Until you have a tiny baby to care for, you cannot even begin to imagine the mess they can make. As newborns, parents have to deal with plenty of drooling, plenty of dirty diapers and plenty of puking, but that’s just what being a baby is and it is up to their parents to clean up after them.
When preparing for your baby to enter the world, you are probably writing down endless lists of supplies you need and with a puking and drooling baby, one thing that you will need for sure is burp cloths (and plenty of them!). But how many should you be buying?
What Is A Burp Cloth?
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People always think about the clothes they need to buy, the diapers, the pacifiers, yet many seem to forget about buying burp cloths.
It is the last thing we think about however is one of the most important things a baby needs. Burp cloths are brilliant and an absolute requirement whether you are breastfeeding or bottle-feeding because your baby will always need to be burped.
As your baby drinks their milk, they will also be swallowing air making their stomachs uncomfortable.
Because of this, they will need to be burped by their parents but because this can get messy, a burp cloth is a great tool to protect your clothing.
It is inevitable that your baby will spit up on you and ruin all of your clothes, so unless you want a ruined shirt, we highly suggest you use a burp cloth.
How Many Burp Cloths Do You Need?
If you want to know how many burp cloths you need, you will need to determine how often your baby will be fed.
Typically, a newborn baby will be fed between 8 and 12 times a day. So it is best to have at least 14 burp cloths. This gives you enough to use and you can be sure that you have some spares just in case you need them.
Whilst this may seem like a lot, this is the perfect amount especially when you consider what you will be using the burp cloth for.
Despite what the name indicates, burp cloths are not only for burping. They can be used for wiping away a baby’s drool, wiping their face after they eat, using it as a bib, and much more. Babies are messy so will always need cleaning up in one way or another.
For this reason, we would suggest adding a few more burp cloths to your arsenal, 25 should do it.
Choosing The Right Burp Cloth
When it comes to choosing, you cannot just pick any random burp clothes. You have to think about the sensitivity of your baby’s skin, the cloth's material, and the time of year you will be using it.
A baby’s skin is very sensitive at their young age so it is important that they have a burp cloth that will feel soft on their skin and that is delicate.
You should also think about the time of the year and how hot or cold it is. If it is hot outside then you don’t want to be using a burp cloth that is not breathable. Likewise, you don’t want a thin cloth that provides zero comforts for your baby when it is cold.
You also want this burp cloth to be durable and last long; you will always be using a burp cloth so you want to know that it will stay intact for a long time.
We recommend these soft delicate burp cloths, which come in a range of colors.
Expect Your Baby To Spit Up Frequently
For any new parent, it can be overwhelming to have your baby constantly spitting up, however it is very normal. Because of this, you will always have plenty of laundry to clean their and your clothing and you will be doing a lot of burping.
There are some parents, however, who worry about their baby spitting up when it happens too often. They think that their baby is not taking in enough milk since they are always spitting it back up or they are concerned about whether this spit up is actually puke.
Despite all these concerns, it should be known that it is unlikely that this process is abnormal.
Your baby is supposed to be spitting up during feeding. There is no need to be worried if they are doing it often. As for the puking, it is easy to tell the difference. Spit up signs include:
- Slightly uncomfortable baby as the spit up rises, usually ending with a burp
- Easy flow of the baby's stomach contents, that normally dribbles out of their mouth. Throwing up is usually more forceful and will travel further
- Milky-creamy in color. Vomiting will have a yellow-green tinge.
- Normal weight gain for your baby
- A good healthy appetite
Using Your Burp Cloth: What Is The Best Way To Burp A Baby?
How you use your burp cloth all depends on how you burp your baby, and there are several ways to do this. Although there are no rules on when you burp your baby, you do want to make sure that you are burping them correctly so that both you and baby are comfortable.
Method 1: Over The Shoulder
One of the most common ways parents burp their babies is by using the over-the-shoulder method.
With this, you should place your burp cloth over one of your shoulders and hold your baby close, resting their chin on that same shoulder.
Supporting the baby with one hand, use the other to gently rub/pat your baby’s back.
Method 2: Lying On Your Lap
You can also choose to burp your baby with them lying on your lap. To do this, lay the burp cloth on your thigh and lay your baby on its front across your lap (their head should be facing the burp cloth).
Supporting their chin with one hand, use your other hand to gently pat/rub their back until they spit up.
Final Thoughts
If you are wanting to keep your clothes neat and clean with a newborn then it is vital that you have a burp cloth and plenty of them. While it may seem like a lot of trouble to get so many, you will not regret it.
