Burping, Hiccups and Spitting Up Basics

20 Dec Burping, Hiccups and Spitting Up Basics

As every new parent will find out, a large part of taking care of newborns has to do with managing their bodily functions.  Babies burp, hiccup and spit up a lot, and most of these functions are very normal. However, it doesn’t mean they can’t cause some concerns among new parents—especially because these all tend to happen around feedings.  It can cause any parent to question whether or not they are doing things the right way.

To ease your mind, here are a few basics about bodily functions that can help you determine what is normal, how to handle these reactions and what they all mean.

Burping

Most parents know that you need to help your baby burp.  This is because babies can get cranky and fussy when they swallow too much air during feedings.  This happens both with breast and bottle-fed babies.

If your baby is fussing while they are being fed, it is typically best to stop the feeding all together. If they are fussing and eating at the same time, they will only swallow more air and make the discomfort worse.

The best approach is to burp babies frequently, even when they aren’t experiencing discomfort. This means burping after every 2-3 ounces during bottle feeding and whenever the baby switches breasts during nursing.

Hiccups

Hiccups happen in babies, particularly during or after feeding.  Changing positions during feeding is a great way to quell hiccups. Typically, baby hiccups disappear on their own within 5-10 minutes.  Once they are gone, you can resume feeding.

If your baby tends to get hiccups all the time, try feeding your child only when they are calm and not when they are extremely hungry and fussy—it can make a great deal of difference in how often they get the hiccups.

Spitting Up

Babies spit up when they are infants—it is just part of life. Many times, when babies spit up it is because they have eaten more than their stomach can hold.  Other times, babies spit up while they are burping or drooling.

While spitting up can be messy, it isn’t really a cause for concern. Some babies spit up more than others and it is completely normal.

However, if your child is truly vomiting, then there is more cause for concern.  Vomiting is forceful, it can cause great distress, and it comes in more volume than a regular spit up. Vomiting happens, but if it happens a lot, is bloody or green—then you need to consult your pediatrician.

If you have any questions about your child’s burping, hiccups or spitting up, give Continuum Pediatrics a call at 817-617-8600 to schedule an appointment today.