Am I burping my baby right?

As a new parent the first tip that most of us get is "After every meal, burp the baby nicely." When I was told this, my reaction was: burp the baby, how can I make her burp? Burping is an essential part of feeding your baby.

As a new mom, the first answer I was looking for is why Burping is important... to release any gas or air that the baby might have trapped in his tummy. This excess gas or air is responsible for stomach problems and even colic. The key to keep your baby comfortable is by burping them properly. Let's get into it a step at a time


Firstly, you have to understand how often to burp your baby. As a new mum, I thought this has to be religiously followed immediately after every feeding. In reality you have to burp your infant after s/he has consumed 2 to 3 ounces of liquid. If you are a breast feeding mom the thumb rule baby is to burp them while switching breasts. As the baby grows you can have longer gaps in between burping. Burping the baby is essential at least till s/he moves to semi solids.

Secondly, position it right. There are 3 ways which work well. Hold her/him so that baby's chest rests against your chest and the baby's head hangs slightly on your shoulder. Else try making him lay with his stomach on your lap, while you keep a hand under her/his face. Hold the face up, slightly above his chest. Finally, you can also make your infant sit on your knee with baby's chest against your arm and their face in your hand. You don’t have to try just a single position.

Tip: let Daddies do the burping, they're better at it.
Lastly, rub the baby’s back gently  in between the baby’s shoulder blades. Rub consistently and avoid putting a lot of force. Keep patting till the baby burps. This might happen in a couple of seconds, or even several minutes. Make sure you keep trying patiently.

Make Sure: 

Keep a burp cloth close-by. Babies are famous in spitting up, so be prepared. If your infant spits a large amount, check with you pediatrician.