How long to keep baby up after feeding

Burping Your Baby (for Parents)

Reviewed by: Madhu Desiraju, MD

Primary Care Pediatrics at Nemours Children's Health

en español Hacer eructar a su bebé

An important part of feeding a baby is burping. Burping helps to get rid of some of the air that babies tend to swallow during feeding. Not being burped often and swallowing too much air can make a baby spit up, or seem cranky or gassy.

How to Burp Your Baby

When burping your baby, repeated gentle patting on your baby's back should do the trick. Cup your hand while patting — this is gentler on the baby than a flat palm.

To prevent messy cleanups when your baby spits up or has a "wet burp," you might want to place a towel or bib under your baby's chin or on your shoulder.

Try different positions for burping that are comfortable for you and your baby. Many parents use one of these three methods:

Sit upright and hold your baby against your chest. Your baby's chin should rest on your shoulder as you support the baby with one hand. With the other hand, gently pat your baby's back. Sitting in a rocking chair and gently rocking with your baby while you do this may also help.
Hold your baby sitting up, in your lap or across your knee. Support your baby's chest and head with one hand by cradling your baby's chin in the palm of your hand. Rest the heel of your hand on your baby's chest, but be careful to grip your baby's chin, not the throat. Use the other hand to pat your baby's back.
Lay your baby on your lap on his or her belly. Support your baby's head and make sure it's higher than their chest. Gently pat your baby's back.

If your baby seems fussy while feeding, stop the session, burp your baby, and then begin feeding again. Try burping your baby every 2 to 3 ounces (60 to 90 milliliters) if you bottle-feed and each time you switch breasts if you breastfeed.

Try burping your baby every ounce during bottle-feeding or every 5 minutes during breastfeeding if your baby:

tends to be gassy
spits a lot
has gastroesophageal reflux (GER)
seems fussy during feeding

If your baby doesn't burp after a few minutes, change the baby's position and try burping for another few minutes before feeding again. Always burp your baby when feeding time is over.

To help prevent the milk from coming back up, keep your baby upright after feeding for 10 to 15 minutes, or longer if your baby spits up or has GERD. But don't worry if your baby spits sometimes. It's probably more unpleasant for you than it is for your baby.

Sometimes your baby may awaken because of gas. Picking your little one up to burp might put them back to sleep. As your baby gets older, don't worry if your child doesn't burp during or after every feeding. Usually, it means that your baby has learned to eat without swallowing too much air.

Babies with colic (3 or more hours a day of continued crying) might have gas from swallowing too much air during crying spells, which can make the baby even more uncomfortable. Check with your pediatrician before giving your baby anti-gas drops.

Reviewed by: Madhu Desiraju, MD

Date reviewed: June 2022

Holding Your Baby Upright After Feeding? Stop! It Doesn't Help

Spit happens! Even people who have not spent much time with babies know that spit up comes with the territory. But did you know that more than 2/3 of babies spit up regularly? More often than not, spit up is nothing to worry about. There are some tried-and-true methods out there that help reduce the frequency of spit up in babies. There are also some very common misconceptions. And, contrary to popular belief, holding your baby upright after a feeding doesn’t help. In this blog we will discuss:

why babies spit up.
the difference between spit up and vomit.
when to worry about spit up.
why holding your baby upright after a feed is not necessary.
myths and truths to reducing spit up.

Why do babies spit up?

Spitting up is physiologically appropriate in babies. This is because the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) has not fully matured – and doesn’t until around 18 months of age. You can, however, expect to see a decrease in spit up as baby gains core control (ie when they begin sitting up). The floppiness of this sphincter is why you may notice your baby spitting up over an hour after they’ve finished feeding.

Your baby may also spit up if they have had too much to drink and their stomach is full. The excess fluid can put additional pressure on the LES, leading to spit up. You can compare that to feeling ‘uncomfortably full’ after a holiday meal. However, you don’t spit up your food because your LES is fully matured.

What is the difference between spit up and vomit?

Spit up and vomit are not the same. The distinction between the two has nothing to do with the volume of fluid that is ejected. Spit up tends to leave your baby’s mouth at a slower speed; it may even dribble out. This can happen when you’re burping your baby. Vomiting is a forceful event. The liquid projects out from the mouth and may travel several inches.

