How to Burp a Sleeping Baby
Newborn babies need to be burped after being fed so that they can expel gas created from swallowing milk and air. Sometimes, during night feedings, your baby may drift off to sleep as she is being fed.
Newborn babies need to be burped after being fed so that they can expel gas created from swallowing milk and air. Sometimes, during night feedings, your baby may drift off to sleep as she is being fed. It can be tempting to just lay her back down without a burp, but that may cause her to wake up in pain a little later on. Burping a sleeping baby is not much different from burping a baby who is awake.
Hold the baby against your body with his head resting on your shoulder. Support his bottom with one hand and gently pat or rub his back with the other, says the University of Ohio Medical Center.
Lay the baby gently face down onto your lap, with her head on one leg and stomach on the other leg. Support her body with one hand and gently pat or rub her back with the other.
Lean the baby up onto your body with his head and stomach on you if you have been feeding him in a side-by-side position in bed and don't want to get up, says AskDrSears.com. Pat or rub his back gently until you get a burp.
Tip
It is common for babies to spit up when they are being burped.