# Do you wind/burp your baby after a feed?



## ann_of_loxley (Sep 21, 2007)

Just curious as if any of you wind/burp your baby after they have finished nursing?
Do you really need to?
Is it going to vary from baby to baby?
Is it true that they dont do it in other countries (like say, India, etc)?

Thanks


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## dziwozony (Aug 27, 2006)

my ds is a toddler now, but when he was a baby i never did. in the beginning i wondered, "maybe i should?"...but he never seemed to have trouble burping in his own good time, so never pursued it. i think it's a western culture obsession. some babies seem to have one hell of a time with wind, but i wonder what else is going on (mum's diet or something), because i would think most babies should be capable of sorting it out on their own! maybe i just got lucky with mine?


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## LegalScrapper (Aug 21, 2008)

With my daughter I did it sometimes -often I'd skip it at night.

With this baby, I have to do it after each side - so 2x with each feeding. Otherwise he screams and fusses.


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

DD1 I pumped for, and bottle fed, so yeah. She needed it badly. She'd spit up badly otherwise.

The twins, I sometimes burped them after daytime feedings, if they were still awake when we finished nursing. If they were sleeping, I let them be, and at night I only burped if they seemed squirmy or uncomfortable. They never seemed to need it as much, and they were fed almost entirely at the breast. And often, I'd just hold them upright over my shoulder and walk around a bit, and they'd burp all on their own. I think that it's mostly necessary in our culture, where so many people want to immediately lay the baby down after feeding. If babies were carried upright, I think more of them would indeed be able to take care of it on their own, like the PP said.

And I stopped burping entirely with all my kiddos once they could sit alone-- then if they needed burping, I'd just sit them up on my lap or on the floor, and they'd do it on their own.


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## GardenStream (Aug 21, 2007)

I had to when they were newborns. It didn't take long for me to figure out that they would spit up/projectile vomit when I didn't burp them. That went away at around 2 or 3 months though. After that I didn't worry about it. They have no problem burping on their own now.


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## hedgehogs4 (Aug 22, 2008)

I burped neither DC after the first few weeks as they seemed not to need it after that age. DD is 3 months and only spits up maybe every other day.


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

I always did when she was tiny, and I still do during the day, although she rarely burps, or she'll burp on her own before I even start patting her back. At night, she falls back to sleep while nursing and I just lay her back down. She hasn't had any problems as a result so far.


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## FullMetalMom (Aug 27, 2008)

I always had to burp dd because I had a very strong let down and she got a lot of air during the day. At night I found it pointless as she was usually asleep when she finished eating and didn't swallow much air at night. I stopped burping her around 9 or 10 months, this is also the time around which she stopped spitting up completely.


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## birdie22 (Apr 1, 2005)

DS1 never seemed to need it. DS2 needs it almost every time or he spits up the whole meal. At 5 mos, it's getting better; I no longer burp him at night.


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## tjjazzy (Jan 18, 2007)

oh, yes! sometimes several times during a feed. he spits up something awful, this child of mine!


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## Logan's mommy (Jan 19, 2007)

I do sometimes, if he hasn't fallen asleep. I've noticed that if I don't he tends to spit up more often. But if he falls asleep I'll usually just hold him upright on my chest for a little while.


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## Leisha (Jan 16, 2008)

I do usually burp dd (who's almost two months), otherwise she tends to spit up a bit.

I don't do it at night though when she falls asleep (and me too







: ) while nursing. Sometimes she dribbles/spits up a little milk then, but not often, and I always put a prefold under her head anyway (cause my boob might leak too







)

If she falls asleep while nursing during the day (which is most of the time), sometimes I do burp her and sometimes I dont... I kind of try to guess if she swallowed a lot of air or not and if necessary I put her against my shoulder, that does sometimes wake her up of course.
I noticed that when she just sleeps in my arms she doesn't spit up even when I don't burp her - I guess cause she's a bit more upright then... But then when I put her down for her nap, completely "flat", she'll spit up more.
Sometimes she'll burp first thing when she wakes and I pick her up.


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## arelyn (Mar 24, 2006)

For some reason I thought you didn't have to with BF babies and Kai was great for the first three days. Then he started having terrible gas and acting like he was in pain. I asked my midwife and the first thing she said was: "Well, are you getting a lot of gas out when you burp him?" I felt so silly! From then on I burped him at every daytime feeding and he was much better (and on the occassions when he was still gassy we gave him the gripe water in the blue bottle and it worked SO WELL).


