“Every time I try to swaddle her, she starts crying even harder.”
“The nurses at the hospital were able to tuck him in nice and tight, but something changed. Now, he just hates to be swaddled.”
“Oh no, we’ve given up on swaddling. We just hold her now until she falls asleep. That’s okay, right?”
To hear newly postpartum parents tell it, there’s hardly a new baby in Maryland that actually enjoys being swaddled.
I so rarely contradict new parents on how to care for their family. But here’s a thing I’ve learned: your new baby may hate the act of getting swaddled. But it is highly unlikely that they actually hate being wrapped up comfy and cozy, like a baby burrito.
Swaddling is just natural.
When babies are in your uterus, they don’t have much room to move around. Especially at the end, your womb is a pretty tight fit. So every time they stretch, they’re surrounded by you. (You might remember this feeling of being punched.)
That creates an instinct in babies, called the startle reflex. After birth, when a sleeping infant reaches her hand out she feels the wide open space of the outside world, and it’s scary!
Have you ever had one of those dreams where you’re falling? I imagine that’s what the startle reflex must feel like for babies.
Swaddling your infant, with their hands tucked close to their body, and wrapped in cloth, removes that sensation. It gives them boundaries again, similar to before they were born. And during that special time we call the 4th trimester (a new baby’s first 12 weeks or so), anything we can do to bring them close to the conditions they had in utero is a good thing.
Studies have found that swaddling infants promotes better sleep, and reduces crying. Which is exactly what needs to be done.
So usually, I show parents a few variations of a swaddle. We try with baby’s arms up, and methods which are a bit more snug around the arms, for our little Houdini babies. We may even try a swaddle blanket (most parents get them from friends and family on their registry).
And every time so far, as a part of overall efforts to keep a calm environment, swaddling helps.
Now, what about the safety of swaddling? Is that “baby straitjacket” really okay?
As with everything concerning your newborn, we can tell you not only the benefits, but the things you need to be aware of:
- Swaddling should be done when placing the baby on their back, in the weeks before your baby can roll. We don’t want an infant swaddled and lying on his stomach. Not coincidentally, attempts at rolling often happen around the time when your baby is leaving the 4th trimester, and swaddlings is no longer as effective.
- The other tip, is that the swaddle to be snug on top, but still breathable (you can place a finger in the cloth around the baby’s neck to be sure), and fairly loose on the bottom. It’s unnatural for babies this young to have straightened legs for a prolonged time, and so we want to give them freedom to move and prevent hip dysplasia.
Now, what about the parents who resist trying their baby in a swaddle? Well, they’re absolutely entitled. And there’s nothing wrong with holding your baby. Especially when you have a postpartum doula to be an extra pair of hands.
If you’re one of those holdouts though, I have a suggestion for you:
When you’re at home, go get your coziest blanket. Lie down on a couch or loveseat, and have someone who likes you tuck you in nice and tight. Or, if you’re feeling like having fun, place the blanket on the floor and roll yourself up like a sushi roll.
Doesn’t it feel good to be a burrito? That’s how much your baby loves it, even if getting swaddled doesn’t seem like his idea of a good time.
Now that I’ve convinced you, check out this video on how to swaddle your baby.
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