The interesting thing about burping is that if you do not burp your baby, he or she will suffer no ill effects. Now, the baby may get a little rumbling tummy but in time, the excessive air will come up. However, burping serves two main purposes – it does help the bubble escape easier and it does reduce the amount of spit up. When you burp your baby, a good rule of thumb is that after patting him/her for about 60 seconds, if the baby has not burped, it is perfectly fine.
A common mistake make by many new parents is that they will stop feeding the baby to burp, and then resume feeding, which is unnecessary. If your baby is feeding and he or she begins to squirm, it could be that burping is needed. In that case, you could stop the feeding, burp, and then resume feeding. Just remember, if your baby does not burp at every meal, this does not mean something is wrong.
As a baby nurses, whether breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, air is swallowed along with the milk. By burping the baby, you are simply helping eliminate some of those trapped bubbles. It is important to understand that if your baby needs to burp but does not actually release the air, you may notice gassiness, crying, and increased spit up. In this case, you can gently and patiently, work with your baby to burp. If the symptoms continue, talk to your pediatrician in that it could be a sign of colic.
To burp your baby, you want to place him/her in an upright, seated position. Probably the most comfortable and secure position for the baby is to hold the baby’s body close to your chest. Another good option is to place your baby so his/her chin is just over your shoulder, so the two of you are chest-to-chest. Make sure you have a burp cloth or a cloth diaper underneath the baby’s face in that spit up with burping is common.
Then, gently pat your baby on the middle of the back. Take care not to pat too hard. Additionally, patting your baby fast will not help. Just use a gently pat about every three seconds, using a rhythmic motion. If you feel your baby is tensed up, then move to a rocking chair where you can also rock him/her as you burp. If that does not work, try placing your baby’s tummy on your upper legs, supporting the body and head. Sometimes, the pressure of his/her tummy against your legs will encourage burping, along with the patting.