How to Swaddle a Baby + Tips and Tricks
Ahhh, the age old practice of baby-burrito creation! Lets take a look at the benefits of swaddling your little one, how to do it and some safety recommendations.
Benefits of swaddling:
- Recreates the comfort of the womb
- Calms the Moro reflex, which is the disruptive reflex that wakes babies up
- Helps babies stay on their back - safety first!
- Increases duration of REM sleep, helping babies return to sleep spontaneously - hopefully limited parental intervention. (Yessssss!)
Now... it all sounds amazing - right? Lets go through some swaddling how-to's.
How to swaddle:
Step 1:
- Lay the swaddle or blanket out flat in a diamond shape and fold the top corner down.
- Lay baby face up on the blanket with their head just above the folded corner.
Step 2:
- Straighten the left arm and wrap the left corner of the blanket over the body and tuck it between the right arm and the right side of the body.
Step 3:
- Tuck the right arm down and fold the right corner of the blanket over the body and under the left side.
Step 4:
- Fold or twist the bottom of the swaddle or blanket loosely and tuck it under one side of the baby.
- Make sure its not too tight - you want to be able to get at least 2 or 3 fingers between the baby's chest and the swaddle.
There you have it, Baby - burrito complete!
AAP Safe Sleep Recommendations / Safety Notes:
The AAP recommends parents follow the safe sleep recommendations every time they place their baby to sleep for naps or at nighttime:
- Place your baby on back to sleep, and monitor to be sure they don't roll over while swaddled.
- Do not have any loose blankets in your baby’s crib. A loose blanket, including a swaddling blanket that comes unwrapped, could cover your baby’s face and increase the risk of suffocation.
