Burping A Breastfed Baby: How Often, And Does It Even Matter?

Many new mums wonder if it necessary and how often they should be burping breastfed baby. Read on for burping and advice...

Almost nobody tells new parents this, and it saves a lot of 2am standing around in the dark:

Breastfed babies often don’t need burping at all.

A baby at the breast controls the flow herself and swallows very little air. Bottle-fed babies swallow much more, so they need more help getting it back out. Burping only became standard practice once bottle feeding became common. It was never a universal requirement.

So if you’ve made a reasonable attempt, she hasn’t burped, and she’s comfortable and settled: that’s a finished job, not a failed one.

When to try

There’s no schedule to keep to. Go by the natural pauses:

If you feed from both breasts: when you switch sides, and again at the end
If she takes one breast per feed: at a natural break, or when she comes off at the end
If she’s bottle-fed or takes expressed milk: more often, roughly every 60–90ml, because she’s taking in more air
Any time she comes off looking uncomfortable: squirming, arching, pulling her knees up, fussing mid-feed instead of at the end

Don’t wake a sleeping baby to burp her. If she’s fed and drifted off peacefully, she’s telling you what you need to know.

Positions to try


Position	How	Good for
Over the shoulder	Her chin resting just past your shoulder, her tummy against your chest, one hand supporting her bottom and the other patting	The default. The pressure of your shoulder against her tummy does half the work.
Sitting upright on your lap	One hand supporting her chest and jaw, cradling the chin, not gripping the throat, leaning her very slightly forward, patting with the other	Babies who dislike being upright against you, and a good one for seeing her face.
Face down across your lap	Lying along your thighs, head slightly higher than her chest, supported and turned to the side	The one to try when the other two have failed. Often works when nothing else does.

With a newborn, support her head and neck in every position. She has no control of her own yet.

Pat gently and cup your hand instead of using a flat palm. Firm rhythmic pats work better than hard ones. Rubbing upwards along her back is just as effective and some babies prefer it.

If no burp comes

Try for a minute or two. If nothing happens, change position and try for another minute or two. A different angle very often releases it. If still nothing, stop.

Then judge by her, not by the burp:

Settled, content, sleepy? There was probably no air to bring up. Carry on.
Squirmy, arching, drawing her legs up, crying and hard to settle? There’s likely trapped air. Try a different position, hold her upright against you for a while, or lie her on her back and gently cycle her legs. It’ll come out one end or the other.

A good habit either way: hold her upright for ten to fifteen minutes after a feed instead of laying her straight down. It costs nothing and helps both wind and posseting.

Wind, posseting or reflux?

These get run together and they aren’t the same thing.


	What it looks like	What to do
Wind	Discomfort during or shortly after a feed, relieved by a burp or a fart	Burping, upright holding, leg cycling
Posseting	Small effortless dribbles of milk after feeds in a baby who’s otherwise happy and gaining weight	Nothing. Extremely common and it passes.
Reflux	Bringing up milk during or after most feeds, sometimes with discomfort, arching or crying. Usually starts before 8 weeks and settles by around a year.	Feed and wind upright, burp more often during feeds, keep her upright afterwards. See a doctor if she isn’t gaining weight, refuses feeds, or is distressed.

Silent reflux is one to know about: the same discomfort, but she swallows it back down instead of bringing it up, so there’s nothing visible to explain the crying.

When to speak to someone

Wind is uncomfortable, not dangerous. See your doctor or polyclinic if there’s:

Forceful or projectile vomiting, as opposed to dribbling
Green or bile-stained vomit, or blood
Poor weight gain, or fewer wet nappies than usual
Refusing feeds, or pulling away and crying at almost every feed
Inconsolable crying that doesn’t fit the usual pattern

If feeding itself is the struggle, with her taking in a lot of air, clicking, or slipping off, that often points back to the latch, not the burping. Our guide to latching covers what to check.

Frequently asked questions

Do breastfed babies need to be burped?

Often not. A baby at the breast controls the flow herself and swallows very little air, so there may be nothing to bring up. Burping became routine practice only as bottle feeding became common. If you’ve made a reasonable attempt and your baby is settled and comfortable, there’s no need to keep going.

How long should I try to burp my baby?

A minute or two, then change position and try for another minute or two. If nothing comes after that, stop. Judge by your baby, not by the burp. A content, sleepy baby almost certainly had no trapped air, while a squirming, arching one probably does and may need a different position or some upright time.

What if my baby falls asleep without burping?

Leave her. Waking a peacefully sleeping baby to bring up wind she may not have isn’t a good trade. If she wakes shortly afterwards looking uncomfortable, try then.

What’s the best position to burp a baby?

Over the shoulder is the usual first choice, since the pressure of your shoulder against her tummy helps. Sitting upright on your lap, leaning slightly forward with her chin supported, is a good second. Face down across your lap is the one to try when the other two haven’t worked. It often succeeds when nothing else does. Support the head and neck of a newborn in every position.

How do I know if it’s wind or reflux?

Wind causes discomfort around a feed that’s relieved once it comes up or passes. Reflux involves bringing milk up during or after most feeds, often with arching or crying, usually starting before eight weeks and settling by around a year. Small effortless dribbles in an otherwise happy, growing baby are posseting and need nothing at all.

Should I burp my baby if she’s bottle-fed?

More often, yes. Bottle-fed babies swallow much more air, so build in a pause every 60 to 90ml, as well as at the end. Keeping her fairly upright while feeding and holding her upright for ten to fifteen minutes afterwards both help.

What to remember

Try at the natural breaks, give it a minute or two, switch position, then let it go. A comfortable baby who hasn’t burped doesn’t need one.

Hold her upright for ten minutes after a feed regardless. It’s the single easiest thing that helps. And if the discomfort is happening at almost every feed, look at the latch before you look for a better burping technique.