The Best Way to Swaddle a Baby
Being a newborn baby requires just one luxury - comfort. From the time your baby was born, you must’ve noticed how the nurses kept her calm by wrapping her body in a particular way. That way of wrapping is known as swaddling and it is one of the secrets to a calm, happy baby, to ensure a comfortable sleep you should try sleep swaddles for babies.
It’s one of the oldest methods for helping newborns stay comfortable inside the confines of thin cloth or blanket. It’s super adorable but more importantly, it keeps your baby warm and calm.
Here’s why swaddling is great -
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It helps the baby feel secure and safe as they adjust to life out of the womb
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It also helps the baby stop flailing their legs and arms, which can trigger a startle reflex, and cause the baby to wake up.
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It also helps kickstart her internal thermostat and help stay warm.
Here’s how to swaddle a baby properly -
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Find a flat surface - Spread the swaddle blanket on the floor or a flat surface like a bed, in the shape of a diamond. One of the corners must point up on the flat surface. You can fold the top corner by around 6 inches
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Place the baby face-up - The baby’s head must sit right above the folded edge, and the body needs to extend right down towards the bottom corner
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Straighten her arm - Take the blanket’s left side and help wrap it over the left part of the chest and the arm. You can tuck the blanket right under the arm and back. Now, it’ll look like the left arm is free, but the right arm is covered.
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Bring up the bottom part - You can now fold the blanket right up over the body of the baby and tuck it right under the chin. Straighten their left arm and pull the right side over the body and tuck it under the left side
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Secure it - Twist the blanket’s bottom and tuck it right underneath the baby.
Things to keep in mind
Make sure the swaddle is snug and also not very tight. You should be able to place around two or three fingers between the blanket and the baby’s chest and it also needs to be loose around the hip area so her feet can move freely too. If the baby likes keeping their arms free, they can leave one or even both arms out of the swaddle.
There are chances that you can become a swaddling expert in a short period of time. In case you’re unsure, you can also talk to your pediatrician and check if your skills are right. They can provide you with some useful pointers regarding the right way to swaddle baby with blanket and you can give your baby the comfiest sleep yet!