How to Burp a Baby

Burping a baby, or as they termed it in the early fifties "bubbling," is an excellent way to clear the air that a baby swallows during a feeding. It is not easy but, babies do need to be burped often -- and reward their parents with a deafening belch, though some of them take in very little air when they nurse or are bottle feed and aren't very burpy no matter how patiently you pat their backs.

Just about every parenting expert has his/her own technique on how to effectively burp a baby after feeding it. Of course there is a school of thought that maintains that there is no medical reason for making a baby burp. In case you want to be traditional and want to burp the baby, given below are some techniques.

How to Burp a Baby

There are several ways to burp a baby. Very soon, you and your precious baby will learn what works for you and what does not.

Over the Shoulder. This is the most widely used burp position. Hold the baby up to your shoulder, gently pat its back. As he grows older, and he is stronger, place the middle of his stomach across your shoulder and stroke his back strongly and steadily. Do place a towel or napkin on your shoulder before doing this, because often the baby spits out milk and saliva along with the burp.

Sitting Style. Sit down comfortably, and place your baby on your lap, with his chest on one thigh and his stomach on another, Gently pat his back with circular strokes. Another variation of this would be to support his torso and head with one hand while rubbing or patting his back with the other. Sometimes just putting him in a sitting position will bring out a satisfyingly loud burp.

Bull-doggy style. Another way of burping a baby would be with the baby lying on his back, place one of your hands across his chest, with your thumb and index finger supporting his chin. Bend your baby across the supporting hand and pat his back gently with the other hand, until he burps.

Mommy's Walk Style. This is the ideal method since it combines baby's relief along with your exercise. Wear comfortable footwear, pick up your baby, hold him in such a way that his back is against your chest and one of your hands is around his rib cage. Lean the baby over your arm and walk slowly. The rocking motion makes the baby burp and as an added bonus, he might even take a nap and you get the exercise.

Safety Note

Babies often throw up a little milk and saliva when they burp, and some parents become concerned that their baby is burping out his whole meal. Spitting up when burping is considered normal, but if your baby is losing weight or shows signs of dehydration, contact your pediatrician.