How To Burp A Sleeping Baby

Hi moms!

Let’s talk about burping baby when she’s sleeping.

Parents, guardians and childcare workers can all agree on one thing:
Once the baby is asleep, the last thing you want to do is wake them
up.

Even so, newborn babies need to be burped after being fed so they
can let out any gas that was made by swallowing air along with the
milk or formula.

Many babies are often nursed to sleep, naturally. Which means that
burping needs to be an even more delicate process than it already is.

Nursing or bottle-feeding a baby not only signals to them that their
tummy is filling, but they also engage in the soothing sucking motion
that helps them relax.

If your little one or the baby you are caring for dozes off during
feeding time, it is still important to take care to burp them before
laying them down to rest.

If you are not sure how to go about burping a sleeping baby, then
read on.

Why You Need To Burp Your Baby

As a parent, guardian, or caregiver, the responsibility to help nurture
the baby to become more self-sufficient is one of many that comes
with raising a child.

It just so happens that burping a baby is one of those many tasks
that you need to help a young one do until they can figure it out on
their own.

The Importance of Burping

Unlike kids and adults, babies cannot easily manage and release
their own gas.

Since babies do not have a lot of control over their own body, they
need help from someone much larger than them to pass gas.

Adults or other caregivers help babies deal with gas by repositioning
them so that the baby can burp properly. 

You need to burp a baby because failing to do so can result in the
baby dealing with gas build up in their tummy.

As the baby feeds, they swallow air which then becomes trapped
inside them, turning into gas which needs to be released.

If  baby is not burped and that gas is not released, then the baby can
often become gassy, they can spit up, or they can become cranky
because they are experiencing some level of discomfort.

Burping a baby can help you to avoid these issues.

When To Burp A Sleeping Baby

There is no such thing as perfect timing when it comes to kids, so
there is no such thing as perfect timing when it comes to burping a
sleeping baby.

Choosing when to burp a sleeping baby will mostly come down to
your preference and what your baby typically prefers.

It may only be important to you to do it at night at baby’s bedtime
and night feeding.

Burping During Feeding Breaks

A baby may fall asleep as soon as they start feeding or sucking on a
bottle. Some infants can keep sucking after falling asleep.

A sleeping baby may take in more air since they will not take a
natural pause to burp or let the food settle.

If this is the case, then you should gently try to stop feeding for a
moment to burp the baby. This works great if you needed to switch
sides or are mid-bottle, since you will need to take a break anyway.

Burping After Feedings

The most common time to burp a baby is after they are done feeding.
This is the case with burping a sleeping baby too.

If baby seems to be done with feeding, even though they seem fast
asleep, take a moment to gently burp them so that they can continue
to have sweet dreams.

How To Burp A Sleeping Baby

Burping a sleeping baby is almost exactly like burping an alert baby,
you just might want to reposition them even slower and gentler than
normal. Here are a few different ways to burp a sleeping baby.

Holding On To Your Shoulder

If you are feeding the baby in a mostly or semi-upright position, you
can gently and slowly move the baby to a fully upright position onto
your shoulder.

This position should feel like the baby is hugging your shoulder, with
their head just peering over the top of your shoulder.

This will keep your baby in a similar position to the one that they fell
asleep in while your shoulder lightly presses into their tummy.

This pressure helps release gas. If baby tends to spit up, keep a burp
rag over your shoulder to help with the cleanup.

Sloth Hold

The sloth hold directly puts pressure on the baby’s tummy and allows
you to pat the baby’s back to help them burp.

To get into this burping position, slowly turn the sleeping baby away
from you, so that their tummy rests on your forearm which is roughly at
a 45-degree angle.

The baby’s legs may dangle on either side of your forearm like a sloth
on a tree branch. This position is great since you can maneuver the
sleeping baby into it while you are sitting or standing.

Laying The Baby On Your Knees

If you are feeding the baby while sitting down, this position is great
since you simply have to gently move baby into a laying position in
your lap.

Position the baby so that their tummy rests on your knees, holding the
baby’s upper body so that their neck is supported.

Gently rocking or moving your legs while patting the sleeping baby’s
back will help them burp.

Holding The Baby On Your Chest

Like the shoulder position, the holding on the chest burping position is
a semi-to-fully upright burping position. Move the baby so that they are
close to your chest and allow their legs to curl up in a frog position.

Gently pat the sleeping baby on the back to help them burp.

This position is great if the baby needs to release gas from both their
mouth and their bottom. Keep a burp rag on your chest to help prevent
any messes.

There you are, moms. It can especially be important to burp baby if she
falls asleep at her middle of the night feeding. You don’t want baby to
start crying again an hour later. Hope you can get your rest! 

Have a great day! 

courtesy of FUN IN THE SUN @youtube.com

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