What is Swaddling?
Swaddling involves wrapping a baby securely with a thin, breathable wrap. This can resemble the mother’s womb and help soothe your newborn baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that when done correctly, swaddling can be an effective technique to help calm infants and promote sleep.
How to Swaddle a baby.
You can swaddle your baby in a baby blanket or baby wrap. To swaddle the baby, you simply lay your baby on his back with the arms at his side. With a baby blanket, start by folding the material in half lengthwise and then placing it across the baby’s chest. Gently pull baby’s upper body forward and tuck baby’s arms down into the fold of the fabric. Then continue to roll up baby starting from one end like you’re rolling a burrito until both sides are even. If you do it correctly, there will be no loose fabric at the baby’s neck or face and the baby should feel snug but not too tight or uncomfortable. For more information on how to safely swaddle a newborn visit https://rednose.org.au/article/wrapping-babies
4 Reasons to Swaddle your Newborn:
1) Calms baby as it helps to replicate the comfort felt in the womb.
2) Helps baby sleep longer as swaddling can reduce babies ‘startle relax’ (moro reflex) which can cause babies to wake throughout their sleep.
3) Swaddling helps maintain the supine position during sleep (sleeping on their back), as stated by the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP). AAP recommends a baby can be swaddled until they can roll onto their stomach or they can unwrap their swaddle.
4) Keeps baby warm. Babies tend to nurse/sleep better when they’re wrapped up nice and snug. The reason for this is baby’s don’t like feeling cold. It hurts baby just like it would hurt you or me. Babies typically have a lower body temperature than adults do, so wrapping them up in a blanket helps regulate baby’s body temperature which in turn keeps the baby comfortable.
What type of Swaddles are ideal?
It’s important to choose a baby blanket that is thin and lightweight, not too large, light or fluffy. A baby can overheat in blankets that are too thick or not breathable, this is why it is crucial to swaddle babies in wraps made from breathable fabrics.
Sage Baby muslin wraps use a premium muslin fabric. Made from all-natural fibres of bamboo and cotton, they are incredibly soft and breathable, making them ideal to swaddle your newborn. To view Sage Baby’s range of muslin wraps visit https://www.sagebaby.com.au/muslinwraps/
Article by: Sage Parenting.