Gas and farting are natural for both babies and adults. But babies tend to fart a lot as their digestive system hasn't completely developed yet. If your baby is farting a lot, you can help them to burp after feeding. Otherwise, baby exercise is also a great way to get rid of the air inside your little one's intestines.
Having just spent nine months as fetuses developing in fluid, newborns have no experience with air until they take their first breath. Then, if they swallow some air when they cry or feed, eventually, some of the air comes up as a burp. Gas expelled from below (farts) comes from a different source.
There is no need to stress if the baby does not burp. There are times when a baby will not burp or has no air to release. If the baby does not burp despite using the methods above, do not worry. One study found that burping does not significantly reduce colic episodes.
If you're concerned about what happens if your baby won't burp after feeding, try not to worry. He'll likely be just fine and will end up passing the gas from the other end. Other babies may spit up in the crib later on, or they'll wake up fussy and need that burp you tried to get out of them before.
If you suspect that your fussy baby is genuinely uncomfortable, and they keep squirming and pulling up their legs, they might have some gas that refuses to pass. The best way to confirm your suspicions is to try some gas-relieving techniques such as burping them and/or moving their body into different positions.
Take heart that when sleepy babies feed, they're usually so relaxed that they're less likely to intake extra air. If you find that he isn't fussy, wiggly, or restless at wake-up time, he may not need to burp each time. In short, it's okay to put him to sleep without burping.
Keep your baby upright
It's true that some breastfed babies simply don't need as much burping. No matter how long you pat your baby, nothing comes out of him. If that's the case, then at least keep him upright or at an angle for a few minutes after breastfeeding.
You do not need to spend ages winding your baby – a couple of minutes should be enough. There are a few ways to wind your baby. Try them all out and see which works best – or use a combination.
A study of 71 mother-baby duos found that burping babies did not reduce the rates of colic but did increase the rates of regurgitation or spit-up compared to not burping babies.
Place your baby face down on your lap or your forearm so they're looking sideways, supported by your knee or hand. Rub your baby's back gently with your other hand. Avoid this position if your baby brings up milk or vomits a lot. Some babies might be unsettled during and after a feed until they've been burped.
If your baby doesn't burp after a few minutes, change the baby's position and try burping for another few minutes before feeding again. Always burp your baby when feeding time is over.
Also, babies with colic may burp frequently or pass a significant amount of gas, but this is thought to be due to swallowing air while crying, and is not a cause of colic. The face may be flushed. The abdomen may be tense with legs drawn toward it.
Patting your baby on the back helps move the air bubbles up, but sometimes the patting isn't enough. If he won't burp, try patting him more firmly with your whole palm, as light pats may not be effective. Another option is to pat his bottom. Many parents swear this is the only way to get their babies to burp.
Some breastfed babies may not need to burp as often, as they may not swallow as much air. If your baby hasn't burped after some time, go back to feeding.
Your newborn may be just fine if she doesn't burp before sleeping, particularly if you're breastfeeding and your baby isn't that gassy, so panic not. But if you can burp your sleeping baby, this could help avoid baby waking early or being uncomfortable due to gas.
Sit your baby on your lap supporting the chin and chest with one hand. Rub or pat the back with your other hand. Tip: Use repeated, gentle pats on your baby's back. Rest your baby faced down on your lap and gently rub or pat the back.
As a general rule, if your little one seems unsettled or restless during a feed, it might be time for a little burping break. If your baby seems happy to keep on feeding, it's usually OK to wait until after the feed is over before winding him or her. Signs of trapped wind can include: Crying.
“Almost all babies will find some baby gas relief by sucking on a pacifier,” O'Connor says, because the sucking action releases endorphins that will soothe them. Infant massage. Simply rubbing your child's belly may be helpful, since massage can help calm the nerve signals in baby's immature intestines.
It can be tricky to decipher between baby colic, gas, and regular crying and fussiness, but there are a few things to look for. In general, if your baby is crying for three or more hours a day, three or more days a week, for three or more weeks, you may have a colicky baby in your arms.
The gas escapes while they rest. Babies should always sleep on their backs, even if they're gassy. Do not try to relieve your baby's gas by putting them to bed stomach down. You can, however, try burping them while they're laying stomach down across your lap or give them some supervised tummy time to move the gas.
If your baby won't burp, it's not always a bad thing. Don't worry as long as they seem content and sleep well after a feed. It's likely they didn't take in much air, and any excess bubbles that are made in their tummy will be passed as gas.