How to Burp a Baby

By eHow Parenting Editor

How to Burp a Baby How to Burp a Baby

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Burping a baby can reduce spitting up and relieve bloating caused by swallowed air. Here are some tried-and-true methods.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

  • Plastic Sheet Or Old Towel

Step1
Put a clean towel, cloth diaper or receiving blanket over your shoulder or wherever your baby's head will rest.
Step2
Position the baby over one shoulder with his stomach against your chest and with his head resting on your shoulder.
Step3
Gently pat your baby on the back and rub it in a circular motion until he burps.
Step4
Try the 'bulldoggy burp.' Place one hand across the baby's chest, supporting his chin with your thumb and index finger. Lean your baby across that support hand and gently pat or rub his back with your free hand.
Step5
Opt for a 'lap burp.' Position yourself so that you can comfortably place the baby's head on one thigh and his stomach on the other. Using an upward and circular motion, gently pat the baby's back until he burps.
Step6
Try getting exercise while you walk and burp your baby. Stand up and place your arm under the baby's rib cage, with the baby's back to your chest. Walk around slowly, leaning the baby over your arm until he burps. And be patient: Sometimes burping takes several minutes.

Tips & Warnings

  • Never try to burp a baby while he is spitting up.
  • Don't worry if your baby spits up occasionally - what looks like a lot of liquid is probably no more than a teaspoon. Very frequent spitting up or projectile vomiting could signal a problem; contact your doctor.
  • Breast-fed babies tend to swallow less air than bottle-fed babies, so don't worry if your breast-fed baby rarely burps, as long as he seems comfortable.
  • If breast-feeding, burp the baby when you switch sides or finish feeding. If bottle-feeding, burp after every few ounces or whenever he seems uncomfortable.

Comments

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Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 8/8/2006 While you're sitting, place the baby on your lap facing you. Place your hands under his arms, and support his head with your thumbs and fingers. Sit your infant upright and slowly rock them toward you and away from you. Try to keep them from "hunching over", keeping their back erect. I like to sit on the couch, with my feet on the coffee table, creating a reclining feeding chair with my legs. This position seems to reduce gas, and makes it easy to grab and "rock-burp" my baby.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 8/8/2006 Steps:
1. place the baby on your lap on his or her stomach
2. rub his or her back
3. pat him or her on the back with one hand
4. after patting with one hand switch to both hands
. be sure to rub in between patting

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 8/8/2006 steps:
1. place the baby on your lap (if baby is not able to sit up on his or her own)
. if baby can sit up on his or her own place him\\or her on the coutch beside you and make sure you can reach his or her whole back
2. rub the baby on the back about 3 times
3. with the heal of your hand pat the baby on the back until he or she burps

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 My baby is very hard to burp. I often found myself having to walk around with him while trying to burp him. I finally realized that when I'm carrying him, he bounces a little bit and that helps him to burp. Now that I know, I make sure to just bounce him a little bit whenever I try to burp him and it has really helped a lot.

Note: Please remember about shaken baby syndrome. I'm just talking about a little bounce or jiggle.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Place your baby on one leg with his face to you and with both hands, pat him on the back until he burps.

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eHow Article: How to Burp a Baby

eHow Parenting Editor

eHow Parenting Editor

Category: Parenting

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