burping Them Over Your Shoulder
The most common method of burping your baby is by simply holding them against your chest with their head resting on your shoulder whilst gently patting and rubbing their back.
Sitting on Your Lap
You can sit your baby on your lap, facing the side with their chin softly resting in one of your hands whilst you gently rub and pat their back with your other hand. You can tilt your baby forward a little which may help them burp a bit more comfortably.
Lying Face Down Across Your Lap
You can also lie your baby tummy down across your lap to relieve any gas. When doing this, be careful not to put any pressure whatsoever on the throat area, and be sure to support your baby’s chin too. Once they’re in a comfortable position, you can again gently rub and pat their back.
What if These Burping Methods Aren’t Working?
There are a few other ways to burp your baby if the burping methods we’ve talked about above aren’t working for you. You can lie your baby on their back and alternate between gently rubbing their belly in circular motions and moving their legs in a cycling motion. If none of this works and you’re still concerned, you should contact your doctor or pediatrician for further advice
For some new mothers, burping a baby can seem like a daunting task, but once you get into the habit of doing it, you’ll discover what works best for your baby, your confidence will grow and it’ll soon be automatic.
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