When should I worry?

Every baby is different. Keep in mind, it may appear that your baby has spit up an ‘entire feed’ but the amount of spit up usually looks like more than it actually is.

Typically if your baby is continuing to gain weight and doesn’t seem bothered by spitting up, it is not a reason to worry. These babies are often dubbed “happy spitters” and the spitting up is more of a “laundry problem” than a medical one.

If you feel your baby is spitting up excessively, I definitely recommend calling their pediatrician. Other scenarios which may be a cause for concern include:

when it occurs after every feeding.
if your baby is not gaining weight.
if the spit up looks like anything other than milk/formula (undigested or partially digested). This includes spit up that is green, yellow, bloody, or looks like coffee grounds.
a baby who cries for more than 3 hours daily and is irritable.
if spitting up begins after your baby turns 6 months old.

Why isn’t holding your baby upright after a feeding necessary?

I realize this idea may be different than what you’ve heard in the past, but hear me out. It takes approximately 2 hours for your baby’s stomach to empty. While holding your baby upright for 30 minutes after a feeding may allow for some of the feed to leave the stomach, the majority of the feed remains in their stomach after that time. When you lay your baby down, their immature LES could still open, causing them to spit up.

So unless you are holding your baby upright until their stomach is completely empty, the chance of them spitting up still remains. Now if you were to hold them up until their stomach emptied, you would bring yourself to the time of their next feeding. This strategy would be grossly inefficient. It would result in you getting no rest, or your baby getting into the habit of having to be held or worn at all times.

You may wonder about propping your baby up to reduce spit up. It is unsafe for a baby’s sleep surface to be elevated (that means those crib wedges are not a safe option). Products like nursing pillows, baby loungers, and bouncy seats put your baby at risk for positional asphyxiation. And they don’t diminish the incidence of spit up!

Myths and Truths to Reduce Spit Up

Many pediatricians will, wrongfully, recommend switching to formula because it is “heavier” than breastmilk. The heaviness only means it takes longer to digest than breastmilk, not that it will be less likely to come back up. And adding rice or oatmeal cereal to the bottle will not help reduce spit up either (but it can create a choking hazard!).

The best ways to help reduce spit up in your baby include:

avoiding overfeeding.
burp your baby, well, during and after feeding. Trapped air in the stomach can increase the incidence of spit up.
avoid rigorous activity soon after a feed.
if you’re bottle feeding your baby, opt for a slower flow nipple. This helps baby to recognize when they are full before they become overly full.

Other Blogs You May Like

What is the Best Bottle?
Does Breast Milk Cause Cavities?
Pass the Bottle, Please!

The information contained in this blog is the opinion of Rebecca Tucci, certified doula and lactation counselor. It is not meant to take the place of consultation with your child’s healthcare provider. The above information cannot diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition.

How to sleep with a baby

establish a general routine

What do most women do when their baby falls asleep? Someone rushes to cook, someone begins to hastily clean the apartment, iron, wash - there are always plenty of things to do in the family. But in vain. You can do household chores even when the baby is awake, but he definitely won’t let you sleep. Therefore, if a son or daughter falls asleep, drop everything and go to bed with the child. There is no perfect order or dinner is not prepared? You can do all this later, when you rest, and, by the way, you will most likely spend much less time and effort. Therefore, the first rule of mom's regimen: sleep when the baby sleeps. To feel normal, a woman (especially a nursing mother) must sleep both at night and during the day. So adjust the general regimen of the day: you can adapt to the child’s sleep, or, on the contrary, you can adjust the child’s sleep to your routine (although this will be more difficult to do). nine0005

accept help

As often as possible, use volunteers to babysit, walk with your child or just feed him. And here the help of the husband, grandparents will be invaluable. Do not trust the baby mother-in-law? Do you think that dad will not be able to entertain the baby for a couple of hours? Worried that grandpa will get lost with the baby while strolling around the house? In vain. Your loved ones are adults, they wish both you and the baby only the best and are unlikely to harm him in any way. At most, a diaper is buttoned crookedly, an extra blouse is put on the baby, or they give him the wrong nipple. nine0005

