Swaddling 101
>> Friday, July 29, 2011
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I remember so clearly my mom teaching me how to swaddle my baby dolls when I was little. Turns out swaddling real babies isn't always as easy, but, all that practice when I was little definitely paid off!!
Swaddling has turned out to be extra useful with my newest little one. She is just over 7 months old and I still swaddle her. She was the move-iest baby in the womb (Remember how she was still going from breach position to head down position up until a week before her birth?) And now she is the move-iest baby out of the womb. Her legs move around like they have a mind of their own, and unless I swaddle her, she has a hard time with feedings and with relaxing to go to sleep.
Why swaddle:
-Research shows that babies that are swaddled sleep for longer stretches of time.
-Research also shows that babies that are swaddled correctly are less likely to be affected by SIDS.
-When our babies were in the womb, they were feeling warm, tight, and secure. When they are born, they still crave that feeling, and swaddling is a great way for them to achieve that feeling.
-Swaddled babies have been shown to better soothe themselves back to sleep.
-Swaddling is a great way to try to soothe a fussy baby. It can help keep them in a state of calm.
How to swaddle:
This is a wonderful video on how to swaddle your newborn.
What to swaddle with:
The first is the hospital blanket. They aren't pretty or cute, but they are perfect for swaddling. I immensely regret not stocking up on more of them when the nurse told us to take all the blankets they had in our hospital room. Next time around I will definitely be picking out all of the big ones they have.
-Research shows that babies that are swaddled sleep for longer stretches of time.
-Research also shows that babies that are swaddled correctly are less likely to be affected by SIDS.
-When our babies were in the womb, they were feeling warm, tight, and secure. When they are born, they still crave that feeling, and swaddling is a great way for them to achieve that feeling.
-Swaddled babies have been shown to better soothe themselves back to sleep.
-Swaddling is a great way to try to soothe a fussy baby. It can help keep them in a state of calm.
How to swaddle:
This is a wonderful video on how to swaddle your newborn.
Because my little one likes to sleep with her arms stretched above her head, I've just adjusted this method by leaving her arms out.
What to swaddle with:
I have two favorite swaddling blankets.
The first is the hospital blanket. They aren't pretty or cute, but they are perfect for swaddling. I immensely regret not stocking up on more of them when the nurse told us to take all the blankets they had in our hospital room. Next time around I will definitely be picking out all of the big ones they have.
My second favorite is something I recently heard about (I'm probably behind on this one) but I LOVE the aden + anais swaddling blankets. Unlike the hospital blankets, these are super cute and come in lots of different designs. They are big (perfect for swaddling an 18 lb seven month old like mine) and lightweight (perfect for swaddling a seven month old like mine in the hot, hot heat of summer).
You can visit the aden + anais site here and if you look around online, you can find some good deals on them.
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4 comments:
this makes me feel so much better! I'm still swaddling my 7 month old and have no idea how to stop? she is getting strong.. rolling over and makes me worried about her being swaddled and sleeping on her face. How do you wean? do you?
Good to know! I loved the video.
MOMMY-MOMO, as I wrote this I was feeling self-conscious that I still swaddle her, so I'm glad I'm not the only one! I don't think it has to be something we purposefully wean, I think it will happen naturally. Also, my little one started rolling over way young (before 3 months if I remember correctly)and I worried about her sleeping on her stomach. But the pediatrician said that if she's strong enough to roll over, SIDS is much less of a concern.
I love the guy in the video...Is he the dad or a doc? I swaddled my first until at least 6 months and she loved it. The rest were only a few months and they were done with it. I feel sorry for lil' babes I see know that as soon as they come home they are no longer swaddled. I think they miss that tight comfortability. Indian babies resided in a cradle board tightly tied in until they were walking and they say Indian babies rarely cried. That tells you something right there!
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