How to Burp A Baby

While it is common for mothers to simply hold the baby "over her shoulder" (upright against her shoulder) and pat baby's back to help make the burps come, my babies got their burps out more easily if I sat them on my lap, allowed them to hunch over some, and rubbed my hand upwards from their lower back to about their shoulder level while applying the slightest and gentlest pressure (just enough to cause their hunched back to temporarily straighten just a little).

With a newborn the mother can use the edge of one hand to allow the baby's front, upper body to rest on; while she can extend her fingers in a way that gently supports the baby's head from the front, being careful to keep space between the palm of her hand and her baby's face.

Burping a baby this way can very much seem like pushing the burps up and out. I always found it more effective than holding the baby over a shoulder.

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