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How do I burp my baby after side lying feeding?

How to Burp Your Baby After Side-Lying Feeding
Burping your baby is an essential part of feeding, especially after side-lying breastfeeding, as it helps release any air swallowed during the feeding process. This can prevent discomfort and fussiness later on. Here’s a detailed guide on how to effectively burp your baby after feeding in this position.
Understanding the Need to Burp
When babies feed, they often swallow air along with milk, which can lead to gas buildup in their stomachs. This can cause discomfort, making it crucial to help them release that air through burping. While breastfed babies generally require less burping than formula-fed ones, it’s still a good practice to ensure their comfort.
The Side-Lying Feeding Position
Feeding your baby while lying on your side can be a comfortable option for both you and your little one. However, it does require a slightly different approach to burping. After feeding, you don’t need to sit up or change positions drastically; instead, you can continue in a relaxed manner.
Steps to Burp Your Baby While Side-Lying
1. Positioning: After your baby has finished feeding, keep them in the side-lying position. Gently roll them onto their side, ensuring they are facing you. This position allows gravity to assist in the burping process.
2. Support Their Body: Drape your baby over your hip or thigh, with their tummy resting against your body. This slight pressure on their tummy can help push out any trapped air.
3. Gentle Patting: With one hand, support your baby’s head and neck, while using your other hand to gently pat or rub their back. Use a soft, rhythmic motion, as this can be soothing for your baby and effective in helping them burp.
4. Listen for the Burp: Be patient and listen for the burp. It may take a few moments, and some babies may not burp immediately. If they don’t burp after a minute or so, you can try adjusting their position slightly or giving them a little more time.
5. Alternate Positions: If your baby doesn’t burp in the side-lying position, you can try transitioning them to a more upright position. Hold them against your chest, supporting their head, and gently pat their back. This can sometimes help release any remaining air.
Tips for Successful Burping
– Stay Calm: Babies can sense your tension, so try to remain relaxed during the burping process.
– Be Gentle: Always handle your baby gently, especially if they are still drowsy from feeding.
– Watch for Signs of Discomfort: If your baby seems uncomfortable or fussy, it may be a sign that they need to burp.
Conclusion
Burping your baby after side-lying feeding doesn’t have to be a complicated process. By using gentle pressure and rhythmic patting, you can help your baby release any trapped air, ensuring they remain comfortable and content. Remember, every baby is different, so it may take some time to find the technique that works best for you and your little one.

How long should I wait if baby doesn’t burp?

If your baby hasn’t burped after 3-5 minutes of trying, it’s okay to continue their feeding and try again when the feeding is done, or try again in a few minutes. Even if you don’t hear a loud burp, oftentimes the process of trying to get the burp out is enough to relieve gas or discomfort for your baby.

Can a baby choke if not burped while sleeping?

And can go right into the air pipe causing the baby to breathe the spit up into their lungs. So it is always best to put your baby on their back to sleep for all sleeps nap time. And bedtime.

Will my baby be ok if he doesn’t burp?

Sometimes your baby may awaken because of gas. Picking your little one up to burp might put them 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 too much air.

Can you burp a baby while they lay on their side?

When baby is a little older, some parents opt to lay on their side and place baby face-down over their hip to help burp them. Sitting Up: Sit baby in an upright position, lean her slightly forward, and use one hand to support her chest and head and the other hand to rub and pat her back.

What are the side effects of side lying breastfeeding?

Occasionally women will find that their breasts don’t drain fully or evenly after feeding in the side-lying position. Excess milk in your breasts can lead to engorgement, plugged ducts, mastitis, or a decrease in milk supply, so you’ll want to keep a lookout for this!

What if baby doesn’t burp and falls asleep?

If your baby doesn’t burp, you can either just lay him down and come back in a few minutes if you feel like he really needs to have a burp or you can just lay him down and if he sleeps and doesn’t act fussy then he might be okay without a burp.

Does side lying feeding cause reflux?

Positioning your baby in an upright position during bottle feeding or feeding on their left side may help with symptoms of reflux during and after feeding. Placing your baby on their left side increases the distance from where the milk sits in the stomach to the opening to the oesophagus, thus making GOR less likely.

What if my baby won’t burp at the end of feeding?

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 too much air.

What if my baby won’t burp after feeding?

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 too much air.

How to burp after feeding in side-lying position?

After feeding, you can slowly turn them away from you at 45 degrees so their tummy rests on your forearm. Support their head in the crook of your elbow. Their legs may dangle on either side of your arm. This position puts pressure on their belly and you can gently pat their back until they burp.

Natasha Lunn

Tash is an IBCLC and Business Coach helping fellow IBCLCs create fun, profitable businesses that are more than just an expensive hobby. Before becoming an IBCLC and starting her private practice - The Boobala, Tash graduated as an Osteopath in 2008 and has been in Private Practice in South West Sydney. She was also a volunteer Breastfeeding Counsellor and Community Educator with the Australian Breastfeeding Association for 6 years. Through her business, Your Lactation Biz, Tash coaches and creates products to help new and seasoned IBCLCs build businesses that suit their personality and lifestyle.

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