Swaddling your baby correctly - How to use the swaddling technique

With the birth of our child, we are confronted with the question every day of what is best for our baby. What can we do to ensure that it develops healthily, sleeps well and feels completely comfortable? I'm sure you feel the same way! One topic for us is swaddling. You've probably heard many reasons why you shouldn't wrap your baby in a blanket before sleeping:

• “My baby cries more when I swaddle him.”
• “I don’t want him to become dependent and only be able to fall asleep when swaddled.”
• "It's dangerous."
• “My baby doesn’t like it.”
• “I want my baby to be able to put his fingers in his mouth so that he can learn to calm himself down.”
• “I want my baby to exercise his muscles, so his arms need to be free.”

We have heard all of this before and then looked into the topic more closely. We have come across at least as many reasons why swaddling is good and even important for the baby. Don't worry, you certainly won't have to send your 10-year-old child on a school trip with a huge blanket.

The benefits of swaddling

#1 Swaddling reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

In 2007, a study found that swaddling can reduce the risk of SIDS. I'm sure this topic is particularly important to you, and it is to us, too, so I'm going to mention it here as the first reason. Swaddling makes it harder for your baby to cover his face with the blanket. At the same time, it limits the possibility of suddenly turning onto his stomach. Both of these things reduce the risk of SIDS, so swaddling is actually important at this point.

#2 Swaddling calms your baby

Although we as parents probably wish it would, swaddling will not put your baby to sleep immediately. It will not calm your little one at the push of a button. For some babies it may work, and if yours is one of them, congratulations. For most, it does not work immediately. Your baby may be a little frustrated at first because their movement is restricted and therefore cries a little more. Don't let this put you off, this is normal. They will usually calm down quickly because swaddling reminds your little one of the tightness and confinement in the baby belly. This creates a feeling of security and, in combination with other calming elements, such as soft singing, it will surely calm your baby quickly.

By the way : Babies can be very active when they sleep. They can wake themselves up with their arms. Often, this is due to the Moro reflex (startle reflex) , which can be triggered not only by noises or other disturbing factors, but also by the transition between the different sleep phases. Swaddling helps your baby to wake itself up and find a longer, deeper and more restful sleep.

#3 Swaddling supports your baby’s neuromuscular development

It is said that swaddling prevents babies from strengthening muscles and practicing movements because they cannot move their arms. Did you know that movements at night or before falling asleep are more random and not consciously controlled? However, when your baby tries to fight against the blanket, his muscle movements are controlled. Only then is neuromuscular development strengthened because your baby is consciously trying to move his arms.

Swaddling correctly: How to do it

Is your baby often very restless, whiny and often wakes himself up? Then you can try swaddling. Swaddling can also help with babies who cry a lot and have difficulty regulating themselves.

Use a swaddling cloth or baby blanket that is stretchy and breathable. Your baby will be swaddled while lying on its back and must remain lying on its back afterwards. If your baby turns onto its side or even its stomach, you should stop swaddling as the risk of suffocation is too great.

Swaddling step by step:

1. Lay your baby safely on his back.

2. Spread the swaddling cloth out in front of you in a check pattern and fold in the top corner.

3. Place your baby on the sling so that the neck area is above the sling. The shoulders should be on the upper edge.

4. Place the right arm at the side of the baby's body and fold the blanket or cloth diagonally over the body. Fasten the cloth under your baby.

5. Now pull the bottom corner of the cloth loosely upwards and pin it in place so that the legs still have enough freedom of movement.

6. Repeat step 4 with the left arm.

7. Pin the cloth underneath your baby, leaving about a finger's width of space so that breathing is not restricted. Make sure that the legs and hips can move.

When swaddling, it is important that your baby's legs and hips have enough room to move, otherwise misalignment (hip dysplasia) can occur.

The right blanket for swaddling

All you need to create the right feel-good factor is the ideal blanket. Your baby should feel comfortable in it. The baby blanket should be made of breathable, comfortable and natural materials and, ideally for easy swaddling, should be a little stretchy. We have developed our knitted baby blanket from natural raw materials for this purpose. The blanket is made of 100% organic cotton, is cuddly soft and available in six different colors.

How long can I swaddle my baby?

You can start swaddling immediately after birth, because then your baby will remember the cozy tightness of the womb. You can swaddle your baby for the first eight weeks, because then the risk increases that your baby will start to turn without you noticing.

What clothes should my baby wear when swaddling?

The swaddling blanket or swaddling cloth replaces the sleeping bag. What you put on your baby underneath depends on the ambient temperature. I recommend breathable clothing made of natural materials. In summer, a light bodysuit is often enough, while in winter, long pajamas and socks are a better solution. Your baby is always perfectly dressed if it is neither cold nor sweating on the neck.

When should I not swaddle my baby?

There are some situations where you should not swaddle your baby. Here is a selection:

• In case of fever and extreme heat
• In our environment
• In hip dysplasia
• In case of infections and diseases
• For spitting and reflux
• After a vaccination
• For eczema and itching
• When your baby is unattended

Swaddling – yes or no?

Although it is possible to do something wrong when swaddling, I recommend that you give swaddling a try. If your baby is unsettled, it can work. Keep the above points in mind, do not wrap your baby too tightly and always supervise him or her when swaddling. Then you can achieve a lot with swaddling.