Do you have to burp a baby after he has been breastfed? Find answers to everything that there is to know about burping a baby after breastfeeding.
I was always scared of burping my daughter when she was a baby. She was so tiny and I was so worried every time I had to place her delicate neck on my shoulder and pat her back to give her a burp.
During that time, I had read how important it was to burp a bottle-fed baby and not that important to burp a breastfed baby. But, if you are wondering that you can espace the burping route for your breastfed baby, then the answer is no.
Yes, it is absolutely important to burp your breastfed baby as there are a few many chances that he might have swallowed air while feeding. The only way babies can communicate whether they are tired, hungry, sleepy, or uncomfortable with you is via crying, and hence trying to soothe a crying baby by trying all these things can get really messy in many situations. Hence, it is best to take a few minutes during or after your breastfeeding session and give a chance to your little one to burp the gas, that he might have swallowed by chance.
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Why should you burp your baby?
Mostly breastfed babies don’t swallow in as much air as compared to the bottle-fed baby but there are a few situations in which even a breastfed baby can gulp in a little bit of air during feeding. Gas can make a baby really uncomfortable or feel full prematurely in the feeding session. Burping a baby can help him get rid of that unwanted gas in his tummy and some babies might even start breastfeeding again once their stomach clears up.
Burping can be just a dry burp or a wet burp which could involve some milk spit-up. There is nothing to worry about in those cases. But to save you from the mess, make sure to place a bib or a burp cloth on your shoulder. Also while breastfeeding your baby, make sure he is wearing a bib.
How can a breastfed baby swallow air?
As a baby, I always made sure to burp my daughter as there were many instances when she would start to cry unreasonably. After trying out a few things, I found burping helped to minimize these cry out sessions. Well, I could not figure out what the exact reason for those cry out was but below are a few ways how a breastfed baby can swallow air during feeding.
- For those babies who are fussy eaters, there is a possibility for air to enter their mouth between breaks
- If the mom has a strong supply of milk or a fast letdown
- If the mom’s diet contains certain types of food that can create gas in the stomach
- The baby might have an intolerance for a certain type of food in mom’s diet and his body might react to it by creating gas
Every baby is different and it could be any one of these reasons that might be making him uncomfortable. Hence to avoid any of these uncomfortable situations, it is best to burp your baby during the feeding sessions.
When should you burp your baby?
Many moms burp their baby once the feeding session is over. But since I used to offer both my breasts to my daughter while breastfeeding, I would burp her before switching her to the other side. So for example, if you have fed your baby using your left breast, then before moving onto the right breast take a few minutes to burp your baby.
Burping a baby in the middle of feeds before switching sides, can help your baby clear up his stomach of the gas and make room for more milk. Also, it can wake up a sleeping baby, and motivate him to continue his feeding session.
Related: Three must-have habits for your little one from an experienced parent
What are the best burping positions?
There are a few common burping positions that you can try with your baby. Try a few of them, some might work in one situation and some in the other.
- Sit upright and hold your baby against the chest – This is the most common position and had always worked well in my case. Place your baby’s chin on your shoulder and support the baby with one hand. Using the other hand gently pat your baby’s back to get the gas out.
- Sitting on your lap – This one was my favorite although I didn’t use it much with my daughter. Support your baby’s head and chest with one hand, so that your baby’s chin is in the palm of your hand. Be gentle while supporting your baby’s neck and with the other hand slowly pat your baby’s back.
- Lay your baby in an inclined position with his belly on your lap – I was not a big fan of this position, as I felt it was uncomfortable to lay a baby after he has been fed on his tummy. But the way this position works is that you have to lay your baby on his belly with his head higher than his feet i.e., an inclined position and support his head with one hand. With the other hand gently pat his back.
Pick the position that works the best for your baby. Sometimes you might have to use a mix of these positions if your baby is not able to find comfort with one of them.
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How long should you burp a baby for?
When you are burping your baby, it is important to give a proper chance for your baby to burp as you will often find that your breastfed baby is not burping. Hence, it is best to at least spend five minutes trying to burp your baby before moving on to the next breast.
At what age should you stop burping your baby?
There is no fixed age as to when you can stop burping your baby. Every baby is different and you will have to read his cues to decide whether it’s time to stop burping. With my daughter, I did not have to burp her after six months of age. By that time she was able to support her head and sit up and also had started with solids in her diet.
Related: How to introduce cow's milk to your baby
Finally whether breastfed or bottle-fed it is important to burp a baby so that you as a mom can ensure that your little one is in the most comfortable state possible.
In the middle of the night, I often wanted to skip the burping part but the thought of how messy the night would get if my daughter woke up uncomfortable due to gas, always motivated me to keep burping her during our feeding sessions.
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