How to Wind (Burp) a Newborn, and Do Breastfed Babies Need It?

How do you wind a baby? Hold your baby upright over your shoulder, sit them on your lap leaning slightly forward, or lay them tummy-down across your lap or forearm. Then gently rub or pat their back for a few minutes. If no burp comes, you can stop. Many babies, breastfed or bottle-fed, bring up wind on their own.

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says there is no evidence either way on whether you should burp your baby. A small trial that tested it found burped babies cried no less and spilled more milk.

This guide covers the positions, how long to try, winding at a 3am feed, newborn hiccups, and the signs that an unsettled baby needs more than a burp.

How do you wind a newborn?

To wind a newborn, hold them upright or tummy-down with their back straight, then gently rub or pat their back. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby and Raising Children Network describe the same three positions. Most babies burp more easily upright, but they don't have to be. Keep a cloth handy, because a little milk often comes up with the air.

• Over your shoulder. Hold your baby upright against your shoulder, supporting them with your hand on the same side. Rub or pat their back with your other hand. Be ready to support their head if it tips back.
• Sitting on your lap. Sit your baby upright on your lap and lean them slightly forward. Support their head under the chin with one hand, and rub their back with the other.
• Tummy-down across your lap or forearm. Lay your baby face down along your forearm or across your lap, head turned to the side and supported. Rub their back gently. Raising Children Network says to avoid this position if your baby brings up a lot of milk.

The Australian Breastfeeding Association(opens in a new window) (ABA) adds a fourth option it calls "lay then lift". Lay your baby on their back on your lap for about a minute, then gently raise them to sitting with their back straight. This can help air bubbles rise.

Do breastfed babies need winding?

Many babies, breastfed or bottle-fed, don't need winding after every feed. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says feeding method makes no difference. All babies can benefit from a pause during feeds and a chance to burp, it says, although there is no evidence either way.

The ABA's answer to "Do I need to burp my baby?" is "Not always". Raising Children Network says babies usually don't need to burp after a feed.

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby and Western Sydney University both say gentle burping does no harm. If it settles your baby, keep doing it. If burping is causing you or your baby stress, Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says you don't have to do it.

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby · Burping and wind in babies

There is no evidence to say whether you should burp your baby.

What the research found

Very little research has tested burping. A trial in India, published in 2015, followed 71 mothers and babies for three months. Caregivers of 35 newborns were encouraged to burp their babies after feeds. Caregivers of the other 36 were given no burping advice.

Burping made no clear difference to colic episodes, and the burped babies had about twice as many spills. A Western Sydney University(opens in a new window) article on the research, co-written by Karleen Gribble from its School of Nursing and Midwifery, reports the same result. Its bottom line is that burping is up to you.

One small trial can't settle the question, and it doesn't show burping is harmful. It does mean you can drop the ten-minute routine without worrying you're doing something wrong.

Why some babies swallow more air

All babies swallow some air when they feed or cry. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says babies who feed very fast, or who don't close their mouth tightly around the breast or teat, swallow more. With a fast let-down, a newborn can struggle a little until they get better at their suck-and-swallow pattern.

For bottle feeds, Pregnancy, Birth and Baby suggests a slower teat if your baby drinks very fast. Hold them on a slight incline so air bubbles rise, and give them more pauses to sit up and burp.

When to wind your baby during a feed

No rule sets when to wind a baby. Some babies burp on their own, even mid-feed. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby suggests offering a chance to burp at natural breaks:

• when their sucking slows down
• if they start fussing and stop sucking
• between sides when breastfeeding
• halfway through a feed
• at the end of the feed

Raising Children Network notes that some babies stay unsettled during a feed until they've burped. For those babies, a burp part way through the feed might help.

How long should you try to burp a baby?

A few minutes is usually long enough to burp a baby, says Raising Children Network. If nothing has come up by then, stop. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says air that isn't burped passes through the gut and comes out the other end as wind.

A settled baby with no burp after a few minutes is fine. A baby who is still upset after a few minutes might be unsettled by something other than wind. The section on when it isn't wind covers what else to check.

Winding at a 3am feed without fully waking your baby

At a night feed, offer a burp only if your baby seems to need it, and don't try for long. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby's night feeding advice is to keep feeds calm, with the lights down low from a lamp or dimmer switch:

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby · Night feeding

Give your baby the opportunity to burp if you think they need it, but avoid trying for too long. Sleeping babies tend not to burp so again, follow your baby's lead around what they seem to need.

In practice, that looks like this:

• Asleep at the end of the feed? Hold them upright on your shoulder for a moment if you like, then settle them. Sleeping babies tend not to burp, so there is no need to wake them to try.
• Squirming or pulling off? Lift them to your shoulder and rub their back quietly, with no talking or play. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says calm, stimulation-free night feeds help babies resettle more quickly.
• Putting them down? Lay your baby on their back in their cot. Red Nose Australia says even babies with reflux should sleep on their back from birth, on a firm, flat mattress that isn't tilted.

If you share nights with a partner, winding and settling after a breastfeed is a job they can take, so you can go back to sleep. Our guide to night feeds by age covers how many night feeds are typical in the early weeks.

Newborn hiccups

Newborn hiccups are normal and usually stop on their own within a few minutes. They don't mean air is trapped, says the ABA. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says a hiccupping baby is unlikely to feel pain, and most babies aren't bothered by them.

When a baby hiccups, it can look as if their whole body is moving, and the hiccups can be loud.

Hiccups need no treatment. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says there is little you can do other than sit your baby upright and try burping them. Hiccups sometimes come with a small spill of milk, which is also normal.

Call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance if your baby is having trouble breathing, their skin or lips are turning blue, or you think they may be choking.

When can you stop burping a baby?

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby, Raising Children Network and the ABA set no age to stop burping a baby. None of them says burping is required, so you can stop whenever your baby seems comfortable without it.

Spills, which often come up with a burp, also fade with age. Western Sydney University reports that daily spitting up drops to about half of babies by five months. Almost all babies (96%) have stopped by their first birthday.

When it isn't wind

A baby who is still upset after being burped might be unsettled by something other than wind. Raising Children Network suggests checking the other usual causes. Is your baby still hungry? Do they need a nappy change? Are they overtired? Are they unwell?

Crying is also a normal part of the early weeks. The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne(opens in a new window) says crying often increases over the first six to eight weeks, is often worse in the late afternoon and evening, and eases after about four months. Most of the time there is no medical reason.

If evening fussing comes with lots of short feeds, read our guide to cluster feeding and the witching hour.

A little milk coming up with a burp is normal too. Our guide to posseting, reflux and vomiting explains how to tell a normal spill from reflux that needs a doctor.

Caring for a baby who cries a lot is exhausting. If you feel you're not coping, talk to your GP or child and family health nurse, or call PANDA on 1300 726 306. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby's maternal child health nurses are on 1800 882 436, 7am to midnight (AET), every day.

The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne · Crying and unsettled babies

Never shake your baby. Shaking babies can cause brain damage and lifelong disability.

Noting which feeds are fussy

If you're wondering whether wind is behind an unsettled evening, a few words on each feed can show a pattern over a week, such as "gulping, pulled off twice" or "burped halfway, settled". A note on paper by the feeding chair works.

In BabyLog, every feed has a notes field on the free plan, and anyone you share the log with sees the same notes.

If that would help, you can start free in the browser on your phone.

Common questions