Yes, you should generally try to burp a newborn after a feeding, even if they're asleep, using gentle techniques to encourage burps without fully waking them, as trapped air can cause later fussiness, discomfort, and sleep disruptions; however, if they seem content and don't burp easily, you can often let them sleep and just be prepared for spit-up. The goal is comfort, so use gentle pats or rubs in upright positions like over the shoulder or on your lap, and don't stress if they don't burp immediately.
Some babies may be more prone to gas and discomfort if they go to sleep without being burped, while others may not have any issues. However, if a baby is already asleep and showing no signs of discomfort, it is generally safe to let them sleep without burping.
Keep the baby upright after their feed. Using a baby wrap or sling can be a good way to let the baby sleep in a semi-upright position, allowing the air bubble to escape without any work from the parent or caregiver. There is no need to stress if the baby does not burp.
In most cases, your baby will awaken and be ready to eat about every three to four hours. It is not necessary to wake a baby for feedings unless you have been advised to do so by your baby's doctor. However, do not let a newborn sleep longer than five hours at a time in the first five to six weeks.
Burping helps to get rid of some of the air that babies tend to swallow during feeding. Not being burped often and swallowing too much air can make a baby spit up, or seem cranky or gassy.
If a baby isn't burped, they may spit up while lying down, which can sometimes cause gagging or coughing. However, healthy babies have a strong gag reflex that usually prevents true choking.
When fed too much, a baby may also swallow air. This can produce gas, increase discomfort in the belly, and lead to crying. An overfed baby also may spit up more than usual and have loose stools. Although crying from discomfort is not colic, it can make crying more frequent and more intense in an already colicky baby.
The 5-3-3 rule is a loose guideline for structuring a baby's sleep schedule: 5 hours of wake time before the first nap, 3 hours of wake time before the second nap, and 3 hours before bedtime.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, infants should generally not spend more than two hours in their car seat at a time.* Think about it. You probably get fidgety after sitting for 2 hours — and remember, as an adult your movement is less restricted when using a lap-and-shoulder seat belt.
Most newborns lose weight in the first few days after birth. They usually regain this lost weight within 1 to 2 weeks after birth. Until then, it's important to feed your baby often. This might mean waking your baby for a feeding, especially if it's been more than four hours since the last feeding.
Symptoms of colic
After some time has elapsed, commonly around 20 minutes or so, you'll notice that Baby is mostly asleep and sucking-rhythm has become slowed while sucks have become more gentle, some describe it as “fluttery.” At this point, use your finger, at the corner of baby's mouth, to break the suction of the latch.
To burp your sleeping baby, try different positions like over-the-shoulder, face-down on your lap, sitting upright, or across your arm, keeping movements gentle to avoid waking him up. If burps don't come, don't stress. Babies may pass gas naturally, spit up later, or wake fussy.
You don't need to spend ages burping your baby, a couple of minutes should be enough. There are a few ways to burp your baby. Try them all out and see which works best – or use a combination.
Burping is a widely practiced caregiving routine in newborn care, believed to release swallowed air, reduce regurgitation and minimise colic. Despite its near-universal application, scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of burping in healthy term infants remains limited and conflicting.
In almost all non-Western societies, 40 days after birth is seen as necessary for recuperation. Among most non-Western cultures, family members (especially female relatives) provide strong social support and help new mothers at home during this period.
"The first five to eight minutes of sleep is shallow sleep," she explained. "So if you immediately place their infant down after they're asleep, you'll hit the shallow sleep, they'll wake up and you'll be unsuccessful. That's why you want to wait for that five to eight minutes after the infant falls asleep.
Why Does SIDS Peak at 2-4 Months? The widely accepted explanation for the SIDS peak has to do with the timeline of brain development. “Up to 4 months old, the part of the brain that controls breathing and wakefulness is under a lot of development,” Juliet explains.
Around this time, most babies cry and fuss more. This is a typical part of development and will pass in time. It usually peaks around 6-8 weeks and starts to settle at around 12-16 weeks.
The Navy SEAL sleep technique offers a quick eight-minute napping method by elevating legs, potentially aiding relaxation and circulation.
SIDS is less common after 8 months of age, but parents and caregivers should continue to follow safe sleep practices to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death until baby's first birthday. More than 90% of all SIDS deaths occur before 6 months of age.
But when your infant has painful gas, especially if it's frequent, it can cause your baby to cry or become fussy—until it's passed; unlike colic, which causes crying and fussiness that lasts for hours across days and weeks. Gas can have distinctive symptoms, too, such as a swollen-looking belly.
The experts note some other signs of overfeeding a breastfed or bottle-fed baby include:
Does swaddling help with gas? It can! Research shows that swaddling (when done correctly) can reduce excessive crying, soothe pain, and improve sleep. This means a swaddled baby is less likely to take in air from crying, which means less gas.