Impossible Burper

I wouldnt worry about burping a six month old unless he is really fussy.

hi there

When we had our son, he too wasn't burping or very little.. Turned out, we weren't burping him low enough in the back, in other words, we were patting him on the back but closer to the lungs than the actual stomach. Once we got that right :) then he began to burp more quickly..

Burping positions that worked for us: the old-fashioned put pressure on the front of him and pat his back; pat his bottom while he is upright (hold up to shoulder w/ one hand and pat bottom w/ other); lay him face down across your leg or legs (depending on how big he is) and pat his back; vigorously rub his back in a circle -- try both clockwise and counter-clockwise. That's all I recall. Good luck!

My 3 month old neice is a stubborn burper too. We have to sit her on my lap, lean her body forward where her neck is supported by my hand in front (like a strangle hold) and then pat away- but not gentle patting, we pat like we mean it. Another trick that works is sitting her on your lap again and hold her body under her arms. Then you roll her torso around in a circle like she is doing the hula hoop. Usually nice and gentle large circle patters work best for her.

I would mention it to your pediatrician at his next appointment. It is possible that he is not getting much air in his tummy. If his mouth has a good seal on the nipple and depending on the type of bottle and how much air you shake into the liquid, there may not be enough air to justify a burp If he is sleeping fine with very few spit ups or gas, then don't worry too much. Some kids are just not burpers.

Hi R.. If he is able to nap without the discomfort of gas or spitting up in his sleep, then I wouldn't worry about it. As a baby grows and their muscles start to develop, the chances of them spitting up (in most cases) goes down. They can also control their burps more too so they do not need your help as much. Usually by the time they start to walk, all spitting up stops.

I said "most cases" and "usually" for a reason. There are some that have cronic reflux and they don't follow the usual developmental pattern. My 3 y.o. is on medication for her reflux and still spits up a couple of times a month. If your son is spitting up a lot after bottles/nursing and seems to be fussy when laid down flat, then it may be time to switch bottles (if you haven't already) to Dr. Browns and see your pediatrician about it.

I can't tell you if it's "normal" or not but I can tell you that with my baby it was the same. IF I couldn't get a burp after trying for 5 or so minuites I would try a little later.

Sometimes she would just do it on her own and other times (most times)there was just no burp. She spat up way less than my other baby who did burp and she never had any power spews ever.
So ... my believe is that they're just all individuals.

My baby is healthy and happy now 15 months.

Hope this helps

Hi R.,

I wouldn't be too concerned about your 6 month old taking
forever to burp. He is old enough to burp by himself when
his body says too. He should be fine.

Have a great day.
L.