Importance of Burping & Steps To Get Your Baby To Burp The Right Way
Why is it necessary to make my baby burp?
All babies swallow some air when they drink milk. The air collects in the stomach, causing the child to feel uncomfortably full even before he has finished feeding. Excessive crying, sucking too rapidly during feeding or sucking in air when the bottle is empty or sucking air when milk does not fill the teat completely during feeding will also cause excessive air build up in the baby's stomach.
Now you as a mother would want to do everything in your power to make the uneasiness go away.
Whether you are breastfeeding or bottle-feeding your baby, it’s important to burp him. Burping helps reduce the discomfort your baby feels after his feed as air is expelled from his stomach. Your child will be able to take in the amount of milk he requires. Also, a comfortable baby is a happy baby that not only plays happily but also sleeps and rests well.
Side effects to watch out for:
It is common for newborns to regurgitate (throw out pre-digested milk) small amounts of their feeds. This happens when a baby who is hungry has taken in too much air. Burping will help to release the air from his stomach.
Breastfed versus bottle-fed:
Generally, a breastfed baby swallows less air than a bottle-fed baby because the baby's mouth tends to latch onto the mother's nipple fully. Here, the baby gets a constant flow of milk as he sucks at his own pace till he is satisfied.
How do I burp my baby right?
To burp your baby, you may wish to adopt any of the following positions:
- Hold him upright with his head resting on your shoulder.
- Place your baby in a sitting position on your lap.
- To avoid any discomfort to your baby, burp him during a feed and at the end of the feed. If he cries excessively, try to burp him before the feed so that he will be able to take his feed well.
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The information published herein is intended and strictly only for informational, educational, purposes and the same shall not be misconstrued as medical advice. If you are worried about your own health, or your child’s well being, seek immediate medical advice. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website. Kimberly-Clark and/ or its subsidiaries assumes no liability for the interpretation and/or use of the information contained in this article. Further, while due care and caution has been taken to ensure that the content here is free from mistakes or omissions, Kimberly-Clark and/ or its subsidiaries makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information here, and to the extent permitted by law, Kimberly-Clark and/ or its subsidiaries do not accept any liability or responsibility for claims, errors or omissions.
