How to properly swaddle a newborn? Swaddling is a technique that has been applied across generations for the comfort, relaxation, and safety of children. It is done by wrapping a newborn or infant tightly in a blanket or piece of cloth. Whether you are a new mother or expecting a new baby, you have likely heard about swaddling and its benefits before. In this article, we will provide you with everything you want to know about how to properly swaddle a newborn.
What Is Swaddling and Why Is It Important?
Swaddling is an ancient custom that involves wrapping and surrounding an infant with blankets or special fabrics in a way that completely prevents and limits the movement of the limbs. There are differences of opinion about swaddling in terms of its usefulness and health effects.
Studies indicate that swaddling helps infants sleep by calming them and keeping them in a lying position, which reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. On the other hand, other studies indicate that swaddling increases the risk of congenital hip dysplasia.
It can be said that different ways to swaddle a baby will provide your child with a sense of security, comfort and warmth that he was accustomed to before birth, as swaddling mimics the comfortable environment of the womb, and it is also important to protect the child from harming himself with his hands, as the child during his early age does not control his hands and how they move, so the tightly wrapped blanket makes the child feel reassured and calm. Also, swaddling can help in the following matters:
- Calming the child: Swaddling can help calm an upset child, as this will be a feeling of calm, and swaddling should be associated in the event of the child crying with other things such as swinging and hugging to feel safe.
- Improving sleep quality: Babies tend to sleep better and for longer hours when swaddled, as they feel as if they are in their mother’s womb.
- Reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): Swaddling can enhance the safety of babies while they sleep and reduce the risk of a rare syndrome called Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
The Key Benefits of Swaddling Your Baby
Speaking about how to properly swaddle a newborn? It can be said that swaddling will provide your baby with a sense of security, comfort, and warmth that he is accustomed to before birth, as swaddling mimics the comfortable environment of the womb, and it is also important to protect the baby from harming himself with his hands.
As the baby during his early stages of life does not control his hands and how they move, so the tightly wrapped blanket makes the baby feel reassured and calm. Swaddling can also help in the following matters:
- Soothe the baby: Swaddling can help calm an upset baby, as this will be a sense of calm, and swaddling should be associated with other things in the event of the baby crying, such as swinging and hugging to feel safe.
- Improving the quality of sleep: Babies tend to sleep better and for longer hours when swaddled, as it feels like they are in their mother’s womb.
- Reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): Swaddling can improve the safety of babies while they sleep and reduce the risk of a rare syndrome called Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
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how to properly swaddle a newborn: Step-by-Step Guide
How to properly swaddle a newborn? The easiest way to swaddle is to use a ready-made sleep sack or a swaddle wrap. You can also use any breathable cloth or a large foldable blanket you have. We will show you how to properly swaddle a newborn simply and easily, knowing that home nursing at the hospital or in the children’s clinic can teach you how to swaddle and wrap your baby correctly. Here are the steps for how to properly swaddle a newborn in detail:
Step 1: Prepare the blanket
Lay the blanket on a flat surface to form a diamond shape with one corner facing you, then fold the top corner down slightly to create a straight edge.
Step 2: Positioning the baby correctly
Place your baby on the blanket with his face up and his shoulders slightly below the top edge, making sure his head is above the fold, and try not to let the fabric touch his cheek so that he does not confuse it with the breast and react instinctively to try to breastfeed, as this will confuse him and make him start crying.
Step 3: Secure the arms
Grab your baby’s left arm and gently hold it straight against his body, fold the left part, and wrap it around his body, leaving his right hand for now.
Step 4: Wrap the right side
Fold the bottom corner of the blanket up over your baby’s feet, and fold it tightly behind his shoulder. Now, grab your baby’s right arm and gently hold it straight against his body, wrap the right corner of the blanket on the other side, and place it under his left side.
Step 5: Secure the Bottom Fold
Wrap the remaining fabric at the bottom of the blanket loosely around your baby’s feet so that it does not interfere with natural hip movement. If you notice that the blanket or fabric is loose and not secure, replace it with another size.
Step 6: Safety Check
Make sure the swaddle isn’t too tight around your baby’s hips, as this can lead to hip dysplasia in the future, and the legs should be able to bend outwards at the hips.
When Is the Right Time to Swaddle Your Baby?
How to properly swaddle a newborn? Swaddling usually starts from birth to two or three months of age, and once your little one starts to roll over a bit or resists being swaddled and tries to unwrap themselves forcefully, it’s time to stop swaddling.
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When Should You Stop Swaddling Your Baby?
How to properly swaddle a newborn? After two or three months, you can let your baby sleep without swaddling or with partial swaddling with his hands out of the swaddle. If he starts crying or can’t sleep comfortably, he still needs some time before stopping swaddling. If everything is going well, he is ready to sleep without swaddling. As we mentioned earlier, if your baby starts to roll or move around extra, it means you should stop swaddling him, because if he sleeps on his stomach or side, the swaddle may cause him breathing problems. So if you are unable to complete the matter, you can seek help from Home Health Care.
