What Is the Purpose of Burping of Newborns?

Something's missing when you leave the hospital with a newborn: a how-to manual. Even the least experienced new parent knows a new baby needs frequent feedings and diaper changes, but some of a newborn's needs, like burping, might come as a surprise. This step will quickly become part of your feeding routine, and once you realize how important it is to your baby's comfort and health, you'll be glad to do it.

  1. The Purpose of Burping

    • Even with a tight latch around the nipple or bottle, a newborn swallows air along with his breast milk or formula. That air collects in his stomach, making him feel uncomfortable and causing him to fuss. Because a newborn's stomach is so small, it doesn't take much air to make him feel full, and that can make him stop feeding before he's really had enough. Burping him is a way of getting rid of that air. The process can also reduce spitting up, says the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

    When Burping is Necessary

    • With a newborn, some trial and error is to be expected. Breastfed babies tend not to swallow as much air as bottle-fed babies and therefore might need to be burped less often, says HealthyChildren, but every newborn is unique. Try burping your baby after every feeding. Until you're more familiar with your infant's feeding routine and quirks, give mid-feeding burping a try if she seems fussy. Frequent burpings will also slow down gulping, says HealthyChildren, minimizing the number of air bubbles that land in her tummy. Burp her every few minutes during a feeding. If she doesn't burp often and seems content during and after feedings, you may eventually choose to burp her only when she seems uncomfortable.

    Burping Positions

    • There's no set position that's right for burping a newborn. The most important criteria: pressure should be applied to his stomach and back, and his head must be higher than his stomach to prevent choking. One of the most common positions is one in which the baby's chin rests on your shoulder, with his front resting against your chest. If that doesn't feel comfortable or isn't productive, try laying him across your lap to burp, with one of your hands supporting his head to keep it higher than his stomach. And while your newborn is months away from sitting up on his own, propping him into this position on your lap might be a successful burping position for you. Press the heel of your hand softly against his belly and let his chin rest on top of your hand, suggests AskDrSears.com.

    Burping Dos and Don'ts

    • Thumping a newborn's back is overkill. Instead, pat the center of her back or rub circles over it. Start out softly and increase the pressure until you determine what works best for your newborn. Continue this motion until you hear her burp or feel air bubbles escape. If a burp doesn't come, change positions every few minutes until it does, or until you're satisfied that she's content and doesn't need to release any air. Always lay out a burp cloth to collect any spit-up, since it's likely you'll sometimes see some milk come back up. Don't forget to support her head constantly during burping, since a newborn can't do this on her own. Don't lay her down right after a feeding. KidsHealth recommends keeping your newborn upright for 10 or 15 minutes after a feeding to prevent spitting up.

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