How to burp a baby without waking him up?

Question

at night, generally my three-week old baby takes things easy: wakes up, goes to the breast for some dinner and falls asleep. However, if we just put him down after eating and falling asleep, he makes all kinds of "choky" noises which sounds as if he's not getting rid of swallowed air. If I burp him by putting him on my shoulder and patting/stroking him, he typically (but not always) belches and that gives him an easier time when he's put down. However, this burping wakes him up again, which can mean that he'll demand more food, comfort etc etc.

Is it possible to gently burp a baby efficiently without waking him up?

Answer 1

if you take your baby away from the breast before he is all the way asleep and then try burping by putting him on your shoulder and gently pat his back till he is all the way asleep should work. it might take a couple of times to make it work, but before long you will be feeding, burping and getting your baby to sleep like a pro. this is the time where he is learning the rituals of what to do next. just take it easy and dont stress.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

My first born would nurse and then fall asleep. If I put him down without burping him first, he would be restless like your little one and would wake up too soon. It is best to burp him even if he has fallen asleep. He will rest easier. I found that rubbing his back more and patting less worked best. If he has been fed enough and you have burped him and put him down, and he wakes and wants attention, do not feed him again. Give him a pacifier. He is looking to be soothed and sucking soothes him. He may go for the breast but it's not because he is hungry. He just wants to suck and be soothed. Pacifiers are great as long as you don't over use them. Try rubbing his back while he is on your shoulder or laying tummy down on your lap. This always got a burp out of my children.

Answer 4

Bellemomma is absolutely correct. You may want to try to let your baby fall asleep on his own. My baby used to fall asleep on the breast, then I would burp him and he would wake up, then after burping him I would maybe give him a small feed (2 mins or so) so that he would fall back to sleep. That way, he would settle, but there would not be much air (remember breastfeeding babies don't have as much gas as bottle fed babes) BUT I don't recommend what I did as up until now, if he wakes up in the middle of the night the only way he can go back to sleep is if he has a feed. So in the long run, if you can, try to put him in his cot drowsy, but wake.

Answer 5

After feeding your baby AND before laying him down, put him on your shoulder and gently rub his back and give him a gentle bouncing up & down. He should burp and either stay asleep or drift back to sleep. Babies that age sleep about 16 hours in a 24 hour period. Don't worry about waking him ... just hold and cuddle him and he will go back to sleep. If he demands another feeding ... give it too him, he didn't get enough during the first because he fell asleep.

You will have to put him first right now... if he interfers with your sleep, then you will just have to adjust to his sleep schedule. Sleep when he does and wake when he does. Soon enough he will have it down pat. But you need to burp him ... or he could end up with a tummy ache and keep you up even longer with the crying.

Answer 6

Depends on the child if there choky sound as you put its there bodys natural way of getting ride of the air but do not go back to sleep till its stop in case they spit up. My kids would burp and the fuss for a few go back to sleep

Answer 7

what you are doing is fine if he wakes up after burping and wants more give it to him...at 3 weeks he can't fight his sleep so when he is satisfied and you burp him he will just fall asleep

i guess it's a lil hard on you so you don't want to wake him up...you can put him on his tummy in your lap or on your chest and when he burps put him to sleep on his back...he might sleep through that....also you don't have to pat his back you can just rub gently

as for the choking noises it's because he can't clear his throat...this is normal...he can't caught like we can when we have to clear our throat...this also happens when they feed too much...if he spits up while sleeping on his back he won't choke...babies sleep with their head to the side so if he spits up it will just run down

this can go on for some time but by 3-4 months it's gone maybe even sooner....if you are concerned mention it to your doctor at his next appointment...my daughter was like that even after she burped and i was so scared i hardly got any sleep at all....naturally as a mom it worries you but this is normal

i just read some of the answers they are crazy....at 3 weeks do not give a pacifier.....they need to feel hungry to feed for uptimum brain development and a pacifier tricks them so 3 weeks is too early for this.....i can't stress this enough do not put baby to sleep on tummy they can suffacate and die(SIDS)...there is no such thing as a baby not being able to breath due to regular phlem there has to be more to her story....aside from the Regina ignore all the other answers i'm not saying the are not good mom's but their answers are not correct

Answer 8

You could try laying him on his tummy and gently patting and rubbing his back. (so that if he "spits up" he won't choke on it.) If that doesn't help, then take him to the Dr. he may be filling up with phlegm. (That happened to my baby, and he had to be rushed to the hospital, at 120 miles an hour with a police officer literally breathing life back into him!) You didn't say, but this is very common with c-section babies. The Dr. will know what to do, they "suck " it out I guess. But don't wait too long, huh? I didn't even know that could happen until it did. Take care and God bless you both.

Answer 9

Have you just tried to stroke him on his back instead of patting?
He may not wake-up then and if he does instead of giving him more food try giving him a pacifier.
Congratulations!!
Good Luck!! Thankfully they get out of the newborn stage quickly and hopefully by 6 months he will not need and want the "middle of the night" feedings.

Answer 10

You can try rubbing his back in an upward motion, that might work. If that doesn't work, it might be a good time to start teaching him to fall asleep on his own, without needing to fall asleep on the breast. I am expecting my second baby and plan to teach him or her how to falll asleep on their own from the start, I regret not teaching my first how to do this. I spent many a night rocking, bouncing, feeding , walking, swinging, etc, trying to get her to sleep. Hope this helps. Good Luck!