How to Burp Your Baby

When burping your baby, repeated gentle patting on your baby's back should do the trick.
Cup your hand while patting — this is gentler on the baby than a flat palm.

To prevent messy cleanups when your baby spits up or has a "wet burp," you might want to
place a towel or bib under your baby's chin or on your shoulder.

Try different positions for burping that are comfortable for you and your baby. Many parents
use one of these three methods:

1. Sit upright and hold your baby against your chest. Your baby's chin
should rest on your shoulder as you support the baby with one hand. With the
other hand, gently pat your baby's back. Sitting in a rocking chair and gently
rocking with your baby while you do this may also help.
2. Hold your baby sitting up, in your lap or across your knee. Support
your baby's chest and head with one hand by cradling your baby's chin in the
palm of your hand. Rest the heel of your hand on your baby's chest, but be
careful to grip your baby's chin, not the throat. Use the other hand to pat your
baby's back.
3. Lay your baby on your lap on his or her belly. Support your baby's
head and make sure it's higher than his or her chest. Gently pat your baby's
back.
If your baby seems fussy while feeding, stop the session, burp your baby, and then begin
feeding again. Try burping your baby every 2 to 3 ounces (60 to 90 milliliters) if you bottle-
feed and each time you switch breasts if you breastfeed.

Try burping your baby every ounce during bottle-feeding or every 5 minutes during
breastfeeding if your baby:

 tends to be gassy
 spits a lot
 has gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
 seems fussy during feeding

If your baby doesn't burp after a few minutes, change the baby's position and try burping for
another few minutes before feeding again. Always burp your baby when feeding time is over.
To help prevent the milk from coming back up, keep your baby upright after feeding for 10 to
15 minutes, or longer if your baby spits up or has GERD. But don't worry if your baby spits
sometimes. It's probably more unpleasant for you than it is for your baby.

Sometimes your baby may awaken because of gas. Picking your little one up to burp might
put him or her back to sleep. As your baby gets older, don't worry if your child doesn't burp
during or after every feeding. Usually, it means that your baby has learned to eat without
swallowing excess air.

Babies with colic (3 or more hours a day of continued crying) might have gas from
swallowing too much air during crying spells, which can make the baby even more
uncomfortable. Using anti-gas drops has not proven to be an effective way to treat colic or
gas, and some of these medicines can be dangerous.