Burping seems like an insignificant, inconsequential part of daily living. But when you have a newborn baby at home, you will learn (more like sooner than later) that burping your baby can make or break a peaceful night.
If you are still preparing for the arrival of your little one, you might find yourself wondering why it is so important to learn how to burp a newborn baby. For everyone, burping is a way to expel the air molecules that were swallowed along with our food. Not being able to expel this air can be painful, as we know.
But newborn babies are not yet biologically equipped to burp on their own. Without burping, the gas trapped inside your baby’s digestive tract can cause pain, resulting in fussiness and sleepless nights for the whole family.
In other words, learning how to burp your baby will make life easier for everyone. Here are 8 ways to do it.
1. Over-the-shoulder
With this position, all you need to do is hold your baby over your shoulder with their upper belly against your collarbone. Gently pat or rub circles on your baby’s back until they burp.
2. Over-the-arm
If putting your baby over your shoulder intimidates you, you may also try placing them over your arm. Similar to the first position, gently pat their back until they burp. You may also do this while you are walking back and forth across the room.
3. Over-the-lap
It is also possible to burp your baby sitting down. Sit down and place your baby over your lap with your one hand supporting their neck and head. With your free hand, gently pat your baby’s back or rub circles on it.
4. Slow rotation
If your baby does not burp using the aforementioned burping positions, you may also try doing a slow rotation. Hold your baby on your lap and slightly bend them forward at the waist. With one hand, pat your baby’s back, and with the hand holding them at the waist, gently rotate them back and forth and from side to side.
5. Rocking motion
Another way to burp your baby is to do one of the most calming motions ever known to them: rocking. Sit down and place your baby in a sitting position over your knee. With your two hands supporting your baby, rock their upper body gently.
6. Bicycling
If none of the other positions has worked for your child, try doing the bicycling position. Lay your baby on their back on a soft but firm surface. Take your baby’s legs and gently pedal them in a cycling motion toward your baby’s chest.
7. Bouncing
Hit two birds with one stone by using an exercise ball to burp your baby (while you work out at the same time!). Simply sit on your exercise ball while you hold your baby to your chest, supporting both their back and their neck and head. Then, gently bounce on the ball up and down until your baby burps.
8. Massaging
Finally, aside from the multiple benefits baby massage has to offer, gently massaging your child also helps with burping. Lay them on their stomach on a soft and firm surface with their head tilted to one side. You may place a pillow under their head for a slight incline. With one hand, rub your baby’s back and with the other, place gentle pressure on their spine.
Burping is something adults take advantage of, but for babies who cannot burp on their own, not being able to burp can be painful. Learning how to burp a baby with these easy but effective techniques will make for a happier child and result in more peaceful nights!