July 2009

As a new parent, one of the things that you need to put down on your newborn baby checklist is how to burp your baby. Burping is the natural way by which we release gas from our body. Since babies do not have full control of their muscles yet, they would need your help in releasing gas trapped in their stomach. Here are some tips on how you should do it:

1. One of the common ways by which you can burp a baby is by placing your baby over your shoulder and gently patting his back. You have to make sure, however, that his upper body lies against your collar bone.
2. You can also burp your baby by letting him sit on your lap, leaning him forward slightly and then gently patting his back. In order to make this work, the heel of your hand should be placed directly under his or her rib cage. You would also need to apply light pressure.
3. A variation of the above method calls for you to bend your baby a little bit more forward and the slowly rotating his body while rubbing his back much like how you would do a stretching exercise. However, you might want to use this only if your baby can already hold his or her own head.
4. You can also try having your baby lie belly down on your lap. Rub small circles on his back using the heel of your hand or gently pat them. This is particularly handy for colicky babies.
5. Some babies respond well to a change in position. If your baby finds it hard to burp using the above method, you can try shifting them from one position to another.

Since burping your baby can cause accidental “spills”, make sure that you have a burp cloth ready at all times. Simply Unique Baby Gifts has a good burp cloth line up.

Although breast milk would be able to provide everything that your new born baby would need, come 4 months of age, you would notice that your baby would start showing interest for solid food. He might try reaching out for food that is on your plate and might attempt to put things into his mouth. Here are some tips on how to handle your baby’s cravings:

The first thing that you need to do is to ready yourself with the fact that half of the food you would offer to your baby would most likely end up on the floor or on your baby’s bib and chin. There’s no need to fret about this as your baby still has to get used to how food tastes and feels.

You can start with letting your baby eat cereal from a spoon. Make sure, however, that you do not give them hot as this could hurt your baby’s tongue and might not help him be more confident in transitioning from milk to solid food.

Avoid foods that have high tendencies to be allergens. When feeding your baby, make sure you watch his body’s reaction. If you notice rashes, diarrhea, too much passing of gas or belching and fussiness after eating, get in touch with your pediatrician as this could already be signs of allergy.

If your baby seems to avoid certain food, don’t force them to eat it. You can, however, try to offer the same type of food at a later time when he is less fussy.

When your baby reaches 9 months of age, you can start giving him or her solid chunks of food. Make sure, however, that you cut the food into bite sizes to prevent possible choking.

At all times, make sure that you have your bib and burp cloths with you. If you haven’t picked one yet for your baby, you can try the ones at Simply Unique Baby Gifts.