How to burp your newborn

What is burping for?

While sucking, at the breast or from a bottle, your baby also swallows a little air. Burping lets it out, so they feel more comfortable. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) adds a useful detail for bottle-feeding parents: pausing and changing position also slows the pace if your baby tends to drink too quickly.

Not every baby needs it in the same way. Some breastfed babies swallow very little air and may not burp at all: according to the AAP, that's normal.

When should you burp your newborn?

There are no fixed rules. The NHS puts it reassuringly: your baby will let you know. If they get restless during a feed, pull away or seem uncomfortable, take a break to burp them; if they're feeding calmly, wait until the end.

Two practical pointers from the AAP:

• with a bottle, a break roughly every 60–90 ml;
• when breastfeeding, as you switch from one side to the other.

There's no need to keep at it for long: according to the NHS, a couple of minutes is enough. If no burp has come after a few minutes, you can carry on with the feed.

What are the burping positions?

Try the three positions described by the NHS and the AAP and stick with the one in which your baby relaxes most. In all of them, the head and neck must always be supported, the back stays straight rather than curled up, and you never press on the throat.

1. Over your shoulder. Rest their chin on your shoulder, support their head and shoulders with one hand and gently rub or pat their back with the other. Walking around the room a little often helps.
2. Sitting on your lap. Sit your baby on your lap, facing forwards. Place your palm on their chest and support their chin and jaw with your fingers, without pressing on the throat; lean them slightly forwards and pat their back with your other hand.
3. Face down across your legs. Lay them across your knees, with their head slightly higher than their chest and their chin supported, and rub their back. This position is only for burping, while your baby is awake and in your arms: for sleep, babies must always be put down on their back.

What if no burp comes?

No baby burps every time, the AAP reminds us. If your baby does seem to have trapped wind, though, the NHS lists some signs: crying, arching the back, drawing the legs up towards the tummy, clenching the fists. In these cases, try this:

• lay them on their back and gently massage their tummy;
• move their legs back and forth, as if they were cycling.

If the discomfort happens often, talk to your paediatrician: they'll be able to tell you whether there's anything else to look into.

Is it normal for a baby to bring up milk after a feed?

Yes, in most cases. A little milk coming back up during or after a feed is very common: according to the NHS, it usually starts before 8 weeks and gets better on its own by around one year, when the muscle at the top of the stomach gets stronger. If your baby is content and growing well, there's usually nothing else you need to do. What helps:

• keeping them upright during feeds and for as long as possible afterwards (the AAP suggests at least 10–15 minutes);
• burping them regularly during feeds;
• always putting them down to sleep on their back, on a flat mattress: nothing to raise the head, and never on their side or front (NHS, AAP).

See your paediatrician if your baby isn't growing or is losing weight, if the reflux doesn't improve, if it starts for the first time after 6 months or if it continues after their first birthday.

Call them straight away, or contact the out-of-hours doctor service (guardia medica) or 112, if your baby's vomit is green or yellow or contains blood, if they are projectile vomiting, if there's blood in their poo, if their tummy is swollen or painful, if they have a high temperature, if they can't keep fluids down, or if they refuse to feed or cry and can't be settled.

What should you keep to hand?

Just one thing, but an important one: a muslin or a cotton cloth. When your baby burps, a little milk may come up too, and that's normal: the NHS recommends always having one ready.

Muslins for feeds and burping

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Ellepi Basic White Cotton Gauze Square

€5€2.50

Baby Gi Rudolf Red Cotton Muslin

€22.50

Mayoral White Cotton Muslin with Little Flowers

€22.50€15.75

Marlù Naturalbio Marsala Hot Air Balloon Cotton Gauze Muslin

€22.50

The advice in this guide comes from the sources below and does not replace your paediatrician's advice: if you have any doubts about your baby, ask them.