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Effective and Safe Baby Swaddling Tips

Team AckoFeb 8, 2024

Are you looking for ways to make your baby sleep properly? Here is a complete guide on baby swaddling tips, which makes your task easy. Swaddling is a technique that makes a fussy baby sleep securely and peacefully. Though there is nothing that can replace the mother’s womb's warmth, swaddling is very close to it, which reminds babies of their mother’s warmth.

Contents

What is Swaddling?
When to swaddle a baby?
Effective ways to swaddle your baby:
Wrap and Velcro Safety Tips while Swaddling your Baby:

Why to swaddle your baby?

• Swaddling gives your baby an atmosphere and comfort that he experienced in your womb. It will keep him comfortable and calm.

• As newborns face difficulty to adjust to the new temperature and atmosphere after coming out from womb, swaddling helps them with the transition to life outside the womb. It maintains the right temperature for them to sleep properly.

• Swaddling helps in preventing startling reflexes, which are the main cause of sudden waking up of your child from sleep. Keeping your baby’s arms bound in a swaddle can prevent him from waking up suddenly even if he gets startled.

• It keeps your baby’s arms bound, thus preventing him from scratching his beautiful face.

Learning ways to swaddle your baby is not a difficult task. It is just an art, which you can master upon in a few trials only. You just need to ensure that your baby is comfortable while you’re swaddling him.

What is Swaddling?

Swaddling a baby is a technique practiced around the world that can help calm a crying baby and prepare him for sleep. Swaddling is snugly wrapping up your baby in either a square blanket or specially designed swaddle blanket for baby’s comfort and safety leaving no room for baby to move (headroom is there). Swaddling simulates what it was like for your baby when he was in the womb. It helps him to feel safe, comfortable and especially secure exactly the way he experienced in the womb. Swaddling is meant only for the first few months of your baby’s life.

When to swaddle a baby?

Swaddling is meant for the very first few months of your baby, may be like the first two to three months of his life. However, you can continue swaddling up to 9 months of age if your child feels uncomfortable sleeping without it.

You can swaddle your baby when awake and asleep, for the initial few weeks but make sure you are not swaddling him all the time. At around 6 weeks, you should stop swaddling your baby while awake. Give him time to throw his hands and legs to practice mobility and strength.

When your baby starts heading up or has a good tummy time, it is an indicator that you should stop swaddling. You will find that with the growth spurt your baby starts reaching its milestone of moving, he would not like to get swaddled then.

However, some babies prefer swaddling until the age of one as well. But you should start settling your child without swaddling as he starts rolling over.

Effective ways to swaddle your baby:

There are different ways to swaddle your baby to make him calm and comfortable for sleep. Check different baby swaddling tips here:

The Diamond Swaddle

1. Lay a nice square shaped blanket down on a flat place for your baby, in a diamond position. Make a fold at the top corner of the blanket for the headroom for baby’s head.

2. Lay your baby down on his back in the center of the blanket. Make sure his neck and head are above the folded corner.

3. Hold your baby’s hands along his sides or fold over his tummy to replicate the womb’s position. Pull the left side over and snugly tuck under your baby.

4. Pull the bottom corner up and fold towards the upward direction near your baby’s neck and then wrap the last corner all the way around the baby and tuck the left-over into a pocket you created at the front.

The Square Swaddle

1. Lay a blanket in a square position and fold from top exactly like you did in the diamond position.

2. Lay your baby down on his back diagonally across the blanket with his neck at the top of the fold.

3. Pull the right side over and snugly tuck under your baby and then the left side over and tuck under your baby.

4. Tuck the bottom of the blanket behind your baby and your baby is snuggly swaddled.

Sleep Sack Swaddle

1. Purchase a sleep sack for your baby. Put him in the sleep sack like you put him in a onesie.

2. Zip the sleep sack carefully.

Wrap and Velcro Safety Tips while Swaddling your Baby:

Though there are many ways to swaddle your baby, in each way you need to make sure that your baby is comfortable.

• Do not tightly swaddle your baby. A tightly packed swaddle makes your baby suffocated and uncomfortable.

• Do check for air circulation in a swaddle.

• Always give support at the neck of your baby while swaddling.

• Give enough leg space in swaddle so that your baby can move his legs easily.

• Avoid swaddling when your baby is not sleeping and trying to play or move.

• Always swaddle your baby correctly to prevent SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

• Make sure you choose the right blanket or sleep sack for your baby. The material should make your baby comfy and not irritable.

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Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only, based on industry experience and secondary sources. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified expert for health or insurance-related decisions. Content is subject to change, refer to current policy wordings for specific ACKO details.

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