If possible, make arrangements with your family so that they can babysit at least two or three times a week, giving you a couple of hours to sleep and rest. By the way, for this you can invite a nanny. And again - no household chores at this time, only - sleep!

sleeping with the baby

Co-sleeping has many advantages: the mother doesn't have to get up, wake up, go to the crib, get the baby out of it. She can feed the baby and at the same time almost never wake up: after all, the baby will find the breast on its own. Yes, and many children sleep only with their parents - in order to fall asleep, some babies need to feel the familiar smell and warmth of a loved one. This method has both its supporters and opponents, but in any case, if you choose to sleep together, you need to ensure the safety of the child. You can not put the child on the edge of the bed - he can turn around and fall to the floor; you can not put it next to the parent pillow - the baby may turn unsuccessfully and his breathing will be disturbed. nine0005

And it's best not to put the baby in the same bed with adults, but simply move the crib to the parent's bed, after removing the side rail from it (today there are even special cribs for sleeping together). So the child will feel the closeness of mom and dad, and parents will sleep peacefully, without worrying about his safety.

“Stock up” with sleep

Scientists have found that lack of sleep or insomnia is fully compensated by a full rash preceding it (or following it). And if so, then you can “stock up” on sleep. A couple of times a week (well, or one for sure) you need to arrange a day for yourself when the dream lasts 8-9hours per day. Here again, relatives or a nanny will come to the rescue. You can select once a week when you sleep all night, and dad gets up at night for the baby. True, this is convenient when the child is bottle-fed or at least agrees to drink expressed mother's milk from a bottle at night. If this is not possible, then you need to agree with your husband that, for example, on the weekend he takes the child and works with him for a couple of morning hours, and you fill up the missing time. Or let your grandmother (nanny) come in the morning, who will also let you make up for a night's sleep. nine0005

go to bed together at night

Usually, after putting her baby to bed, a mother either rushes to finish the day's chores, or tries to find time for herself (surf the Internet, read a book, watch TV, get a manicure). But it is the first three to four hours of sleep at night that children sleep best. Take note of this and go to bed at night at the same time as your baby. Otherwise, you have not yet had time to fall asleep (or just fell asleep), as the baby woke up for night feeding or just like that. As a result, you will get not only a shortened night's sleep, but for sure at night the baby will wake up a couple more times and interrupt it. nine0005

put the child to bed early

As a rule, an adult who goes to bed early wakes up earlier. But in children there is no such pattern. Therefore, do not be afraid that today, having fallen asleep before 9 pm, tomorrow the baby will wake you up at dawn. On the contrary, the later the child falls asleep, the worse and more restless he sleeps. And just early laying gives a more complete and prolonged night's sleep. And this is exactly what a tired mom needs! But in order to establish such a daily routine, all family members will have to try. But then it becomes much easier for them. nine0005

Try to improve your routine and sleep more, and the whole family will feel much better. Even with a small child, it is possible not to feel sleep deprivation. Try it and see for yourself.

If this arrangement suits all members of your family, practice co-sleeping. This is a real salvation for mothers whose children often wake up at night. Sleep deficiency disrupts the formation of serotonin in the body - a biologically active substance, which is also called the hormone of happiness, calmness and good mood. As a result, a person deprived of normal rest constantly experiences irritability and a feeling of depression

Try to instill a consistent sleep and wake schedule in your child. This will make your day more organized and make you less tired.

Attention! Prices for services in different clinics may vary. To clarify the current cost, select a clinic

Clinical Hospital MD GROUPClinical Hospital Lapino-1 "Mother and Child"Children's Clinic KG "Lapino" in New Riga (branch)Clinic "Mother and Child" KuntsevoClinic "Mother and Child" SavelovskayaClinic "Mother and Child" South-WestClinic "Mother and Child" » Novogireevo

All directions

01.

Kinesiotherapy for children

02.

Specialist consultations (adults)

03.

Specialist consultations (children)

04.

Massage/manipulation for children

05.

Therapeutic research

Nothing found

The administration of the clinic takes all measures to update the price list posted on the website in a timely manner, however, in order to avoid possible misunderstandings, we advise you to clarify the cost of services and the timing of the tests by calling

Putting the child to bed: useful tips and recommendations

Author, editor and medical expert - Muraeva Yulia Yurievna.

