Why Swaddle?

I've wondered about this before so naturally I read all about swaddling and its benefits. I only swaddled my first born for a while because he seemed to hate it. I noticed he slept better when I don't swaddle him. Now, with my second, he seems to like being swaddled. After his bath in the morning, all fresh and full from nursing, I would swaddle him tight for his nap and he would usually take the longest nap during this time.

So, why the need to swaddle?

According to the experts from Baby Center swaddling (snugly wrapping your baby in a blanket for warmth and security) is important because it keeps him from being disturbed by his own startle reflex. It may also help him stay warm and toasty for the first few days of life until his internal thermostat kicks in. Most important, it can help to calm your baby. Why you ask? Swaddling can help the baby settle down when he's overstimulated or when he just needs to feel something close to the tightness and security of the womb. That makes sense right? He is kept in tight quarters for 9 months, sudden openness of the outside world can be uncomfortable for the baby.

How to Swaddle a Baby:

1. Lay the blanket out on a flat surface in the shape of a diamond.
2. Fold down three or four inches of the top edge of the blanket.
3. Place your baby on the blanket so that his head is overlapping the top edge you turned down.
4. Tuck your baby's right arm into the flap made by the folded down edge of the blanket and the right corner of the blanket. Pull that corner across his body, tucking it behind the opposite side of his back.
5. Bring the bottom corner of the blanket up and tuck it inside the blanket near his chest.
6. Tuck your baby's left arm into the flap made by the folded down edge of the blanket and the left corner of the blanket. Pull that corner across his body, tucking it behind the blanket on his back.
   

If you have problems swaddling your baby, you can actually buy a swaddling blanket with Velcro flaps to make the procedure easier. However, once the baby is about a month old it might be a good idea to stop swaddling him for it may hinder his mobility and development. Besides, at this age he would most likely kick the blanket and might suffocate him in the long run.

As parents we can monitor if our baby likes being swaddled or not. Baby Jacob is almost a month now and I only tightly swaddle him when I put him down for a nap. He seems to like it, he sleeps longer when he is swaddled. This is a big thing for me because he prefers being carried all the time! Putting him down in the bed or his crib is a challenge because he get startled easily and wakes up. So as of now, swaddling works for us. Maybe in 2 weeks or so that will change. We'll see.