How long should I continue burping my baby?
Burping your baby: What you need to know
Once you’re little one arrives you’ll learn pretty quick that burping is an important part during and after feeding to help them remove air that they swallow.
If they swallow air it can cause them painful wind which is why it is important that newborns burp regularly - after drinking a few ounces, at natural pauses in feeds and at the end of each feed.
The gassy bubbles that can get stuck in your baby's tummy, can make them feel uncomfortably full and can cause discomfort, which often leads to them crying.
It’s recommended to burp your baby during feeding breaks and when they’ve finished eating. For breastfeeding mums, try burping before switching breasts. For bottle-feeding, it’s advised to try burping between every 2 to 3 ounces for newborns up to about 6 months old.
As they grow and reach around 3 months, your little one will be quite a pro at drinking and will begin to spend more time sitting upright and you will find they do not have to be burped as often. You may find at this point they are more able to burp themselves with little or no help, but this won’t be the case for all babies so it’s important to follow your child’s cues.
Even if they are showing the ability to burp themselves it’s still important to ensure you support them if they struggle to burp. There is no definitive age to stop burping your baby, but as your little one gets older and their digestive system becomes more mature, burping will become less of a necessity. Around the age of 4 to 6 months you’ll likely start to notice a change, and when your baby starts eating solid food around 6 months, the change will be more noticeable. If you still notice your baby is suffering from wind, it’s important to continue with burping as needed.
It’s completely normal for babies to burp, have wind and spit-up some of their milk but projectile vomiting is never normal. If your baby is throwing up large amounts after feedings, speak to your healthcare professional to look into what may be causing it.