One of the first things you will notice when the nurse gives you your baby (after he’s been cleaned up) is that he looks nice and cozy wrapped snuggly in a swaddle. But like refolding a map (at least when we all used to read them), duplicating the expert work of a professional (read: pediatric nurse) can be quite a challenge for new parents. Sure, these wrap artists can help you when you’re still at the hospital, but once you return home, you’re on your own.
Swaddles help your baby feel warm, enclosed and secure — just the way things used to be in your tummy before giving birth. But aside from mimicking that still-in-the-womb feeling, swaddles also prevent babies from flailing their bodies, waking themselves up.
According to Dr. Marjorie Milici, a pediatrician with Baylor Pediatric Center in Dallas, “Swaddling contains a baby from their newborn erratic movements that can upset them, because they cannot control the movement of their hands, arms, legs or feet. Newborns have a lot of uncontrolled movements such as the moro reflex that is a startling reaction.” The moro reflex should disappear between 3 to 6 months, so the need to keep baby swaddled should fade as well.
Now comes the critical detail: how to properly swaddle your little one so you can both find the sweet relief of sleep. There are many ways to get it done, but a few basic steps can help you do it right:
1. Arrange the blanket with the corners to the side.
2. Fold the top corner down about the length of baby’s head.
3. With baby on the blanket, position his head slightly higher than the fold.
4. Take one side of the blanket over baby’s chest, just over one shoulder and down, covering the same arm; tuck under baby’s back with the opposite arm exposed.
5. Bring the bottom corner up and tuck it into the first wrap across baby’s chest, covering his feet.
6. Take the remaining side of the blanket over the exposed shoulder, bringing it slightly down across baby’s chest and tuck it under as the final fold in your tidy package; be mindful that baby's face is not covered by the blanket.
But even with the clearest of directions, perfecting the swaddle may still be a challenge for some parents. And even if you have perfected the swaddle, your little bean may also be a little Houdini — one who can magically wiggle himself out (then hate the fact that he is no longer wrapped). Thankfully, there are plenty of blankets and sleep sacks now on the market that try to do all the hard work for you. Search “baby swaddle” on etsy.com and you’ll come across dozens of handmade versions (made with gorgeous textiles, to boot) of swaddles as well.
Swaddling is typically used in the first three months of life; however, as pointed out by Milici, “The new recommendations are that babies stop being swaddled at 2 months. SIDS is usually highest at 2–6 months. The new recommendations are based on the fear that after 2 months a baby may be able to move out of the swaddling blanket.”
Additionally, Milici advises that parents should be careful not to swaddle their babies too tightly as it may hamper their breathing.
Stephanie Parker, who hails from Fort Worth, has actually created a transitional blanket of sorts, which has garnered praise from moms around the U.S. Her Zipadee-Zip wearable blanket is meant to serve as a happy medium between swaddling and being able to move more freely to help make the shift away from a tight swaddle less abrupt.
In the end, you should do what you feel is best for your own situation, since all babies are different. Even Milici admits that she swaddled her own children well after they were 2–3 months old. “I personally swaddled my children until about 9 months,” she reveals. “Mostly because they hated if their arms or legs flailed around. It would make them cry and awaken a good sleep. I think this is a good discussion to have [when to stop swaddling] and [realize] every baby is different.”