Views: 562

Last update date: 06/23/2022 G.

Average reading time: 12 minutes

Content:

RITMES OF Children sleep baby
How to help your child fall asleep
How to teach a child to sleep in his own crib? nine0108 Bedtime rituals
What are the bedtime rituals?

Sleep is an important part of life, so it must be regular and of high quality ¹ . But often the first year of a child's life becomes a real test for parents. Even such a seemingly simple action as putting a newborn to sleep sometimes turns into a task of increased complexity.

The difficulty is that in babies, sleep is still being formed, and circadian rhythms differ from those to which parents are accustomed ² .

Rhythms of baby sleep

Before birth, the alternation of sleep phases in the fetus is subject to circadian (daily) rhythms and fluctuations in the hormonal background of the expectant mother. After childbirth, it takes time for the child to mature its own regulatory system ² .

A full-term newborn sleeps an average of 16-17 hours ² , and the total duration of sleep is not affected by dark and daylight hours ³ .

Babies up to 2 months have 2 sleep phases ^2.3 :

Active sleep. Starts after falling asleep. This phase is important for the stimulation and development of the central nervous system. During active sleep, you can observe the baby's mobility, rapid eye movements and a weakening of reactions to external stimuli (light, sound, touch).
Peaceful sleep. Follows the active phase. During restful sleep, the heart rate slows down, the movements of the eyeballs stop, and the baby stops moving his arms and legs. nine0145

Together these 2 phases form a cycle. Each cycle begins with active sleep followed by restful sleep. The duration of such a cycle is approximately 45-60 minutes ³ .

But the sleep-wake cycle lasts longer. For breastfed babies, it is approximately 1-3 hours, and for artificial babies, it is 2-5 hours ³ .

Gradually, periods of wakefulness lengthen, and most of the sleep occurs at night ² :

By the end of 3 months of life, an uninterrupted night's sleep can be about 5 hours ³ .
From 2 to 12 months, babies sleep 9-10 hours at night ³ , while daytime sleep is divided into 1-4 episodes that can last from 30 minutes to 2 hours ³ .

Sleep regularity and sleep disturbances can be assessed after 6 months, when the child's circadian rhythms are formed ³ .

Although the night sleep becomes longer, each cycle is still accompanied by micro-awakenings (wakings) ^2.3 , after which the baby can fall asleep quickly enough. This is a short-term activation of the central nervous system, which must be distinguished from a full awakening ² . It is good if at this moment the mother is nearby and helps the child fall asleep again.

Back to Contents

How to Put Your Baby to Sleep

The American Pediatrics Association has developed guidelines for safe sleep for babies. Below are some of them (the full list of recommendations can be found at the link) ⁴ :

The best sleeping position is on your back.
The mattress should be hard enough, and the crib should not be cluttered with things, blankets, pillows.
No smoking in the nursery.
If the child sleeps in a cool room, it is better to dress him warmly or put him in a special sleeping bag for babies. He should be warm, but not hot, so it is not recommended to wrap him with a blanket. And in order for the baby to breathe freely, in no case cover him with a blanket with his head. nine0145

Babies up to 12 months of age still need to feed at night, so sleeping in the same room with the mother may be necessary to optimize breastfeeding and closer contact ⁴ . Co-sleeping in the same room with parents does not mean that the child will sleep with them in the same bed, because it does not meet the safety requirements ⁴ .

Before putting your newborn to bed, also remember that:0118 4 . There are babies who find this soothing, but swaddling can interfere with the baby's breathing because the chest is compressed and the baby cannot take a deep breath ⁴ . Tight swaddling also increases the risk of a lung infection and can aggravate hip dysplasia. Do not swaddle a baby who is already rolling over from his back to his stomach ⁴ .

There is no consensus on the use of pacifiers. Some experts believe that they have a negative effect on breastfeeding and interfere with the formation of the correct bite. Other evidence suggests that pacifiers help reduce the risk of respiratory and cardiac problems in infants up to 12 months of age ⁴ .

Don't encourage falling asleep in your arms or while feeding. Older babies do not need to be allowed to fall asleep while watching a movie, after the set time, or in their parent's bed ⁴ .

