How to swaddle your baby
SWADDLING a baby is a traditional technique that goes far back in time and is practised by many mothers in an effort to soothe their newborns. This technique imitates the snug feeling of being in the womb and helps the child to sleep for long hours.
Dr Debra Parkinson, a paediatrician at The Paediatric Place on Burlington Avenue, St Andrew, defines swaddling a baby as “wrapping a blanket snuggly around a baby’s body to mimic how the baby felt in the womb”.
Many newborns enjoy the comfort of being swaddled in a warm blanket, but it is not a necessity for all newborns. It is only a suggestion if the baby is having difficulty sleeping. The onus is on the parent to decide if the baby needs swaddling to encourage sleep.
The nurses at the hospital can show you how to swaddle your baby, but if you plan to swaddle your newborn at home, there are a few steps that you must follow to ensure that you swaddle your baby correctly and safely.
1. Spread a medium to large thin blanket or swaddling clothes on the bed. Bend one edge of the blanket into a triangular fold.
2. Place the baby’s head face upwards, with the fold a little over the back of the neck and the body on the rest of the blanket.
3. Pull the three remaining edges of the blanket over the baby, beginning with one of the edges over the arm that should be placed at the baby’s side. Tuck that edge under the baby, on the opposite side.
4. Next, fold the bottom edge upwards over the baby’s legs, leaving room for the legs to move freely. Place the other arm at the baby’s side and tuck the blanket under the shoulder of the baby.
5. Pick up the other corner of the blanket and secure it over the baby’s body, in the opposite direction. Tuck the blanket under the baby. The baby’s head and neck should be exposed and the blanket should be loose enough for movement, but secure enough so the baby can feel the soothing effects.
6. Leave the baby to lie on his or her back and oversee the movements of the baby to ensure they stay on their backs.
“Swaddling helps calm a fussy baby. It also sometimes helps the baby sleep longer as it restrains the arms and legs and dampens the startle reflex that sometimes occurs when the babies sleep on their backs. This startle reflex sometimes jerks them awake,” Dr Parkinson noted.
According to Dr Parkinson, the startle reflex is present in newborns with normal brain function and it is natural for a baby to experience this during naps. The reflex occurs when the baby feels like he or she is falling or has lost support, and it involves the baby extending its arms and legs before retracting. This is usually accompanied by the baby crying. The startle reflex tends to disappear after approximately four months into the baby’s life, which is about the same time parents are advised to stop swaddling before the baby develops the ability to roll over on his or her own.
“If parents are having difficulty with their babies sleeping on their backs, I will suggest it (swaddling) as a possible but not guaranteed solution. Swaddling can be started as early as in the immediate newborn period up until maybe two to three months after the startle reflex disappears,” Dr Parkinson said.
Although swaddling may soothe the baby, you must know that there are risks that come with improper swaddling. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and accidental suffocation are the most common outcomes if swaddling is not done properly. An important point to remember is that babies must be left on their backs to sleep when swaddled.
“If it’s properly done, the baby can safely be left alone with the same amount of supervision that the parent would give if the baby is unswaddled,” Dr Parkinson said.
— SHERNETTE JOHNSON
