Newborns and young infants depend on adults and caregivers to help them with everything, including burping. 

Breastfed and bottle-fed babies need help sometimes, especially when dealing with a sleeping baby who has not burped.

Babies fall asleep often during bottle feeding and breastfeeding. 

Sometimes this even occurs if you keep the baby upright for feeding time.

Newborns don’t understand routine or day and night. They sleep when tired (must be nice, right?). So burping positions can be lifesavers when you want to get as much trapped air as possible out of your baby’s belly.

This article aims to answer your question, “Why won’t my baby burp?”. 

Read on to find out what to do when you have a baby who won’t burp and different burping methods and positions you may want to try the next time you find your baby asleep right after a bottle or nursing session.

Why won’t my baby burp?

If we want happy and healthy infants, then they must burp. 

Burping babies isn’t fun or glamorous, and it can even get messy, but it’s necessary to relieve them of gas buildup that can cause pain and discomfort if left alone.

Too much air in a baby’s tummy can cause vomiting, bloating, pain, fussiness, gas, and more. 

All babies have issues with burping now and then. However, if you’ve got a little one that has trouble frequently with a burping session, you may want to investigate or look into the cause.

The following are reasons why your newborn or infant isn’t burping for you.

1. They passed gas instead of burping

Most babies pass some excess gas out the lower end of their bodies. You may hear those little toots, or feel them through the diaper from time to time. 

This gas comes from the same air bubbles in your baby’s body that you’re trying to release when you burp a baby.

If your child is gassy, or if you often give gas drops, you may find that your baby burps less often but has more flatulence. If you try to burp your baby, you may have little success.

2. Sleepy baby

A sleeping baby is a baby who doesn’t burp easily.

Babies tend to fall asleep easily during feeding for a few different reasons. 

First, the sucking reflex is also soothing. It helps them to feel secure and relaxed. This can also help them nod off.

Also, as baby eats and gets full belly, they feel satisfied because their needs are being met. It’s much easier to fall asleep with a full stomach.

And lastly, babies go to sleep more easily when you hold them, and nursing moms and bottle-feeding moms hold their babies to feed them. 

The cuddle hormone floods their system and can send them to dreamland even if they were a ball of energy immediately before the feeding.

This is also why some moms get sleepy when nursing or giving a bottle. Those same cuddle hormones kick in, making her drowsy and ready to nap.

3. Wrong Position

A baby generally needs to be in at least a semi-upright position to be able to burp. Those air bubbles have to rise upwards, which is challenging if you have a baby flat on its back.

An inclined or sitting upright position will typically allow an air bubble or two to pass more quickly. If you have been trying your luck burping your baby in a supine position, and your baby won’t burp, this is most likely why.

Just like with feeding, there are many positions that you can use to achieve success. Sometimes, even if one position usually works, you have to switch it up and introduce a new one.

4. Baby didn’t swallow much air

It’s normal for some babies not to burp much if they feed efficiently. Some babies get a great latch naturally, and some breastfeeding positions can even help them to achieve this.

If you try to burp a baby and it doesn’t happen, but the baby doesn’t seem upset or in any discomfort, it’s possible that your baby doesn’t have much swallowed air.

As long as your baby can gain weight, doesn’t seem to be in any pain, and isn’t having issues with spit-up or diarrhea, they don’t have to burp every time.

Why is my baby so gassy?

If your child is plagued with gas issues more so than other babies, you may need to investigate further why that may be. 

You may notice that your baby seems to have more gas than other babies in your family or more gas issues than your older children had when they were infants.

The following reasons may be why your baby swallows more air or have more gas issues than other little ones.

1. Mother’s diet

If you feed breast milk to your infant and they seem to be very gassy afterward, you may want to consider what it is you’re eating that may be bothering or causing gas sensitivity in your baby.

You can prevent excess gas in the future by changing your diet. 

Cutting back on certain foods or eliminating them may bring about a noticeable change in the amount of gas bubbles your nursing infant seems to have.

2. Wrong formula

If bottle feeding is how you feed your little one, there’s a good chance that they have so much gas because they need a different type of formula. You should speak with your child’s doctor to get suggestions about what kind to try or pick up a small can of formula geared toward helping gassy and fussy babies. 

Many brands offer these sorts of options and mixtures.

3. Poor latch

Regardless of how you feed your infant, the baby will have to latch. Not having a good latch can mean that your baby can swallow more air than babies who can maintain a tight latch.

Working with a lactation consultant or getting better bottle nipples may help with this issue.

Newborn burping techniques

You can try specific techniques when burping your baby that may yield better results. Many babies need a combination of these techniques to produce a good burp each time they feed.

The following are tips, tricks, and techniques to help when a baby doesn’t burp after feeding.

1. Burping a sleeping baby

Sometimes it’s inevitable. Baby just won’t stay awake. It’s not uncommon for a newborn to stay asleep even after you’ve removed the bottle from the mouth and changed your holding position.

They’re sweet and tired, and you don’t want to disturb them, but these babies still need to burp.

Hold baby upright and support your baby’s head by placing a hand under your baby’s chin. 

Make sure that you are holding the chin and not the neck. You don’t want to choke your baby accidentally.

Have a burp cloth handy, and facing away from you, gently rub their back, going from the lower back upwards to between the shoulder blades. 

You may encounter some spit-up now and then, but spit-up is just a part of having a baby.

2. Burp a baby halfway through a feeding

It helps to include burping baby in your feeding routine.

Rather than waiting to burp your baby after they’ve eaten, you should burp your little one halfway through. This will help with the ease of burping, and it will also reduce spit-up.

Spend a few minutes halfway through trying different burping positions and techniques to get your little one to burp for you.

You should do this by keeping track of how much bottle your child consumes and stopping them halfway through or at the point where you are switching breasts when nursing. 

Many infants have an easier time getting the gas up and out when burping in the middle of eating.

3. Frog position

Parents can also try burping a baby against their chest. Gently lift your baby, especially if snoozing, facing your upper body. 

Burp your baby by holding it against you with its head turned to the side. Then gently rub or pat your baby’s back with a flat palm. Have a burp cloth or bib handy in case of spit-up.

Your baby’s legs may come up into a frog-like pose, which is good, as it helps them get their gas up and out of their stomach area.

4. Change milk flow of nipples

Bottle nipples with a milk flow that is too fast can cause a lot of gas and spit up. Your child will be able to consume enough calories and get just as full with a slower-flow nipple. Try going down a step with the nipples that you put on the bottles.

5. Avoid gripe water

Gripe water and other over-the-counter products that are supposed to help with gas in infants prey upon parents by convincing them that it is safe and effective. 

Many parents don’t know that the FDA does not regulate gripe water and other OTC products, and many contain alcohol.

If you cannot find helpful tips using other means, and nothing seems to be working, reach out to your child’s doctor or your lactation consultant to get advice and help instead of trying gripe water.

If your baby won’t burp

Burping is essential for all babies but vital for some. 

If your baby isn’t gaining weight because they don’t burp, but there’s simply not enough room with all that excess air in its belly, then it’s necessary to find a way to get the gas out and burp your little one successfully.

There are tips and tricks out there (many listed in this article) that can help you to achieve your goal. You mustn’t give up, even if your baby is more than a little stubborn about giving you a good burp.

If nothing else seems to be working, speak to your doctor.