Infant Gas And Burping

Why do babies get gas?

Babies get gas for the same reasons that adults do. As we digest and process our food we create certain gasses. One of those is carbon dioxide; another one is methane. It's a very normal process. Every adult goes through it and every baby does. But, when babies get gas, their digestive systems aren't mature, they don't move at the right pace, they don't know how to process gas as well as a grown-up does.

When should I burp my baby?

A baby needs to be burped in the newborn period up to age three months, with every feeding. You should pause about mid-feeding and put the baby up, giving it a few hard taps; you can also put it over your knee. There's no approved position for burping. You need to burp the baby a couple of times until it either gives you a burp or it just starts acting fussy and wanting to eat again. That will let you know that there's no gas buildup and so no burping necessary. If, however, the baby's been about an hour and is giving you all of the signs of having gas, you might want to try burping again.