To Burp or Not To Burp?
The question arises from the contradiction between what parents hear from the hospital staff and what the lactation consultant may say- Who are the parents to believe?
A preliminary Google search shows 565,000 hits in .09 seconds! Many of these sites are authored by medical personnel.
Starting at the beginning – what is burping? Wikipedia defines burping as “typically caused by swallowing air (aerophagia) when eating or drinking and subsequently expelling it. “
Next let’s look at feedings: – when babies are bottlefed they are typically laying down and after the first suckle, the fluid in the bottle continues to flow from the bottle into the baby’s mouth. Babies have no option other than to swallow – gulping air in the process – therefore necessitating burping.
Breastfed babies, on the other hand, are typically fed in a more upright position, and the process of breastfeeding allows them to coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing – doing away with the need for burping!
AS ALL RULES HAVE EXCEPTIONS – trust your instincts and your baby!