Winding a baby

When babies drink from a bottle and also when they cry, they tend to swallow air. Some babies suffer from wind at every feed and others don’t seem to have a problem – there’s no normal circumstance.

But if a baby is suffering with wind, they won’t feed properly or sleep well and if they take milk on top of wind, they’ll probably be sick. Parents will then worry that baby has not taken enough milk.

Most babies need to be winded half way through their feed and then again at the end of it. If babies are very windy or posset (bring up milk) a lot after feeding then it may help to wind before each feed.

1. There are two main positions for winding. The first is over the shoulder, one hand under baby’s bottom and the other ready to support their head. The other involves sitting baby on parent’s lap facing out. One hand is under baby’s chin to support the head and the other on their back.

2. Once baby is positioned, their back should be rubbed quite firmly until they burp. This can sometimes take a while. It is a good idea to have a cloth handy as babies often bring up some milk when they are winded.

3. Once baby has been winded, it’s quite likely they will be ready for some more milk as they will have more room in their tummy.