Back to content

How to help your baby fall asleep

As the baby develops, fears, anxiety, anxiety may appear when he refuses to sleep separately from his parents and resists falling asleep ² . The maturation of biological rhythms is facilitated by the environment of the child, the behavior of parents, compliance with the regimen and rules of sleep hygiene ³ .

To ensure quality rest and proper development, parents need to follow the recommendations. Specialists advise following these rules ⁴ :

Put the baby to bed in the evening and wake up in the morning at about the same time, despite weekends and holidays ⁴ .
Avoid physical activity before bed ⁴ .
Limit activities in bed that are not related to falling asleep (playing, feeding), as this interferes with the baby's understanding of sleep ⁴ .
Keep the bedroom comfortable - moderate temperature, low light, minimal noise, comfortable pajamas ⁴ .
Form a laying ritual ⁵ .
Follow the diet - the baby should not be hungry or overeating. Before going to bed, you can feed him a little ⁵ .
Keep an activity diary so that you can analyze and understand what interferes with your child's sleep ⁴ .

Back to Contents

How can I get my baby to sleep in his own crib?

There are various techniques to help a child fall asleep on their own, without the help of their parents. They are often used as a non-drug treatment for insomnia (sleep disorder) in young children aged 1 to 3 years ⁴ . Examples of such techniques are described below. Choosing the right one for your baby should be discussed with a baby sleep specialist. nine0005

One way to overcome sleep disorders is through behavioral therapy. It helps to change wrong associations and sleep patterns in a child ^4.7 . In behavioral therapy, the abandonment method is used. With him, parents immediately leave the child in the crib and leave the nursery. However, they do not return when they hear his cries or call, giving him the opportunity to fall asleep on his own ⁴ . But psychologists do not recommend using this approach if the baby is not yet 6 months old and is breastfeeding ⁴ , as this may adversely affect the baby's condition.

In addition, the abandonment method is not suitable for all parents. For those wishing to be near or to calm a crying baby ⁴ experts recommend other methods - "check and hold" or "gradual repayment" ^4.7 .

Back to Contents

"Checking and Holding"

When getting ready for bed, the parent spends some time with the child, then puts him to bed and leaves the room or goes to bed if she is in the nursery. At the same time, they do not approach the baby for 15-20 minutes and do not react to his crying or screaming. This period is called "hold" ⁷

When the 20 minutes have elapsed, the parent goes to the child, straightens his bed and returns to himself. This part is called checking ⁷ .

It is very important not to take him out of the crib and feed him when he wakes up. The exception is children who require night feedings for age or medical reasons. In all other cases, the parent simply comes to the crib for a short time to check, and then leaves again for a 15-20 minute “hold” ⁷ .

Gradually - over several nights - increase the "hold" interval to 30 minutes ⁷ .

Back to Contents

“Gradual Repayment”

This technique is designed to “repay” the child's protests and manipulations ⁷ . There are 2 options for "gradual repayment" - with and without the presence of a parent ⁴ .

The classic option is to leave the baby alone in the bedroom for a certain amount of time, gradually accustoming him to fall asleep on his own. Unlike the “check and hold” method, the child can be calmed down. But you need to return to his bed not at the first call, but after a certain time. After the child calms down, you need to leave again, increasing the intervals when he tries to fall asleep without you ⁷ . This option is suitable for babies over 6 months old ⁴ .

Until the age of six months, use the “gradual repayment” method in the presence of a parent. It is carried out in stages ⁴ :

The parent puts the baby to bed, and sits next to it. If the bed is large, you can lie down next to the child.
On subsequent nights, mom or dad still stays with the baby, but gradually reduces the number of touches, communicates less with him, showing him that they are busy with something, for example, reading or cleaning the room. nine0145
When putting the child to sleep, the parent does not lie down next to him, but sits on a chair not far from the bed, about 5 meters from it, continuing to sit until the baby falls asleep.
In the next step, the distance between the bed and the chair is increased by gradually moving it away.
A little later you can leave the nursery for a while, but be sure to return before the baby cries.

If the child wakes up, repeat the same steps that you perform at this stage of the procedure. The stages can be stretched over several days so that the baby has time to get used to each ⁴ .

