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3.10

How to burp a newborn

Support the head and neck in every position, pat gently with a cupped hand, and switch positions if no burp comes within a few minutes.

A sleeping baby held upright against a parent's shoulder, the classic over-the-shoulder burping position
Photo: G_Masters / Pexels
Area: PeopleFrom age 14Time to learn: 15 minutes, with practice on a doll

Burp a newborn over your shoulder, sitting on your lap, or lying face-down across your lap, after every 2 to 3 ounces from a bottle or each time you switch breasts, always supporting the head and neck.

SafetyCall your pediatrician if a baby vomits forcefully after every feeding, and call right away if there is blood in the spit-up or vomit. If a baby is choking or not breathing, call 911.

Why it matters

Babies swallow air while feeding, and burping lets some of it out so they can feed more comfortably. A newborn cannot hold up their own head, so every burping position depends on your hand keeping the head and neck steady.

How to do it

  1. Put a cloth or bib on your shoulder or under the baby's chin to catch spit-up.
  2. Over the shoulder: hold the baby upright against your chest with their chin resting on your shoulder. Support their head and back with one hand, and pat or rub their back with the other.
  3. Sitting on your lap: sit the baby on your lap and support their chest and head with one hand, cradling the chin in your palm with the heel of your hand on the chest. Hold the chin, not the throat. Pat their back with your other hand.
  4. Face-down across your lap: lay the baby on their tummy across your legs, supporting their head so it stays higher than their chest, then gently pat or rub your hand in circles on their back.
  5. Pat with a cupped hand, which is gentler than a flat palm, using light, steady pats.
  6. Burp after every 2 to 3 ounces (60 to 90 mL) from a bottle, each time you switch breasts, and at the end of every feeding. Burp more often if the baby is gassy, fussy or spits up a lot: every ounce from a bottle, or every 5 minutes at the breast.
  7. If no burp comes after a few minutes, change position and try for a few more minutes. If there is still nothing, carry on feeding; no baby burps every time.
  8. After the feeding, keep the baby upright for 10 to 15 minutes, or longer if they spit up, then lay them on their back on a firm, flat surface to sleep.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the head drop or pressing on the throat in the sitting position.
  • Patting hard; gentle pats with a cupped hand are enough.
  • Stopping a feeding for a long time to chase a burp that is not coming.
  • Laying a baby who spits up on their stomach or side to sleep, or raising the mattress on an incline; babies who spit up should still sleep on their backs on a firm, flat mattress.
You can do this when …you can burp a baby in all three positions with the head and neck supported the whole time, and you know when to switch positions or carry on feeding.

Sources

  1. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org), Baby Burping, Hiccups and Spit-Up
  2. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org), Why Babies Spit Up
  3. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org), What is the safest sleep solution for my baby with reflux?
  4. Nemours KidsHealth, Burping Your Baby

Sources and numbers last checked . How we check

Topic: Caring for a newborn

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1Body16 lessons
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