How to Burp a Baby: 8 Effective Methods Every Mom Should Know

Babies commonly fall asleep while eating, whether nursing or bottle-feeding.  They often relaxed and tend to drift off since their tummy is full. Even though your baby looks asleep, you need to get them a burp out. Burping a baby while they are sleeping is the same as burping a baby who's awake. 

When babies enjoy their feeding and overeat then they may fall asleep. However, they need time to burp after eating. Help your baby to burp by slowing down the feed. It will prevent the baby to get major pain gas burping. Burp your baby between switching sides at the breast or before they finish the bottle.

You may try some easy burping positions to maneuver with a sleeping baby. Here are some positions on how to burp a baby:

1. Hold on to your shoulder

If you feed your baby in a semi-upright position, here's how to burp a baby by holding a baby on your shoulder:

You can move baby all the way upright and onto your shoulder. In this cozy position that you give, the baby may keep sleeping. The pressure from your shoulder will push the baby's tummy to release gas. When babies burp, they tend to spit up, so keep a burp rag over your shoulder.

2. Hold Lower on Your Chest

Just like the previous position, you can lift your baby from semi-upright to fully upright. Then, keep them on your chest or sternum area. It will be more comfortable if you are on a couch. It's also good to make the baby to a frog position. This will help release more gas from their bottom.

If the above positions on how to burp a baby aren't working, you can switch burping positions. Here are other references on how to burp a baby:

3. Rock on Your Arms

You can do rock position while sitting or standing. Slowly turn your baby away from you at about 45 degrees so the baby's tummy will be on your forearm. Place baby's head in the crook of your elbow. You will get your baby's legs to dangle on either side of your arm. The rock position will put gentle pressure on the baby's tummy and then pat softly the baby's back until burping.

4. Lay on your knees

Laying baby on your knees can help baby burp. If you sit in a chair, just move your baby to a laying position with the tummy on your knees. Then, you can move your leg side to side rock your baby. After that, gently pat the baby's back until you hear your baby burp. 

How to Burp a Baby Fast

Placing a baby in an upright position is the easiest and effective way on how to burp a baby. But if it fails, you may try the below methods:

5. Over the lap

To burp a baby, sit your baby on your lap. Then, apply slight gentle pressure and pat the baby's back while placing the heel of your hand under the baby's ribcage. You can also rub circles with your free hand on the baby's back.

6. The Old School Burp

In this method, you have to hold the baby in your lap and bend them slightly forward at the waist. Then, gently rotate the baby's back and forth from the waist while you pat or rub the baby's back. This is like when the baby was doing a pre-aerobic warm-up exercise. Do this method in each direction; front, back, and sides.

If you need more tips on how to burp a baby, let's try the following tips carefully!

7. Dance out the Burp

The name of this method sounds funny. Dance out the burp is a fun method to do. Hold your baby securely between your two hands. Then in a sitting position on your knee, rock the top half of the baby's body gently left to right and back. Do this in a rhythmic repetitive motion. You can bounce your knees gently.

8. Bicycling

The bicycling method is a baby position like when pedaling a bicycle. Gently cycle the baby's legs toward their chest while the baby lies on their back. Place your baby upright against your chest and wear the baby in a sling. At the same time, you can walk around.