I haven’t yet decided on a formula milk for the baby. During my search, a team member from my workplace gifted me a formula that doesn’t contain dextrose. This formula doesn’t seem to dissolve well at the standard formula temperature of 43°C. However, looking at its ingredients, it seems like a good option, so I've been feeding it to my baby. But, the undissolved granules that form during the mixing process are a bit concerning.
I am considering making a post about choosing a formula or how to best prepare this particular one, but I need to gather more information before doing so. Since I’m concerned about the undissolved formula granules, I've been burping the baby during feeds to ensure comfort, sometimes even breaking up a feed of 100-110ml into four portions. Yet, deciding when to burp the baby isn't always straightforward depending on the baby's mood or digestion state. So, today I looked into the reasons and techniques for burping a newborn.
Newborn Burping
As mentioned in the title, the primary reason for burping a newborn is to prevent stomach discomfort.
👉 Infant Colic (Stomach Discomfort) - Seoul Asan Hospital
A symptom where a newborn or a baby of 2-3 months cries intensely without any clear medical issues. The exact cause isn’t identified, but it’s believed that infants, with their underdeveloped digestive system, can develop colic if they overeat or swallow too much air during feeds.
Moreover, there's a sphincter muscle between the esophagus and the stomach that opens when food enters and closes to prevent backflow. But in newborns, this muscle is not fully developed, so contents from the stomach can easily reflux. Hence, if a baby isn’t properly burped and laid down, they might spit up the consumed formula.
In summary:
1. Air is ingested during feeds.
2. Increased pressure in the stomach due to formula and air (the weak lower esophageal sphincter allows consumed formula to reflux easily).
3. Burping helps reduce the air in the stomach.
👉 Therefore, it's essential to burp the baby for the third reason.
Burping Techniques
There are various ways to burp a baby. By holding the baby upright and leaning them slightly forward while patting their back should do the trick. My wife usually holds the baby in such a way that its chest touches her shoulder and gently pats the back. I'm not particularly fond of this method. 😅
My preferred way is to slot my fingers under the baby's arm and between the armpits, with the baby's face resting between my thumb and forefinger. With the other hand, I gently pat the baby's back. This way, I can see the baby's expression, and it seems to produce effective burps. 👍👍
Other methods include a circular motion, much like grinding with a mortar and pestle. Sometimes, when I overeat and need some relief, I try this method on the baby, too! With my thumb and forefinger supporting the baby’s head and the other fingers wrapped around the baby's arm, I do a circular motion. It surprisingly works well! 😆😆😆
Watching videos on bottle feeding has made me more comfortable, but it seems unavoidable that the baby also swallows some air. Whenever the baby seems uncomfortable or pulls away from the bottle, I always make sure to burp them diligently. 😅
Study Date of April 30, 2023