Back to content

Bedding rituals

Forming a bedding ritual is considered to be an effective method ⁴ . It can complement the "repayment" technique, but sometimes it works quite well on its own. Suitable for all ages, but the earlier it is started, the less likely babies are to develop sleep problems - they fall asleep faster and sleep longer ⁴ .

The ritual is started when the child is drowsy. Before you put the baby to sleep, you need to perform a number of actions. They should be predictable, regular, relaxing and positive. The total duration of the ritual is 20-45 minutes ⁴ . If it was not possible to meet the set time, most likely, you need to shift the ritual to another time and wait for drowsiness. It may manifest as loss of interest in toys and people around, redness of the eyelids, rubbing of the eyes, yawning ⁴ .

Back to Contents

What are the rituals for falling asleep?

Experts recommend preparing for sleep, which consists of consecutive, daily repeated actions, the so-called routines ⁵ . They help to speed up falling asleep, increase the quality and duration of sleep, reduce the number of night awakenings ⁵ .

The most typical nightly rituals ⁶ :

Bathing in warm water with your favorite foam or bath product, light massage.
Soothing sounds - "white noise". This is a monotonous noise that does not carry a semantic load, soothes and helps to forget, for example, flowing water, a metronome, ticking clocks or recordings of nature sounds. nine0145
Lullabies and fairy tales.
Wishes for "good night", "sweet dreams" or other phrases that are said only before going to bed.

Sleep experts recommend a three-step ritual that includes bathing, massage and quiet time in the crib ⁸ .

Bath foam can be used during bathing. For babies from 6 months, JOHNSON’S ® Baby Bath Foam "Before Bed" is suitable. It has a soothing scent to help your baby get ready for bed ⁸ .
Immediately after a warm bath, a milk can be applied to the skin, such as JOHNSON’S ® Bedtime Milk ⁸ , for children over 6 months of age, by lightly stroking the skin. Such a massage will calm the baby even more and prepare him for sleep, especially thanks to the pleasant smell of milk ⁸ .
At the third stage, you need to change the child into pajamas, read a bedtime story or sing a lullaby ^4.8 .

As a rule, a few days are enough to form an association between the evening routine and falling asleep ⁴ .

As you can see, pediatricians and psychologists have developed various methods for healthy sleep and fast falling asleep. But you need to use them, taking into account the age of the child, his habits and characteristics of the nervous system. The task of parents is to organize the baby’s daily routine and prepare him for sleep, calming and creating positive associations with the process of falling asleep. With the correct implementation of the recommendations of a specialist, the child will gradually learn to fall asleep independently and faster, will sleep longer and sounder. nine0005

You may also be interested in:

Traveling with your baby
Baby's Skin Care Guide

Back to Contents

The information in this article is for guidance only and does not replace professional medical advice. For diagnosis and treatment, contact a qualified specialist.

References:

E.S. Sakharova. What worries the baby? Pediatric pharmacology, 2010, volume 7, No. 2, pp. 143-148. nine0145
I.A. Kelmanson. Formation of the state of sleep in ontogeny and the problems arising from this. Neurology and psychiatry. Special issue "Sleep and its disorders-5". Effective pharmacotherapy, 2017, No. 35, p.4-13
M.G.Poluektov, P.V.pchelina. Sleep in children: from physiology to pathology. Medical Council, 2017, No. 9, pp. 98-103.
P.V.Pchelina. M.G.Poluektov. How to treat insomnia in early childhood. Neurology and psychiatry. Special issue "Sleep and its disorders-4". Effective pharmacotherapy, 2016, No. 19, pp.52-60.
Jodi A. Mindell, PhD; Lorena S. Telofski, BA; Benjamin Wiegand, PhD; Ellen S. Kurtz, PhD. A Nightly Bedtime Routine: Impact on Sleep in Young Children and Maternal Mood. (The Nightly Sleep Schedule: Effects on Young Children's Sleep and Maternal Mood) SLEEP (Sleep), Vol. 32, no. 5, 2009. pp. 599-607.
E.A. Korabelnikova. Treatment and prevention of insomnia in young children. Russian Psychiatric Journal, 2012, No. 3, pp. 62-70.
M.G. Poluektov Sleep disorders in childhood: causes and modern therapy // Effective pharmacotherapy, Neurology and psychiatry.
Learn more
Share this: