Swaddling baby

For nine months, your baby has been scrunched up, arms folded, legs pulled up, in warm amniotic fluid. He’s been comforted by the slow, steady sound of your heartbeat. Then all of a sudden, he enters the cold, bright world and is surrounded by noise. It can be a frightening place for someone so small. He needs all the comfort that he can get.

Why should you swaddle your baby?

Swaddling is generally used to comfort your newborn baby. It can often help him to fall asleep, comfort him when he cries and make him feel safe. Babies also often wake up from their startle reflex, so swaddling will help stop their legs and arms from jerking them awake.

If your baby doesn’t like being tightly swaddled, try wrapping him loosely. Some babies just don’t like being wrapped at all, so don’t worry if your baby doesn’t want to be swaddled. He probably just wants his mommy to hold him.

How do you swaddle your baby?

• Start off by getting yourself a long, thin baby blanket. Using a thick blanket can make swaddling a little difficult. If it’s cold outside, you can always wrap your baby in a thin blanket and put a thicker blanket around him afterwards.
• Lay the blanket on your bed in a diamond shape
• Fold the top corner down, about 10 or 15cm (or 6 inches)
• Place your baby on his back on the blanket, with his head half on the fold and half on your bed
• Take the corner of the blanket to your right and pull it over your baby’s body
• Lift your baby’s right hand up and tuck the blanket under his body
• Now lift the bottom corner up to your baby’s chin and tuck the edges under your baby
• Lift the corner of the blanket to your left and pull it over your baby’s body.
• Tuck the last bits of blanket under his back

When your baby is still tiny, he’ll prefer to have his hands tucked in the blankets, because it will make him feel warm and safe. But once he’s a little older and he starts playing with his hands, he’ll probably prefer to have his hands out of the blankets. When this happens, swaddle him under his arms.

When should you stop swaddling your baby?

Babies are only generally swaddled for the first month or two. After that, they’ll be so busy looking at their hands and moving their arms and legs about, that they won’t want to be wrapped up tightly anymore. You’ll know when your baby doesn’t want to be swaddled, when he cries and kicks when you try to wrap him. Don’t swaddle your baby if it’s a very hot day. This could overheat him and cause medical problems, including SIDS (Sudden infant death syndrome). You also shouldn’t swaddle him, when he starts rolling over. He’ll need to have his hands free, so that he can push himself up, when he rolls onto his tummy.