It’s a Gas – Baby Burps

Ella is 3 months old now.  She is cooing and smiling more and more.  She is becoming more and more curious about the world around her.  Quarantine has limited exploring outside the house to walks around the neighborhood, drives to the doctor, and the rare occasional visit where she sees people through the window.

As she gets bigger, there have been many changes.  Her facial features are changing daily, her clothes are getting tighter, and we’re about ready to move up a size in diapers.  One change I was not ready for, or expecting, was how much harder it is to get her to burp!

There use to be a time where she’d eat an ounce of formula, I’d sit her up and the burp would happen before I even started patting her back.  There were times where she would burp after just one or two pats on the back.  Today, however, it has become a chore to get a good burp out of her.

It has become so difficult that Sam and I are joking about it.  When we have our Fit Bits on, we joke that we are getting our “steps” for the day because with each pat on her back, it registers a “step!”  We are exceeding our 10,000 steps every day!  It’s crazy!

I remember with my son, I could get him to burp while he was on my shoulder.  This doesn’t work for Ella.  I usually have to sit her up on my lap, and she will burp.  I am told that the “football” hold works good, too, but all that has done for Ella is allow her to puke on floor.

When we do get a burp, it can range from a loud “Barney from the Simpsons” burp to one that is barely noticeable.  With those, I find myself asking Sam, “Was that a burp?” and pat her back a few more times just in case.  You gotta be careful, though.  If it was a burp, too much extra patting will just lead to puking.

There will be more burping to come in the months ahead.  Burping is important!  Anyone who has ever had a baby knows that a baby with gas is NOT happy!  The will cry and scream because they are in terrible pain – all because they have gas!  I learned real fast about “gas drops.”

This is a miracle drug.  I’m not lying.  Man, I wish adult medications worked as fast as this stuff!  I swear, it is almost instantaneous!  I have used these drops with every one of my kids and it has never failed (as long as the reason they were crying was indeed gas). If I ever meet the man or woman who invented them, I will hug them and thank them endlessly!

At any rate, I welcome your suggestions for best ways to burp a baby.  I need to wrap it up, now.  I have to “get my steps in” for the day …..