Swaddling has been done for centuries to help settle a newborn baby. It feels more familiar to them – they’ve been tucked up in your womb until now and lots of space can feel foreign.
An easy way to swaddle is to place your baby on top of the wrap so their shoulders are at the top and slightly off-centre.
Pull the shorter side around baby and tuck it under their back. Bring the other side of the wrap around your baby and join it with the shorter side, under their back.
Let your baby’s legs be curled up like a frog, don’t force them straight.
Bring the bottom of the wrap over baby and tuck it under with the rest of the wrap; a little like a baby burrito!
When you put your baby down to sleep, make sure they’re lying on their back with their feet at the bottom of the cot.
Being all wrapped up can get pretty warm, so it’s a good idea to leave them in a singlet and nappy instead of a grow-suit in the warmer months.
When it’s cooler, put your baby in a grow suit or something similar, before you swaddle them.
You SHOULDN’T wrap your baby if you’re co-sleeping, using a sleeping bag, or when your baby is showing signs of being able to roll. That’s usually between four and six months old.
So, if a baby wants to have its arms up while swaddled, you can buy one of the zip-up swaddles and they can have their arms up and you can swaddle them in that way.
Contact our dedicated team if you have any questions on swaddling or would like some more tips on getting a good night’s sleep.
10 September 2019