How to Burp Your Baby

When a baby feeds, air bubbles can build up in the stomach. If your baby stops feeding before consuming a regular amount of food, he may need to be burped to get the air out. Many breastfed babies don’t need to be burped. Those who do should be burped between switching from one breast to the other. Bottle-fed babies should be burped after, and sometimes during, feedings.

To burp your baby, use one of the three burping positions shown below while gently patting his back and supporting his neck and head. Remember to protect your clothes from spit-up with a cloth.

If your baby doesn’t burp after a few minutes, it probably means that he doesn’t have to burp.