When you become a parent, you have to learn a lot of things for your baby and such a thing is burping a baby. Most babies need to be burped at some point when they are growing up.
Babies take their food by drinking, and hence they take in a lot of air along with gulping their milk. If you do not burp your baby, then the baby might wake up with air trapped into their digestive system and crying a lot. This will cause a lot of discomfort.
Sometimes babies fall asleep while eating and then the parents have to find a way to burp while the baby is still asleep.
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Why Do You Need To Burp Your Baby?
Burping is a task that the parents need to master until their babies grow up and start to walk around. When the baby drinks, little air bubbles get into your baby’s system along with milk, or formula.
These air bubbles get trapped into the baby’s digestive system and may cause more discomfort. Also, babies spend most of their time sleeping and lying on their backs. Hence, they tend to become gassier. Toddlers, kids, and adults can release their gas on their own.
Sometimes, the baby might have a tendency of gas and spitting up a lot or the baby might be a colicky baby. So, all these are the reasons why you need to burp your baby.
Ways To Burp A Baby
You should know that you need to burp your baby between changing sides of the breasts or in-between the bottle feed. This way the baby is able to pass gas more easily, make space for more milk in his or her tummy, and feed comfortably.
Lay the baby on his stomach and give a gentle pat might just help to bring out the burp. But, some babies need more time to burp and that can be done with the help of different positions and ways.
Here are some of the ways
- Hold on your shoulder
- Lay on your knees
- Rock on your arm
- Hold lower on your chest
Hold On Your Shoulder
If you are feeding your baby in a semi-upright position then you can lift the baby gently till your shoulder and the pressure from your shoulder will burp the baby.
Lay On Your Knees
If you are sitting then simply move your baby in a sleeping position on their tummy over your knees. The baby will remain sleeping and the burp will come.
Rock On Your Arm
Gently turn your baby away from you on your arm. Rest the baby on his tummy on your arm and then rock the baby back and forth or pat on his back. This will make the baby burp.
Hold Lower On Your Chest
Similar to holding on your shoulder, you can hold the baby upright on your lower chest. The baby will curl up in a frog-like position which will help the baby relieve more gas.
How Long Does Burping The Baby Take?
Burping usually takes 1 or 2 minutes. Sometimes, the baby will get the burp immediately when you move him or her in a standing position.
And sometimes you will have to wait a little and give a gentle pat on the back or give pressure on the baby’s tummy. If your baby is more stiff, then have a chat with your doctor regarding ways to relieve your baby’s discomfort.
What To Do If The Baby Doesn’t Burp?
If the baby doesn’t burp for a long period of time, then lay the baby in the crib and try to burp him when you feed him the next time.
Many times the baby doesn’t burp a lot at night. And other babies pass gas more, so you do not need to burp them.
Burping Essentials For Babies
After knowing the importance and technique of how to burp a baby. You may need some burp clothes for babies. Here is the list of the much needed burp clothes
Muslin burp cloth (Pack of six)
This product has the following benefits
- It is made up of 100% cotton and is used for different purposes.
- The cloth is of a perfect size to keep in your diaper bag.
- This is made up of excellent quality pure cotton.
- It can be used in many ways like burping the baby, wiping the baby’s sticky mess, as washcloths for bathing the baby, and feeding covers.
- It is a perfect baby shower gift.
Cost: $12.95
Purchase: You can purchase it from here.
Hudson Baby Unisex Burp Clothes
- It is made up of 100% cotton.
- The clothes measure around 14X20 inches.
- These clothes are machine washable and are soft on the baby’s skin.
- The multi-layered fabric absorbs drools and spills.
Cost: $9.98
Purchase: You can purchase it from here.
Burpy Bib For Unisex Boy Girl
- The size of the burp cloth is 20inch X 10 inch. It is a large size burp cloth
- Multipurpose burp cloth, which can be used for feeding, changing or cleaning the baby.
- These burp clothes are made from breathable fiber and are of excellent quality.
- The burp clothes are non-shrinkable even after multiple washes.
Cost: $7.95
Purchase: You can purchase it from here.
Parker Baby Muslin Cotton Burp Cloth
- It is made up of 100% cotton material
- Oversize (20 inches X 11 inches) offers maximum protection to your clothes
- These clothes are a must have for new parents
- The burp clothes have neutral colours.
Cost: $19.95
Purchase: You can purchase it from here.
Organic Baby Burp Clothes
- These are made of 100% organic cotton material.
- Burp clothes give maximum coverage to the parents shoulders.
- These clothes are double layered and are very soft.
Cost: $11.95
Purchase: You can purchase it from here.
So, here is the importance of burping your baby and some of the types of burp clothes you should try. If you know of something else, do let us know in the comments section.