How to Burp a Sleeping Baby

Newlywed partners and parents-to-be, don’t be scared if you don’t know how to burp a sleeping baby. We can help!

Sometimes, babies feel discomfort in their tummy if they’ve swallowed some air and need to burp. That can disrupt their peaceful sleep.

Your reaction might be that of a surprised and worried parent. But don’t worry, you can easily learn how to burp a sleeping baby.

In today’s article, we’ll give you tips and tricks on burping a sleeping baby and battling the pain caused by excess gas.

Why Babies Need to Burp

During feeding, babies can swallow air bubbles that end up trapped in their little tummies and cause discomfort or pain.

Burping can help babies relieve themselves of the trapped gas that causes discomfort and stomach pain.

And when you have a gassy baby, forget about sleeping. Swallowed air can make your babies uncomfortable and disrupt their sleep.

So, burping your baby can be the only way to get it out of a sleepless trap. And you can get your well-needed rest too.

Signs Your Baby Needs to Burp

Babies are human beings (duh). They don’t know how to talk, but they can still communicate and express their feelings.

So, if your baby feels discomfort and needs burping, it’ll start moving and even crying. It’s their way of saying: “Help me”!

Also, your baby’s sleep might get disrupted by the urge to burp. So, random wakeups at 3 a.m. might just be burp alarms.

You’ve just learned the signs that your baby needs to burp. Now it’s time to find out the best practices for burping a sleeping baby.

· Preparing for Burping

Firstly, you must set a comfortable, calm, and supportive environment for both you and your baby. Turn down any noise, dim the lights, and keep the room temperature between 20°C-22°C (68°F-72°F).

You should also gather essential supplies such as a bib, a towel, and extra clothes, in case your baby’s burps turn messy.

After getting everything ready, set the right time for burping your little cutie pie. If you don’t know what’s the perfect timing, follow the signs that we discussed earlier in the article.

· Burping Techniques for Sleeping Babies (Best Burping Positions)

It’s time to discuss the best UNICEF-approved burping positions for sleeping babies. We’ll give you a step-by-step guide for each burping technique, starting with the shoulder pat technique:

Hold your baby in an upright position;
Support its head on your shoulder;
Gently pat your baby’s back with your other hand;

If that burping technique doesn’t suit your baby, you can try the chin support method:

Position your baby on your lap;
Support its chin and chest;
With your other hand, gently pat the baby’s back;

Another alternative technique that can help you burp your sleeping baby is the laying on-lap method:

Lay your baby on your lap, face down;
Pat your baby’s back;

If the three different methods don’t work, you can try applying gentle pressure on your baby’s tummy or moving its legs in a cycling motion.

· Ensuring Safety and Comfort

Getting your baby to burp can be a long and nerve-wracking process, especially for younger parents. But it’s crucial to remain calm and ensure your baby is feeling safe and comfortable.

Constantly make sure you are supporting your baby’s sensitive body parts, such as the neck, head, chin, chest, etc.

Monitor how your baby responds to different positions and change them according to your baby’s liking.

· How to Deal With Stubborn Burps

Oftentimes (well, that’s an old phrase!), air gets trapped in your baby’s body, and it’s essential to remove it quickly.

After all, you don’t want your baby to feel constant pain and discomfort caused by swallowed air.

So, it’s time for parents to become superheroes and defeat the evil Air/Burp Monster! (I really couldn’t have come up with a worse name…)

Back to the point, you can try different techniques that can ease your baby and help it release swallowed air.

You can try skin-to-skin contact or massage your baby’s stomach, back, arms, or legs. You can also try singing a lullaby or softly telling your little one a bedtime story.

Doing these practices can help your baby feel more comfortable and ease the discomfort.

· Handling Disruption of Sleep

The evil Air/Burp Monster (I’m still sticking to this name) can cause a lot of trouble in your baby’s sleep. Getting your baby back to sleep in the middle of the night is a gut-wrenching experience for every parent.

That’s why it’s ideal to burp your baby before it goes to bed. But burps can still cause sleep disruption. So, you can try out the following strategy to ease your little one back to a peaceful sleep after burping:

Dim the lights;
Cancel out any noise;
Hold your baby close, supporting its head;
Gently pat your baby’s back;
Calmly repeat a “Shh” sound;
Stay calm during the whole process;

Establishing this sleeping routine can help you put your baby back to sleep as quickly as 40 seconds.

· When to Stop Burping a Baby

When your baby stops burping for a longer period, you can stop trying to burp it, especially if it doesn’t feel any discomfort.

There isn’t a strict rule that suggests when to stop burping a baby. With that said, on average babies won’t feel the need to burp after every feeding and you can stop with the burping process at 4-6 months old.

So, a calm and comfortable baby is a sign that you can let it sleep peacefully and that you can get your own rest too.

If you notice that your baby shows pain again, pick it up and repeat the burping techniques until it eases the discomfort.