Tag Archives: Eat

The Art of the Burp

With the arrival of A Modern Dad 2.0, we will refocus on newborn issues, while continuing to talk about the trials and tribulations of also raising a toddler. As such, one of the primary anxieties for new parents in the first few days after a newborn arrives is feeding. Is the baby latching on properly? Is she getting enough? When will the mother’s milk come in? Is he hungry? Is she full? These questions are all common concerns, often with no clear and immediate answer. In most cases, this all works itself out within a week or so, and everyone moves on to the next most pressing matter of the day or week.

We would like to talk a little bit about how to manage a very important aspect of feeding in the days and weeks after the milk and/or formula really start flowing…the burp. As a baby gains strength and starts to consume more milk, they tend to take more and more air into their little stomachs. For many babies, air and gas is the root of most evil. This usually leads to fussiness and discomfort, and it often leads to inconsistent sleep patterns as the air and gas cause intermittent pain as it tries to work its way through their little systems. In order to keep your baby comfortable, and keep you and your spouse sane, figuring out how to burp your little one is critical. Here are a few suggestions to hopefully help things go a little more smoothly.

Timing

In most cases, you will want to burp as much as possible, often during feeding at the halfway point, and always after you are done. Obviously, you need to use your own judgment here, but it is usually wise to clear the air from your baby’s tummy when you switch breasts or after every 2 to 3 ounces from a bottle. This will create more room to ensure you little one gets enough nourishment, and it will also help to reduce the likelihood that they will spit up and lose all their hard work. Once the feeding is finished, you will again want to clear as much of the remaining air as possible so it doesn’t cause additional gas problems later.

Positioning

How you position your child for burping will vary from baby to baby and parent to parent, but there are a few tried and tested positions to keep in mind. The first, and probably most common and convenient, is the standard over the shoulder. The allows you easy access to pat your baby’s back, and it keeps them upright with a little pressure on their stomach so the air can work its way up and out, without bringing a lot of milk with it. The second is placing your baby in a sitting position and sideways on your own lap. When a baby is still really small, it can be a bit tricky to properly support their head and body with only one hand (while patting their back with the other), but this has always worked well for me, as the baby’s semi-slumped position tends to bring the air out of their stomach a little more effectively. A third position that you might want to try is laying your baby face down on your lap, with their head resting on one leg and their stomach over the other leg. Support the baby with one hand, while patting their back with other.

Techniques

In addition to the three positions that are commonly used, I often work in a few other techniques that seem to help. For our first daughter, and now our second as well, I have found that while holding them upright on my shoulder, if I lean to my right (the babies left), that often helps release a burp. I also lean the baby (and my torso) forward and back and to the left and right, while bouncing slightly with my knees. This all seems to help work the bubbles to the proper area of the stomach where they can be released up the esophagus. And that, my friends, is how an engineer over thinks the common baby burp.

Back Pats

While burping your baby, it is common to pat their back to help break up air bubbles in their stomachs. It usually doesn’t take much force, so please be gentle with your fragile newborn, and just take your time. Burps have never harmed a baby, and all burps clear themselves eventually. Rubbing the back of a newborn, in addition to or instead of patting, may also be effective for some.

Always Use Protection!

For most of the first twelve months or so, you will want to always have a burp cloth handy. With a backup always nearby as well. Any time you decide to perch a newborn on your shoulder or lap, you are asking for trouble. If you are covered with a burp cloth or a lightweight blanket, you should be able to avoid most major messes. This is especially important when away from your home or traveling. There is nothing worse than having to travel all day with the smell of baby spit up wafting from your shoulder (hyperlink). Trust me.

Queues

Occasionally, you may need to revisit the burping process in between feedings, if your baby becomes fussy. A key queue to listen for is a grunting sound that sounds like your baby is trying to force out some air…because that is probably what they are trying to do. They might also be trying to force something out the other end, or both, but if they recent had a diaper change, then chances are they just need a little help with another burp.

