Burping

Wendi,

The way I see it, burping is natural- everybody does it, some, more than others. My husband burps after meal and then some- I hardly ever have to burp, but the fact remains- it's normal and natural. So why introduce something that is not natural (in this case, prevacid) to stop something that is normal? I am a bit perplexed at why your doctor is recommending a drug for something as simple as burping. I would be curious if there was something else fueling his recommendation (like an incentive from the drug company or pharmasuetical rep- trust me, it happens more than it should!) If I were in your position, I would find another Doctor- one who is a lot more naturally minded and sees themselves as a care provider, not a drug pusher.

Also, it is normal for babies to not be interested in food until after their 2nd birthday. My daughter is 14 months old and hardly eats any solid food. She breastfeeds when she wants, and this works for her, she is perfectly happy and healthy. Yesturday, she ate 3 strawberries, 1/2 a banana and a cracker for lunch , today- nothing... that's just the way it goes. I wouldn't worry too much about your babies not eating solid food- they will eat when the time is right. As long as you can see that they are thriving (not going by what the doctor says or by the percentile charts) then don't worry!

I think, from what you've said, that your babies are fine and don't need to be on medications for burping. Trust your instincts, and listen to your heart!
H.

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Burping is a part of life!! I am not a professional, nor do I have burping md at the back of my name, but I don't think that should be a problem. Burp your kiddos! As for laying on their tummy and having some spit up, who doesn't? When I eat a large meal I can't lay on my tummy and feel comfortable either. I'd say that is totally normal! Putting your babies on prevacid is NOT NORMAL, despite what the doc says. Look at the side effects list and ask yourself if you want your baby to have side effects from an adult medication. No trials have ever been done on infants because that is not allowed. The drug pushers are testing them out on the babies of this medication happy country and it hasn't been going on long enough to know the side effects that would not reveal until later in life. I'd obviously urge strongly against the prevacid. Burp your babies, don't lay them on their tummies right after a meal and for heaven's sake get a second doctor opinion before putting an infant on a medication. There are natural products that can help with spit up babies. Aloe drink is one of them. It is a PLANT, we put it on our outside owies and it is just as good on the inside ones as well.

Take control girl!! You sound like a terrific mom! Let them burp and be burped!

V.
married 8.5 yrs, dd is 6, ttc #2 5 yrs in August, no answers! Filling out adoption papers!

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I would totally go with your gut. If your babies are gaining weight, developing normally, and otherwise healthy, I would not give them medicine. There is some research out there about over-diagnosing acid reflux and although I don't know the numbers, it stated that most doctors would flippantly label a child as acid reflux. Get a second opinion and remember it's better to burp and taste it than fart and waste it!

umm, i think your doctor is crazy. burping isn't normal???? what the heck, yes it is i burp! and you are your childrens mom, and you know what is best for them. i would not put my kid on drugs because she was burping. crazy!

Sometimes doctors say and do things that makes me scratch my head....then I ignore them. Not always, but in this case I would.
My son will be 2 in a few days. Guess what? He STILL burps when he drinks and oftentimes after a meal. I'm 32 and even I still burp after I drink (though not all the time, of course).
All a burp is is the expulsion of excess air that's accompanied food into the stomach. I don't really understand why a doctor would find this so troubling.

Wendi,

My daughter is nine months old, breastfed, and still burps after meals (usually in the evening). I wouldn't use meds if that is the reason.

If your little ones are growing well, meeting milestones, gaining with each appointment, even if just a little bit, etc., I would not put them on medication. Spitting up when put on the tummy just means that tummy is full.

BTW, my son was on Prevacid and Reglan as a tiny baby, because his reflux caused him intense pain (he would scream from the acid) and often caused him to stop breathing completely. His was extreme, but I still took him off the meds as soon as he improved. So I'm not against using medication when it is necessary, but it doesn't sound as if it is in your case.

My 10 month old burps after I nurse her and during and after meals. It is natural and it releases gas. I don't pound on her nor do I insist that she burp, she will if she needs too. I'm sorry but your pediatrican sounds like a ditz. People burp all the time.

I would question seriously whether giving anyone any medication "can't hurt". From what I understand, any antacid type medication actually changes how the stomach digests food. Acid in the stomach is what helps digestion, and if you medicate to stop the acid, you can hinder good digestion.

My son was diagnosed with acid reflux, and they put him on prevacid and Axid, etc. On the advice of a friend, I took him to a pediatric chiropractor. Two adjustments and the problem was solved - the reflux was gone, he was comfortable, and he did not need any more meds.

The chiropractor also said papaya acts naturally to calm the stomach without messing with the acid needed for disgestion. When either of the kids has tummy troubles, we give them papaya (you can get the extract in a chewable pill to save having to keep fresh fruit on hand). Even my husband, who used to pop antacids like M&Ms has successfully switched to the papaya and no longer has trouble.

M.

My pediatrician does not believe in burping and neither do I now. Do you need to be burped after you eat a meal? Just put your babies upright and rub their backs if you feel you must. If they need to burp they will do it on their own just like you and I. Save yourself some time and save them the pounding.

My nine month old burps too after I breast feed her. Imagine all that air in their bellies if they didn't burp after a feeding.

Sorry, but I would hunt around for a different doctor. I perplexed that the doctor would say that. I mean, babies take in air when they are BF or bottle fed and, if they don't release that air someway or another, they're going to be upset. They need to get rid of that build up of air.

I personally would not listen to that doctor in regards to burping. Just remember to go with your gut instinct in regards to your baby. You know him/her best =-)

-P.

