I’m often asked about burping: when to try, how long to try, what if baby doesn’t burp?  Burping is optional, not mandatory every time for all babies, and your baby may or may not burp at any given session. Chances are, you’ll learn the ins and outs of your own baby soon, and will decide how important (or not) burping may be to your baby.

Though most young babies are “gassy” (ahem: Gassy Baby: Digestive Drama) this is only partially due to swallowed air that might come up with a burp. Much of the gas experienced (and passed) by infants is related to digestion and motility, rather than swallowed air. If you are trying for a burp for a minute or two with no luck, try another position (see below) or give up and continue with the feeding or next activity.

When breastfeeding, most babies don’t take in a lot of air (though some might, especially if there is a lot of on/off at the breast during feeding) and might not have a big burp to release. However, it’s worth trying for a burp most of the time. Sitting your baby up to burp after nursing on the first breast may help to rouse her for the second breast, helping her take in a little more milk. Then, burping after ending the feeding may help the milk to settle in her tummy and prevent extra spit up. Or not.

When bottle-feeding, it’s definitely a good idea to take a pause midway through the feeding for a burp, and at the end of the feeding as well. This helps to “pace” or slow down the bottle feeding, allows for additional interaction, and may help to reduce spit up.

Whether breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, use the baby’s natural pauses to time a burp break. Don’t pull away the nipple from a baby who is busy eating – she may protest, cry, and take in air, likely defeating your goal! Instead, when she begins to fall asleep, flutter-sucks with long pauses, or releases the nipple from her mouth, that’s a good time to try.

Try these favorite burping positions for newborns. In these positions, pat your baby’s back gently, or a little more firmly, or alternate pats and circle rubs on her back, while putting a little gentle pressure on baby’s tummy area.
And, baby may not burp – it’s ok!

1. Resting with her tummy HIGH up on your shoulder (for gentle tummy pressure) with her head cuddled near your neck.
2. Sitting upright (or slightly leaning forward) on your lap with her chin/cheeks supported in your hand. (this one is good for helping to rouse a sleepy baby)
3. Laying tummy down over your lap with her face turned to the side.

A note about Spit Up:
Some babies tend to spit up a lot, with or without regular burping. If you have a spitter, you’ll know!
If your baby is a spitter, position a burp cloth, receiving blanket or small towel over your shoulder or lap when burping. It’s common for a mouthful (or more) of milk to come up with a burp, and this doesn’t mean your baby overfed. Expect to see more spit up, not less, by the 3^rd or 4^th month as baby is eating larger volumes and jiggling her body, arms and legs more.