I can’t burp my baby

[Lab2425]

FTM just looking for some advice/reassurance.

Baby is 16 days old and I literally cannot burp her! She had a bit of a traumatic entrance to the world and ended up in icu for 2 days after being born. I didn’t think I would ever be able to breast feed losing all that bonding time with her but after a week in hospital on bottle of my expressed milk, we got home and she latched amazingly.

Cue issue that she was sleepy in the night we decided to try a bottle for this feed and I think I’ve ruined our progress with the breastfeeding and I also given her some gas issues. Aware I might be over thinking this but I just can’t shake the thought.

now she’s back on the breast full time I am still trying to burp her but literally nothing is coming up. A tiny one here and there but nothing thing sounds like relief to me. Could it be she just doesn’t need to burp and it’s in my head that she’s uncomfortable??

Ive tried what feels like every single position possible. The ones online that seem most effective she literally thrashes around in my hands so I can do anything. I feel like a terrible mum not being able to help her

Any advice greatly received from a very stressed, overthinking, anxious mum…

This OP. My last child (that is not just over 1) I could never burp her. I may as well hung her upside down lol nothing mattered she just fed, rolled over and went back to sleep again. She was EBF from day 1, never took a bottle and still has boob morning and night right now. If it isn't broken, don't try to fix it. Congratulations too on your baby x

M youngest y son is 11. He was the funniest baby on the maternity unit. Burped without help for 2 days. Now farts like a trooper. . I used infacol for all my boys. Ithey are a happy baby. You are doing amazing . Early daya are hard for every new mummy. Xxxx

I have three sons and all three were very difficult to wind! Infacol really helped until they got older and winding them became a lot easier. Infacol binds bubbles of gas in their tummies together so they are brought up more easily, you can buy it in most places that sell baby items Asda tesco boots etc xx

They really don't. People just get a bit obsessed with this idea and yes some babies do need it, but loads of babies will just burp or fart in their own time if they need to.

I feel a bit sorry for the babies I see who are obviously just tired and wanting a cuddle but instead are being jiggled and patted and turned round and having their legs waggled and passed to dad and jiggled some more and patted harder, and then they start crying because they're just tired and want a cuddle but nobody will let them chill out because they haven't burped yet, and crying causes them to take in some air, which then means they then do eventually burp which just validates the parents idea that "wind" was the problem all along! It's exhausting and stressful just watching it, never mind being the baby subjected to it.

Just keep them upright for a bit (at least 15 mins) rub back, leaning them forward can help, just do things gently then lie them down if sleepy & they look content.

Don’t necessarily expect to hear much or every time.

Core strength? How do you get a baby to do planks and crunches?

I had 3 EBF babies and never burped them. Didn’t realise it t was a thing and they seemed none the worse for it. Sometimes they sicked up a bit of milk of their own volition but they never seemed uncomfortable after feeding. The opposite in fact. Well done for persevering.

Haha, it's more about making the most of tummy time with some additional small stretches whilst doing it, and some other small stretches as well 😊

It may be as others have said, that she just doesn’t need it. I found doing a figure of 8 on my baby’s back, while she was sat up, when she was very small, was quite effective at getting her to bring up any gas. Might be worth a try.

I sometimes wonder how my two managed to get to adulthood without all the prescriptive tummy time (god that phrase grates), burping and weaning methods that mothers today seem to have to follow.

Nothing is prescriptive, but mothers today are more informed and there is more data and evidence based science available to back it all up than there was 20yr+ ago. Know better do better and all that. Knowledge and experience change the game!

Don’t worry it’s really hard early on and it’s just used to try for half an hour, just keep them upright for twenty mins after feeding for now. And I got my other half to do the burping!

But there is so much conflicting information, that isn't backed by rigorous science and data, that it has got to the point where no-one trusts their own instincts, and mothers are feeling even more that they are failing or doing it wrong.
Where is the science and data that babies need burping or the best way of doing it, as evidenced by this thread!

Another one who gave up after the first few attempts. If they need to burp they will burp, trying in vain just winds you up and probably them too.

My two were EBF and rarely needed burping...it all seemed to vent the other end, when they were sleepy and relaxed.

Three ebf babies. All needed burping. I have a fast let down and it made them prone to taking in air when they were tiny.

Sit baby up on your lap, with your hand supporting their chin. Gently move their bodies in little circles. Majority of the time if there was a burp then this would get it out.