Is It Okay Not to Swaddle Your Newborn?
In addition to how to properly swaddle a newborn, your baby settled in your womb for nine months before he was born, until he got used to the warmth and curling up comfortably in his small space and the gentle, enjoyable vibration while you moved around to do your homework. But once your baby is born, that warmth disappears and he is not as close to you as he was before, and there is a much larger space around him than he was used to.
This sudden change may be more than your baby can handle. Many mothers resort to swaddling their babies in an attempt to help them adapt to the new situation, and they find that this improves their children’s sleep.
However, not all babies need to be swaddled, and some babies may not want to, which does not mean that these babies have sleep problems – but perhaps they just liked this large amount of space and prefer to explore it and spread their bodies and limbs freely.
It is up to you to choose between swaddling your baby or not, but in both cases, the baby should sleep on his back. If you feel that swaddling is better for your baby to promote his sleep and enable him to get what he needs from sleep, be sure to implement the swaddling technique
Disadvantages of swaddling a baby
Although many mothers are looking for how to properly swaddle a newborn, there are clear disadvantages to implantation, which are:
1. Increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Swaddling has been found to reduce the baby’s alertness, making it more difficult to wake him up, which is one of the reasons that increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in infants under one year of age.
2. Suffocation
If the baby is not swaddled properly, the swaddling cloth may become loose, which leads to the accumulation of fabrics around the baby and increases the possibility of his respiratory tract being blocked and suffocating with it, which is another factor that may lead to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
3. Increased temperature
Since the swaddle is another layer added to the baby’s clothes, it may cause him to feel excessive and annoying warmth.
To ensure that this type of swaddling damage to the baby has not occurred, it is recommended to touch his chest or neck from behind, to feel for sweating and to know whether his body is excessively warm or not while learning how to properly swaddle a newborn.
If he is sweaty or very warm, it is recommended to do one of the following or both together if necessary:
- Remove a layer of his clothes.
- Change the type of swaddle cloth, so that it is lighter and breathable, such as cotton and gauze.
4. Developmental dysplasia of the hip
Washing your baby incorrectly can increase the risk of developing a hip joint problem, a condition known as developmental dysplasia of the hip, and swaddling too tightly on your baby’s body has been found to be one of the causes.
It is worth noting that a baby who is swaddled with his legs straight and close together is more likely to develop this condition than one who is swaddled with a gap between his thighs.
ِAlso Read: how to decrease the risk of SIDS?
Safety Tips for Swaddling Your Baby from Lana Life Care
Here are the most important tips to help you with swaddling, presented by Lana Life Care a Home Health Care Service;
- Putting the baby on his back: It is necessary to put the baby on his back while swaddling him, as this reduces the chances of suffocation.
- Monitoring the baby while sleeping: The mother should monitor the baby while swaddling so that he does not roll over by mistake, and the baby should be stopped when signs of his ability to roll over begin, which is at about two months of age.
- Maintaining a safe sleeping space for the baby: The safe sleeping space for infants should remain free of any loose bedding or soft objects that could cause the baby to suffocate.
- Avoid leaving the baby to get too hot: Swaddling can increase the chances of the baby’s temperature rising, and make him overheat, so the baby should not be left until his body becomes too hot, and swaddling should be stopped if the baby becomes sweaty, or his hair becomes wet, or signs of redness appear on his face or body, or if his breathing rate is observed rapidly, as all of these signs indicate that the baby’s body is overheated due to swaddling.
- Maintain hip space: Babies who are wrapped too tightly may develop hip problems. Straightening and wrapping the baby’s legs tightly can lead to hip dislocation or dysplasia, an abnormal formation of the hip joint where the top of the thigh bone is not firmly attached to the hip socket.
- Swaddling only during sleep: Swaddling should be limited to sleeping periods, to give the baby freedom of movement while awake, and to avoid the potential risks of swaddling while the baby is awake.
Conclusion
Swaddling is an ancient technique that can bring comfort and calm to both babies and parents alike, and although it may take some practice and patience at first, it helps create a safe sleeping environment for your baby. Lana Life Care for newborn care at home supports you with how to properly swaddle a newborn and the best advice for you and your children at all ages to make your daily life more comfortable, easy and enjoyable, so stay up to date with our articles!
FAQs
What if my baby doesn’t like to be swaddled?
You should not swaddle if your baby does not like it.
How long to swaddle a baby per day?
It is not recommended to swaddle for more than 20 hours during the first weeks after birth
What not to do when swaddling a baby?
The baby should not be placed on his stomach in a swaddled position
