How to Swaddle a Baby Step By Step Method

How to swaddle a baby step by step method is to help all our new parents in calming and snuggling the infants. Swaddling a baby helps in providing the comfort and snuggle of the womb and the newborn gets a peaceful sleep meanwhile. Most hospitals have nurses which train new parents on how to swaddle a baby, and safely wrap the blanket so not to hurt to cause any harm to the delicate skin of the newborn. Swaddling is a great way to nestle your little one, and also safeguard against self inflicted scratches on face and neck. Swaddling must be stopped by 6-8 weeks as it interferes with mobility and development. And only under parental observation, it must continue there after.

Swaddling must be done carefully and with utmost care as a little more pressure or stretch may cause serious injuries on little one’s skin. Also, it is recommended for first 4-8 weeks or until the baby learns to roll over or shift on their side. As that’s the time it becomes very risky for the fatal impacts it may have. For kids sleeping in cradle or bassinet, it is easier to use harness on them if any, or having a support on their sides. But for kids co-sleeping with parents or on a crib, there must be utmost care and precaution while swaddling.

Benefits of Swaddling a Baby in Initial Few Weeks:

1- Swaddling is warm, cozy and safe until the kids learn to roll over
2- Swaddling helps in providing a snuggle which mimics the secure conditions of the mothers womb which are familiar for a newborn and it helps in giving them a feeling of safety
3- Swaddling provides a snug and calm environment for the infants
4- Swaddling helps in providing warmth to the baby which is needed to prevent heat loss from their body
5- Swaddle helps to sooth a crying baby and aids in better sleep
6- Swaddle helps in calming cranky and overstimulated baby.
7- Swaddling reduces colic and fussiness.
8- Swaddling also makes breastfeeding easier.

How to Swaddle a Baby Step by Step Method Includes:

(A) Using a diamond shaped cloth:

1- Lay out a blanket on the surface in the shape of a diamond where corners pointing in all 4 directions
2- Fold the north corner to make an inverted triangle, of around 6”
3- Put your baby with head outside of the fold, the blanket fold should be below the ears and almost at the same line as the shoulder. Let the hands rest straight around hips or on the tummy
4- Now take the east corner and fold it inwards by putting under the baby, a little gentle stretch but the baby must not show discomfort
5- Now take the south corner and bring it over the north corner fold, such that it goes behind the folded cloth, remember to keep baby’s legs straight and give plenty of room for folding legs if the infant wishes to
6- Now take the west corner and wrap it over the east corner, you may want to tug it on the below cloth folds. Do not put lot of pressure or stretch it too much.
7- Remember to see the space inside, the baby must have adequate mobility inside the swaddle.

(B) Using a readymade swaddle:

1- Put your baby snuggled inside the body suit of ready made swaddle [Check toysrus.com]
2- There is a zipper to close the leg inside the cozy swaddle, which may be suitable for night time sleep or during winters, else do not zip it for daytime naps or extremely warm climates and it may cause overheating.
3- Using the hand wrapping clothes, tuck them on the sides with gentle stretch, the child must not feel discomfort or unease
4- There are velcro straps to help in keeping the position intact, and also balance according to the size of your little one

(C) Using a square shaped cloth:

1- Fold the square shaped cloth such that it is forming a triangle, but not completely touching the edges, the lower part lying 7-8” wider than upper fold
2- Now put your little one on the cloth such that the folded part stays right under their neck in shoulder line.
3- Fold the left side of the blanket to reach under baby’s back, with the child’s body weight it will stay intact.
4- Now take the bottom part and just put it on the baby’s chest, of you may wish to tuck it gently on the below cloth drape.
5- Take the right side and cover it gently over the below fold of drapes, be sure to tuck in on any cloth below for avoiding any untucked swaddle.
6- Keep enough room for your child to move their legs and hands inside, do not over tighten it for it may be risky.

(D) Using a rectangular cloth for both quick wrap and burrito roll:

1- Fold the top left corner by 7-8” and put the baby on the triangular fold for quick wrap and rolled over fold for burrito wrap
2- Keep the shoulder length in line of the cloth
3- Now wrap the right corner either straight under the baby for quick wrap or rolled over below baby for burrito wrap
4- Now take the lower corner and quick wrap for flat tuck or rolled for burrito roll kind of method
5- And the last step, for left down corner. It must cover all the below tucks and covers only to be tucked to the cloth such that its cozy, snuggly and gentle for baby.

[Read: Know some baby bedtime mistakes to avoid]

Precautions while swaddling your baby:

1- It may be a risky for kids who are extremely active and constantly moving
2- Risk of suffocation and SIDS increases once your child starts turning or rolling over
3- Too tight or too lose swaddle poses a lot of risk for the little one
4- Keep enough room for baby to move thighs and hips as a lot of time it develops hip deformities (Infant hip dysplasia http://www.halosleep.com/infant-hip-dysplasia-and-safe-swaddling/) if swaddling gets too tight
5- Let this swaddle be just for the first 15-20 minutes for your little one, as in my case, we used it to just put her to sleep and when she was fast asleep we would open the swaddle to prevent any risk.
6- Do not use swaddle for entire day, just for the night time sleep and that too for first few minutes of hour, is enough

[Read: Best baby parenting books]

The above compilation on How to swaddle a baby step by step method, is based on my own experiences with my little one, though we may have used it longer than 6-8 weeks but it surely benefitted in helping her sleep through the night as early as age 1 month. We did observe a few developmental spurts in terms she could unwrap the swaddle as early as 2 weeks and use her fingers snuggled inside the mittens to grasp the cloth too. Though we benefited from swaddle until 15 weeks but we just used for first 20 minutes until she would be fast asleep. This helped in instilling not only sleep through the night milestone but also independently sleeping too.

Be sure to check with your nurse practitioner for detailed process and steps to swaddle a baby.

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Minu Manisha