What's your best burping technique?

[rumtumtugger]

I'd like to try out some new tried and tested techniques for getting those last stubborn pockets of air out!

I don't know why anyone would try to wind a settled baby but for those of us whose babies (even bf) won't settle after a feed till a burp comes up it is a bit of a touchy subject as waiting for that burp and, yes, trying to speed up its arrival becomes an obsession.
Maybe supermums are happy to sit awake all night with their lo upright to let nature take its course but some of us need some sleep.

Some posters on this thread (not ticktock) have definitely taken the tone that those "obsessed" with burping are hung up on it for no good reason and are just naive or ill informed to be basing our actions on our own baby rather than their experience.
This thread is a mix of personal experience and crazy sweeping generalisations. It's not surprising those speaking from personal experience may feel attacked.

tiktok, of course there is advice in your posts.

Winding is essential for babies the world over. Maybe there are some who jiggle and dont need jiggling. But trying to get a word from most to some, when you cant possibly be sure, and then want evidence is , and again I dont know which word to use.

When I asked questions about your credentials your reply was "I'm not medical but I do have a science background [I dont work as a scientist]". You could just have studied sciences at school for all that statement was worth.

Ok. Enough thread derailing now. I started this thread to ask for people's winding techniques so I could try new ones out, not to debate the evidence base behind the theory of winding per se. I would still like to find out about new winding techniques if there are any that haven't been suggested. If I just came to this thread now I would be terrified of posting for fear of being called out on my 'lack of evidence', so please, all of you that are continuing to debate - enough now. STOP.

Now, does anyone have any other tried and tested techniques for winding?

Thank you.

Rumtum I never wind ds if he's going in the sling and he'll often do a big burp when I put him in the sling and if he doesn't he settles nicely in it do during the day that's my main recommendation if it's convenient for you to use a sling

Oh and IME ds (can't speak for other babies) does need winding if he's not going in the sling

FT i learnt a lot from tiktok's posts in the past . I didn't take it on face value and was aware of her credentials from previous posts. Just took a quick search on mn to find those out, but I suppose you asking her again here at least adds this thread to the list. I followed up a lot of what she said elsewhere and find it all so fascinating. My 'page turners' are nowadays all books about bf,

The breastfeeding and bottle feeding board is an amazing source of support and information but inevitably there will be some disagreement because it's controversial and emotive subject matter. Tiktok does in fact to get challenged a fair amount but deals with it gracefully and continues to offer her advice and support on this board.

Find it funny to sound so serious on a thread about burping!

I use the 'over the shoulder' followed by some sitting on my lap supporting the jaw then back over the shoulder. The burp usually comes at a change of positions.
When over my shoulder ds will only burp if he's relaxed and has his legs down straight.

Ds needs to burp at least nine times out of ten if he's going to be put down (cot, basket, paymat, carseat or bouncy chair).

I find the best wind management technique is to unscrew the bottle collar as much as possible without it leaking before giving a feed. It makes the sucking easier and the bubbles seem less and not as troublesome.

"tiktok, of course there is advice in your posts." This is a quote from you, FT.

Where is the advice I am supposed to have given?

FT you say, "Winding is essential for babies the world over"

If by this you mean, 'virtually all babies wherever they live need special techniques to enable them to get rid of air in their digestive tract' then you are making sweeping statements.

You cannot know this, FT, and if you do know, then share how you know it.

I can't think I am being unreasonable in asking for evidence.

There are some sweeping statements we can make, because we know sufficient about physiology and anatomy etc etc to apply it to all babies everywhere.

So, for example, 'babies the world over need to be fed in order to grow' , or 'babies the world over wake at night' or 'babies the world over are unable to regulate their own body temperature well and need help to do this'....all statements based on evidence.

Thanks, catellington :)

rumtum, I sympathise with your concerns.

But the only evidence I asked for was to the poster who said all babies need winding otherwise they will be in pain.I haven't responded to anyone else's tips (apart from saying that warm breath on the baby's back will not cause the wind to rise....).People have happily shared their experiences and ideas, and that's a good thing :)

If you think people will be scared to post because of my request for evidence for this statement, presumably you would worry that people who don't wind will wonder if they should?

It's a good thread - lots of ideas that might help others. But the notion that winding is essential to avoid pain in 'most' babies is the bit you shouldn't like :)

Sorry, being precise, this was the statement I challenged by asking for evidence:

""most babies need burping or the trapped air wil travel down the gut and either make them a bit sick or give them painful wind."

Tiktok, I stated early on in the thread that I appreciated some of the advice you have previously given. That still stands. However, I don't appreciate the way you continue to derail this thread. If you want to debate the merits of burping and to demand evidence-based support, then do start your own thread on this topic. There is clearly a lot of interest in debating it, I would just prefer this not to be on the thread I have started.

Now, if anyone has any other new burping ideas and anecdotes then please share! I tried the walking down the stairs technique and it produced a burp so loud that my neighbours heard it!

Thanks, too anything.

tiktok

"most babies need burping" is what I said.

you are right in that some don't need to be burped as they will do it themselves without adult intervention - this has been the experience of sone of the parents of this thread.

perhaps what I should have said was that most babies NEED TO BURP.
because they do.
they need it and they do it.

they swallow air when they feed or cry. and if they don't burp the trapped wind will come out the other end, causing some discomfort/pain in the process.

this is far from scaring anyone. it's what happens.

Good that you clarified, Zing - the worry was you mentioned pain if babies are not burped (ie if someone did not burp them). It's a crucial difference.

It would have helped if you had been clearer about what you meant....hours and hours ago :) It's not as if you didn't have plenty of opportunity to clear it up.

I think you are a bit sweeping, however, that burping (self induced or not) is inevitably part of every feed - babies sometimes nod off quite happily and peacefully without it and you must have seen this.

You are also overstating it, when you say that air remaining in the digestive tract is always a problem, and that if it doesn't come out the top end it always causes pain at the bottom end

Unless, of course, you have evidence for this :)

Ffs. Ok, truce?! Now can we please go back to the original request and stop with the debate here? Winding techniques anyone?!

Tiktok, please start your own thread, your continued input doesn't help me here.

rumtum, I understand, but my only input today has been in response to people addressing me directly.

But I will just maintain a dignified silence from now on!

I didn't say "always", so don't put words in my mouth tiktok.

and evidence? biology is evidence . experience is evidence.
besides I don't need to prove you anything as this is not a court case.

I give advice based on my experience and what I know.
I don't assume others know better or worse, I merely state what I think, so not sure where your judging and criticism and patronising is coming from.

rumtum here's what helped with dd who was sooo hard to burp when small and did certainly feel discomfort if not burped:

• up and down the stairs as already mentioned

• lay horizontal for a minute, then back to vertical (dd would sometimes burp after a nappy change, still does!)

• sit on knee, facing sideways, and tilt gently backwards and forwards and sideways (almost as if baby is a joystick iyswim) while supporting back and chin so airway is as straight as poss

• sit on knee upright and vibrate knee

• tiger in a tree position with my hand supporting her chin

• burp frequently during feed, not just at the end (though I wouldn't break latch to do this, just wait till she takes a break)

Thanks minipie :) I like the joystick visual!

rum

I sent you a PM