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## Leisha (Jan 16, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *arelyn* 
For some reason I thought you didn't have to with BF babies and Kai was great for the first three days. Then he started having terrible gas and acting like he was in pain. I asked my midwife and the first thing she said was: "Well, are you getting a lot of gas out when you burp him?" I felt so silly! From then on I burped him at every daytime feeding and he was much better (and on the occassions when he was still gassy we gave him the gripe water in the blue bottle and it worked SO WELL).

Hehe you're not the only one, I too thought bf babies didn't need to burp, and dd was fine for the first week or so and then the fussiness and gas and spitting up started








With me it was my mom who told me I should burp dd...


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## Mel*APMomma (Oct 23, 2008)

Jayden is only a month old so I burp her after her feedings during the day but at night (we cosleep) and I nurse her laying on my side. When she wakes up in the middle of the night, I latch her back on and fall asleep so I don't burp her at night.


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## ibusymomto5 (Jan 29, 2003)

My baby is 3wks. I usually burp him after feedings during the day but not at night. We cosleep, and we both just barely wake enough to get latched on and then we both drift back off to sleep. The first week I burped him even in the night, but we've gradually gotten off of it somehow.


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## Pyrodjm (Jan 9, 2007)

Always during the day, occasonally at night. DD has a bit of reflux so she is very uncomfortable until the burb come out.


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## SpiderMum (Sep 13, 2008)

If DD is wiggling a lot and won't stay latched, I'll try it....but usually she burps on her own. She'll pause while nursing, burp loudly while still on the breast, and go right back to eating.


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## meemee (Mar 30, 2005)

wow!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! you banished 6 years of guilt i had been carrying around.

i thought you ALWAYS had to burp your child.

but i felt terrible and never burped my dd at night. i mean i couldnt do that to a baby falling asleep who just looked so content. since she slept so little and was colicky.

and i always felt guilty doing that. like i was doing something wrong. that i wasnt being a good mother.

and its a weight i have carried all this while on my shoulder. and even though i am still nursing her - didnt help that guilt. that i can still carry on with family pressure and all that i have to face against it - still felt i did something wrong to my newborn.

and now i learn its OK?!!!! OMG can you beileve that?!!! I went with my gut and it was indeed OK!!!!!

WOW!!! I am bowled over.


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## damselfly41 (Sep 21, 2006)

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I never do at night.


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## 3pink1blue (Jun 23, 2008)

DS is my first to need burping. (Even my FF babies didn't.) I have a very forceful letdown, so i find that its best if I burp him about 5 minutes into a feeding (maybe 1/3 of the way through) and then again at the end.

His belly gets hard and sore if I don't, and often i end up using colic tabs.


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

I did it when they were newborns, or if they seemed to need it. It wasn't a constant thing though, and certainly didn't continue when they were bigger.


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## lafemmedesfemmes (Nov 16, 2003)

ds1 didn't need it. ds2 did, and i was surprised that he did. both are/were breastfed and ds2's stomach was apparently much touchier than ds1's.

christina


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## ChetMC (Aug 27, 2005)

All of our kids burped on their own when they needed to. I tried "burping" our first, and it always made her angry.


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## Malva (Nov 2, 2005)

With dd yes. With ds no.


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## Caterina (Jul 18, 2008)

As a first-time mama to a 12 day old, I'm thankful for all this info! My babe burps sometimes after daytime feedings, but I'm not burping her at night (we're co-sleeping) since she doesn't seem to need it. She's spitting up after about half her daytime feedings, but I'm wondering if stopping her mid-feed to burp will help? I just started trying it today! I guess some babies just spit up more... She's gaining well and loves to nurse!


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## LianneM (May 26, 2004)

I don't usually need to. I'm a patter by habit though, so sometimes I'm patting and she burps









It definitely varies by baby, though. My friend has to burp her baby every time, even at night.


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## Teenytoona (Jun 13, 2005)

I don't at night. I used to all the time when she was a newborn. Now, I usually don't except for every so often I will for I don't know why - old times sake? Usually just moving her from nursing postion to upright (or something else) will bring up any bubbles.

Mr Toona does burp her post bottle of EBM, but that's different.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

It's pretty rare, so I don't have a good feel for when she needs to be burped yet. Sometimes I do realize she needs burping and I can just sit her up straight or stand her up on my lap and it's all good.


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## lwuertz (Apr 22, 2008)

If she's being really noisy and keeps popping on and off during nursing I'll burp her. If not, no.


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## njbeachgirl (Oct 8, 2006)

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Never during a nighttime feeding!

DD was not much of a burper- DS is.


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