All You Need to Know about Swaddling Your Baby

What is Swaddling?

Swaddling is an ancient practice of snugly wrapping a baby to help him feel safe and secure. Recent medical studies have shown that swaddling helps infants to fall asleep and they wake less often when swaddled.

When your baby is first born, everything is different outside the womb so creating a similar environment for him to sleep in during the first two months of life helps him to adjust. Swaddling keeps your baby snug, just as he would have felt in your womb, and this helps him feel safe while he gets used to the world he has been born into.

In a study of 26 healthy babies, researchers found that swaddling helped decrease arousals during sleep, perhaps enabling babies to go back to sleep on their own (Gerard, Harris, & Thanck (2002). Another study of 16 infants found that swaddling promoted “more sustained sleep” and fewer awakenings (Franco et al., 2005).

All good reasons to try swaddling in those first few weeks.

How do You Swaddle a Baby?

There’s a great range of swaddling blankets and wraps available, with Velcro and other fastenings to make it easy to swaddle your baby. The Miracle Blanket Swaddling Wrap is by far my favourite. Take a look at this short video on How to Use the Miracle Blanket to Swaddle Your Baby and you’ll see how simple it is.

However, if you prefer to use a blanket, here’s how it’s done.

Lay the blanket out on a flat surface in the shape of a diamond.
Fold down the top corner of the blanket a little.
Lay your baby face up on the sheet with his neck resting against the fold so that his head is overlapping the top edge you turned down.
Wrap the left corner of the sheet over his body and tuck it beneath him
Bring the bottom corner over his feet, and then wrap the right corner around him, leaving only his head and neck exposed.

Is Swaddling Dangerous?

As with anything you do with and for your baby, swaddling can present some risks and it’s important to be aware of them.

If the material you are using is too thick or the temperature in the room too hot, your baby could overheat. The aim of swaddling is to help your baby feel safe, rather than keep him warm. To be on the safe side, use muslin material or a cotton sheet, rather than a blanket when swaddling your baby.

You do want the swaddle to be snug but make sure it’s not so tight that your baby’s circulation can be cut off.

Once your baby is able to roll over, he should no longer be swaddled. There is a risk that he may able to roll onto his tummy but not get back again. Without the ability to use his arms, he may not be able to get himself out of trouble.

When Should You Stop Swaddling?

Experts recommend different ages to stop swaddling. I recommend you stop swaddling your baby at about 8 weeks old. The first two months are a time in which your baby becomes adjusted to the world outside the womb and swaddling can really help with this. But after this, your baby needs to be able to move around and develop mobility and also self soothing skills. Babies often need their hands for this.

Also, studies have shown that swaddling doesn't help infants with excessive crying once they are two months-old.

Swaddling your baby for too long can also result in your baby becoming dependant on the swaddle for sleep. Many a parent will tell you how their baby wouldn’t sleep unless swaddled and once little one was rolling over they had some tough nights while baby learned to sleep without being wrapped. This can be even more difficult since swaddled babies often haven’t learned to use their hands to self soothe and it is almost like starting from scratch.

How to Gradually Remove the Swaddle

Buy a baby sleeping bag suitable for the time of year and your baby’s age.
Pop your baby in the sleeping bag at sleep time and then swaddle as normal but don’t wrap the legs. The Miracle blanket works really well for this. You're not wrapping your baby’s legs, but the Miracle Blanket fits under the arms so it stops the swaddle from moving up and covering your baby’s face.
So you're swaddling your baby’s arms but keeping his legs free inside the sleeping bag. Stick with this until your baby is going off to sleep happily.
Now put your baby in his sleeping bag, swaddle as before but leave one arm out.
If your baby is finding it difficult, stay nearby to reassure him, patting and shusshing as needed.
Once your baby is happy with one arm out, you can leave him unswaddled.

Sometimes it helps to cut off a piece of the swaddle (a small square) for babies to hold. This is because they have become used to the feel and smell of the material and it's comforting for them to stroke. They may even have been moving their fingers against the swaddle when wrapped. For an older baby, try popping a piece of the material between Sleepytot's paws so it can be found easily.

Take your time and allow your baby to gradually adjust to the changes. With a baby under 8 weeks it should be relatively simple. An older baby (4 months plus) who has been swaddled at all sleep times may need more time to adjust.

Final thoughts

Swaddling can be an extremely effective way of helping a baby transition from womb to world, as well as aiding sleep and reducing crying. But make sure you do it safely!

Recommended Products

Miracle Blanket Swaddle Wrap
Sleepytot Baby Comforter

Baby's Sea Shore