Most people see the cute little one sleeping, and their thoughts are, “Don’t wake him!” But even if a baby goes to sleep it is still a good idea to try to burp him relieve him of gas. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), you should attempt to burp your baby after every 2-3oz and at the end of every feeding as this will eliminate stuck gas bubbles.
WHY BURP A SLEEPING BABY?
Parents may ask themselves, “Do I need to burp my sleeping baby?” You can try laying him down without burping him, but if he tends to wake up whining or in distress, there’s a good chance he’s gassy. Nobody likes to wake up with a tummy ache! When a baby is eating he tends to swallow air. Doing this causes gas bubbles get stuck in his stomach. This gas must be released, or it creates a full, tight feeling. You know the feeling, right?
IS IT OKAY TO PUT BABY TO SLEEP WITHOUT BURPING HIM?
You will not cause him any major harm, and some babies need to be burped less than others. Burping Baby while he’s sleeping may save him from having stomach pains. If your baby has G.E.R.D., burping may be a necessity for you to ensure that he has minimal discomfort. On the other hand, if he has no digestive issues and doesn’t show any discomfort while sleeping burping may not be a necessity for you!
HOW TO BURP A SLEEPING BABY
The burping method you use depends on your comfort level and what Baby prefers. Most babies will sleep through anything while others wake being slightly moved. If Baby wakes with one method but not the other, just use what works!
THE SHOULDER BURP
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Lay a burp cloth across your shoulder.
Position Baby with his stomach against your chest and with his head and chin supported on your shoulder (the one with the burp rag!).
With your other hand, gently pat Baby’s back until he expels the excess gas
* A good tip for the hard-to-burp baby is to pat his back with a cupped hand moving it gently upwards from baby’s lower back to his upper back. Sometimes this will help to force the gas upwards and out. When using the cupped hand method keep in mind that this too must be done gently.
THE LAP BURP
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- Lay Baby across your lap.
- Make sure his head and neck are turned to the side and are fully supported.
- Gently pat his back until he burps.
THE SITTING BURP
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- Hold Baby while sitting up on your lap or across your knee and lean him forward slightly.
- Cradle his chin between your pointer finger and thumb and support his chest with the heel of your hand (make sure you’re supporting his chin, not his throat!).
- Gently patting his back. The cupping method could be used here as well. While he may wake up in any of these positions the important thing is to get him to burp
BONDING OVER BURPS
Sometimes it will take the baby a while to burp. The beauty in this is that it promotes parent/child bonding. Everything that a parent does with Baby will establish a meaningful connection. The building of trust begins by tending to Baby’s basic needs. Burping may seem like a tiresome job when you’re exhausted, but it is very therapeutic for parent and baby. Just think about it…this is a very short stage. Try to enjoy it!
WHAT IF BABY WAKES UP?
A common concern for tired parents is, what if I wake him up? Babies will wake up a lot during the process of learning their natural rhythm. Every baby is different and unique. Not one of them will eat, sleep, or burp exactly the same as another.
Babies are unpredictable in general and waking is inevitably going to happen. Just remember not to fret because he will go back to sleep. If he is unable to burp, he may actually wake up due to the pressure on his stomach. Even adults can relate to this uncomfortable feeling. Once it is relieved, he can easily be changed, rocked, and laid down to sleep. Learning methods that work best for Baby will come with time and repetition. After a while, parents tend to get into a flow with Baby, and this becomes an effortless task that can be done without waking the baby.
It ‘s easy to lose yourself in just completing tasks and not fully enjoying the baby. Whether it’s hormones, sleep deprivation, or just sheer exhaustion many parents stress a lot. Try reminding yourself – it’s just a phase. It’s just a short season in your life.
Take a step back and enjoy the little activities with him. Diaper changes. Infant massage. Time passes quickly, and you will miss it. When learning how to burp a sleeping baby and other necessary parenting duties, keep in mind that it is all worth it.
SOURCE: Babycaremag
www.aap.org
www.medpagetoday.com
www.kidshealth.org
www.parents.com
www.medpagetoday.com/gastroenterology/gerd/38726
www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/aap-press-room-media-center/Pages/Air-Swallowing-and-Burping.aspx
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