Both my kids need prevacid. Well my oldest doesn't anymore but did for a year or so. I felt like my second was given it just because the doc was trying to pacify me. (I switched doctors) The new doctor said that if I didn't think my 6mo old needed it then I could go a few days and see how things went, he said I would know then. But he said that Prevacid isn't a medication that has adverse effects if you don't need it. It just helps if you do. So no, it can't hurt them. Good luck with your twinners.

They will always burp, but will need your help with it for a few months more. Just like we burp after a big drink. Babies just have a harder time bringing the air up out of their bellies.

A.

Wendi, I have to admit your doc's response to the burping made me laugh! I also have b/g twins, mine are 18 mos. now. My son has been on Zantac for over a year now for reflux, and trust me you can tell when they really need it. I tried to take my son off it when he was on solids and not spitting up any more and he will still burp acid in the evening - you can totally hear it in the back of his throat. So he gets 1 mL each night at bedtime. And yes, my kids (and me, and my husband!) still burp after eating. Not all the time, but I do think it's normal. Like the other mom's said, can you imagine if we couldn't get that gas out of our stomachs?! As far as the solid foods go, try the Gerber/Beechnut stage 1 or 2, they are not chunky at all; just pureed food with a little water added. If you aren't into processed stuff, you can make your own with a food processor or high-end blender, but I never had the energy for that with my twins! Gerber also makes an organic line of baby food. Try the thinner, less chunky food and see how they do. And remember, no-one goes to preschool or kindergarten just eating (drinking) milk without real food!
Good luck, let me know how things go with your little ones! I love my twins, they are definitely a double blessing!

My baby is four months and he burps after he eats but I dont have to pat his back or anything I just sit him up and he does it on his own. My older son was the same. The only time I had to burp them was when they were newborns and needed a little extra help. But just burping in general is normal. Everybody burps. So I would say that if you are still patting their backs to help them burp, it's probably not necessary, I bet they will let it out on their own.

Have you stopped burping? Has your husband stopped burping. Gas is a natural part of life and as Sheck says "Better out than in" Spitting up is something totally different. The babies should stop by a year. Maybe a little more.
C. B

I have a baby who is 7 days away from being 1 year old. we have the night time bottle before still and I burp him after it is done. I do not pound him, but I place him upright and I pat his back. He usually burpes at least 2 times. If he doesn't burp, as we are heading up the stairs for bed, he will burp then.
He also spits up on the floor on his belly sometimes, and I think it is because he is too full. It's never very much, and it is only once in a while. My baby also had reflux as an infant, taking zantac until about 5 months. I don't think one has anything to do with the other.
The chunks that your baby spits up on are probably too big and he gets them half way down before they have to come back up and he "spits up" or vomits because of it.
If I were you, I would look for a new doctor. It's sounds to me like yours is money and drug hungry. The more that is wrong with your family the more money they make!

I think that ( i had a son with acid reflex so bad when he was born he reflexed and aspirated it and ened up in the hospital) the doctor is right about putting them back on it the medicine might even help get them on solid foods better they wont have so much acid in their tummys causing the gas build up that causes them to burp, which will then let them relax and not have tummy aches and want to have the food.
good luck!

My little boy is 8 months, and still burps occasionally, but not always...to tell the truth, he won't hold still long enough to burb him unless he is really sleepy. But I wouldn't say that just because your baby still burps that there is something wrong. I burp if I drink really fast, and there is nothing wrong with me, a burp is just swallowed air.

Weird!! I'm no Dr but my sign is just shy of 13 months and like you I burp him after a bottle. If I put him to bed without burping him then we wake up to screaming. He burps more on his own now but he still burps. He will even burp when he has solid foods and a drink in his sippy cup. I wouldn't be too worried about the burping thing. I would get a 2nd opinion. Good Luck!

My heavens!!!!! What is this world coming to? It's just a burp! A burp for heavens sake. I can't believe your doctor. My baby burps after eating still and she is 13 months. If I don't burp her and she goes to bed, she too wakes up screaming until I burp her. ........and YES I burp after eating. Most people do. Your doc is coo coo and instilling his patients with unecessary worry over a god made human reaction to food. My husband is in the medical field and he says burping is totally normal and suppose to happen. I just can't believe that I heard this!!!! You should not even think about this again and live your life in peace. Rose :o)

I understand the mechanism of Prevacid, and would not put my child on it if he was burping air. He did get put on it when he was an infant though, because he burped up his meals...ALL OVER! It wasn't just baby spit-up, it was like spilling some of the milk from a cup. I stopped using burp rags and just carried towels all over. That is a reason to use an antacid or Prevacid.
You would probably also have a little spit-up if you were to lie on your stomach right after eating a liquid meal. I would suggest trying other means to deal with the problem, like burping them, avoiding tummy time for 30 min after eating, etc.

And Mary M, are you KIDDING ME???!!! A prime example of the placebo effect!

I'm a big believer that most burping is merely a function of air in the stomach. So my question to you is - do you shake their bottles to mix the formula?? I can imagine that with twins, anything that saves time is employed - but stirring or gently swirling the bottle causes a lot less air to mix with the liquid and then to fill up their little stomachs. My 3-year old will still burp if she drinks vigorously from a sippy cup and my breast-fed 5-month old will cry if he is put down without a good burp. If that air does travel through their digestive systems, it results in painful gas. So don't underestimate the effects of a little extra air in their tummies. It's amazing to me how quickly doctor's will prescribe medication and don't think for a minute that there's no harm done in giving an infant a pharmaceutical, unless it's your ONLY option. But I think if your children are otherwise content, then they're unlikely to have a serious reflux problem.