Prevention 

For the most part, burping and gas and spit up are just past of the program. There is nothing unusual about it, and as a baby grows and gets stronger, it usually becomes less and less of an issue. However, in some of the more extreme cases of gassiness and spitting up, it might be a sign of other issues like lactose intolerance or food allergies. If you are worried about this, or if it runs in your family, it is probably worth discussing with your pediatrician. Over-the-counter medications such as Mylicon or gripe water might be worth a try. Another issue might be equipment malfunction. Be sure that you are using the proper bottle nipple for the age of your child, and reasonable quantities of milk or formula, so to avoid the intake of excess air.

Sleeping Position

If your baby is really gassy and burpy, sometimes it helps to slightly elevate the head end of their bassinet or crib. This won’t always be possible to do safely, but if so, it might help keep your little one a little more comfortable through a nap or through the night.

(Image courtesy of imagerymajestic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Recommended Books for New Parents

Prior to the birth of our daughter, and over the past fifteen months since, we have received great advice and recommendations from friends and family.  This website is one of the things we decided to use to share and pass on this wealth of knowledge that we have gathered.  As such, we had the following books recommended to us, and we found them to be invaluable.  We encourage you to pick them up at your local book store or borrow them from your local public library.  Enjoy!

 

  • On Becoming Baby Wise – We had this recommended to us by several friends.  We followed their sleeping and feeding scheduling guidelines pretty strictly.  We also took the notion of full-feeding very seriously, and attribute that to our daughter’s even temperament and relaxed personality.  We also believe the Babywise principles played a significant role in her being such a great sleeper (slept thru the night consistently by 8 weeks) and a great eater.
  • Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child– In addition to the Babywise principles, we used the guidelines in this book to further refine our daughter’s sleep schedules, and to help us manage our expectations.
  • What to Expect BooksPregnancy/First Year/Second Year/Toddler – Lots of good nuggets of info in these books that helped us prepare beforehand for the first week at home with our daughter, and then the first several months after birth.  These books also really helped us to manage our expectations and provide a sort of roadmap for our daughter’s growth and development.  These books have good lists of developmental milestones that you can track each month to make sure the baby is on track with things.  These milestones gave us ideas as to when to introduce and work on rolling, crawling, and walking…as well as new toys to keep our daughter engaged.  We usually started a month or two before they recommended and we have been ahead of schedule most of the way so far.  Be sure to pick up the First Year book while still pregnant, as it will help with post-birth planning (i.e. picking a pediatrician, feeding supplies, breastfeeding, illness, childcare, etc.)
  • The Happiest Baby on the Block– This DVD has great advice and demos on how to calm your baby and keep your sanity.  Some of these methods seem like magic…but most of them worked for us.  Definitely good to help ease your anxiety and manage a fussy, overtired baby.
  • Dare to Discipline – Dare to Discipline is fairly religious, but the overall concepts are sound in helping to set boundaries and expectations with your little one early on.  The original version of the book is outdated (circa 1975) in its examples, but the concepts are the same.  The newer version should be a little more relevant.
  • Top 100 Baby Purees – This book provides a great base if you are interested in making your own baby food.  All you need is a food processor/blender, a few ice cube trays, and two hours every couple weeks.  We did this almost exclusively, with some supplementing with squeezy packs from Ella’s Kitchen, Happy Tot, and Plum while on the go.  It is easier than it sounds…at least according to my wife…and you know exactly what you are putting into your babies body (i.e. organic fresh veggies and fruits, no preservatives, etc.).
  • Making the “Terrible” Twos Terrific! – Making The Terrible Twos Terrific provides good insight on managing the typical behavior of your 18-36-month old child. It includes background on your child’s mental and emotional development during this time period, and gives you a decent understanding of what they are thinking and experiencing. It also explains how to navigate this incredibly formative time period in ways that will have a lasting impact on how your child will act and carry themselves as a teen…and ultimately how they will function as an adult. Definitely a worthwhile read.

Do you have other favorite books that you have found helpful and would recommend?  Any thoughts on the books listed above?  If so, please share and engage with our community in the comments below.  Thanks!

 

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