One of the great obsessions that parents of newborn babies have is to relieve gas . After each feeding it is convenient to help them to burp so that they eliminate the air that they have swallowed when eating.
Both breastfed and bottle-fed babies tend to swallow air when sucking, which is less common in children who are breastfed. They also swallow air when crying, as well as eating too fast or in poor posture.
By swallowing milk together with air, the stomach is distended, generally causing discomfort in the baby. For this reason, some have to be helped to burp .
The baby’s burp
We tend to be quite obsessed with passing gas , but we must know that not all babies burp always after each feeding. Sometimes they burp right away, others take longer, while others don’t burp even though we spend a good time patting them on the back.
That is, if the baby falls asleep peacefully after feeding it is because obviously he is not bothered by the gases in his stomach and does not need to expel them . Maybe I’ll do it later or just don’t. Do not wake your babies, nothing happens to put them to bed without burping. If they need it, they will do it later, with or without help.
They also don’t need to burp making noise. Although our baby’s “burp” after a feeding sounds like music to our ears, because we are supposed to end the feeding and he will fall asleep at ease, it does not mean that he should burp loudly. You can expel the air in a more “discreet” way, let’s say, and still be so comfortable.
Burping is caused by a simple physical law. By placing the baby in an upright position, the milk, which is heavier, is deposited at the bottom of the stomach while the air, which is lighter, remains at the top. The posture encourages the air to rise above the milk and the baby to expel the excess air when burping.
Some recommended postures for the baby to burp
- 1) Lay the baby face down on your lap and gently massage his back. It is a very comforting position for babies but it favors the mixture of milk and air, sometimes causing the air to come out unfailingly accompanied by milk.
- 2) Place the baby in an upright position on your shoulder and give him a gentle massage or little patting. It is the most traditional and the best position for burping since, in addition to facilitating the release of air, the baby feels wrapped up, it calms down. We can take a walk and the little one can see the world from the arms of mom (or dad). You will surely relax and fall asleep.
- 3) Another posture that makes it easier to burp is to place it sitting on your lap , but when it is able to support its head by itself. In the same way as the previous ones, giving it a massage or patting it will breathe out. In young babies (less than 3 months old) this position is not recommended as it does not remain erect and the stomach can easily fold down, making it difficult for air to escape.
Burp mid-feed
Sometimes the baby is fussy when taking the breast or the bottle. Stop sucking and release the nipple or teat. He has swallowed air and his stomach is distended before he has been able to drink enough milk to satisfy himself. In these cases, it is advisable to help him breathe out in the middle of the feed so that he can then continue feeding quietly.
Burp at the end of the feed
At the end of the feeding, if the baby needs it, it is advisable to burp. As we said before, each baby is different and the same does not always happen. Sometimes they burp in a few minutes while others need a good patting time and sometimes they don’t even do it.
Sometimes it may also be enough for them to breathe in once while others need to repeat it two or three times until they are comfortable. But come on, the usual thing if the baby is restless after feeding is to place him in one of the three positions that we have described above so that he burps.
Sometimes when the air is expelled it is accompanied by a little milk and the baby regurgitates. For this, it is advisable to place a cloth, a towel or a protector to avoid staining the clothes.
Other ways to vent
The exercise of the bicycle is also effective to eliminate the gases of the baby from the stomach, but this time “from below”. Lay the baby on his back and fold his legs together and alternately so that they put gentle pressure on the baby’s belly.
Belly massages help a lot. Take advantage of the diaper change or after bathing to massage him in a circular motion in a clockwise direction to stimulate bowel movement and expel gas.
As we have already pointed out in the recommended postures to hold the newborn baby, placing it face down on your forearm is also a very beneficial position for the baby as it allows them to exercise the back muscles, it is recommended to eliminate gas thanks to the slight pressure of the arm on the baby’s tummy. If we take a walk or rock him with a gentle sway, all the better.
In Babies and more | My baby has gas, what can I do?
