Is it true? There’s an old-age rumor going around that swaddling your baby can help put your little one to rest for longer periods. Parents rejoice! This technique has been around for years and makes your little one look like a wrapped-up burrito. What’s not to love? 

But swaddling a baby can be confusing. Is there a lot of science behind it and is there a proper way to do it? Truth be told there are a ton of amazing benefits to swaddling your baby. 

So, what exactly is it?

What Is swaddling?

Swaddling a baby is the process of wrapping your baby snugly in a blanket so just their tiny little head is popping out the top. Think of the old saying, as snug as a bug, or pigs in a blanket. This is the idea you are going for. 

However, it isn’t as easy as just tightly wrapping a blanket around your baby. There is a safe way to practice swaddling so that the baby isn’t put in a potentially dangerous environment that a parent may have a tough time recognizing. 

Having said that when done correctly there are so many amazing benefits for the new parents and their newborn. 

Benefits of Baby Swaddling

There are so many benefits when it comes to swaddling your baby. If you get the OK from your healthcare provider to do this safely, it can go a long way from better sleep (for both you and the baby) to soothing the baby by replicating the womb feeling. The list goes on. 

Better Sleep

When a baby is swaddled to sleep it mimics the safety and comfort of the womb. The baby had just spent nine months in the womb and replicating a comforting environment will eliminate some stressors. 

Studies show that infants between 6-16 weeks slept longer and woke up less often when being swaddled before bed. Research has even gone as far as to show that it can help prevent sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS. Swaddling a baby increases the chances of a baby sleeping on their back and not startling themselves by twitching. 

The better sleep aspect doesn’t just affect the baby. Often a baby is brought into bed with adults to calm them. This same effect from swaddling can help prevent bed-sharing and in turn provide a better night’s sleep for the parents. 

Parents should always be advised that sleeping with infants in their bed is never a good idea. Parents can end up falling asleep and suffocating their baby. 

Can Help with Colic Babies

Because it mimics the womb it provides a comfy and cozy environment. This soothing environment can help with babies that deal with colic and are incredibly upset that seems to be for no reason at all. They again won’t have the ability to also startle themselves with their reflex movement. 

Benefits with Premature Babies

Because prematurely born babies may deal with certain difficulties, swaddling is said to help with neuromuscular development, motor organization, and provide a calming environment for stressed babies trying to deal with these factors. 

Is Swaddling a Baby Safe?

There are so many benefits to swaddling but as with anything, there can be some drawbacks and safety concerns if swaddling is not done correctly. Here are some general guidelines that can result in an unsafe environment for the infant. 

• Layering can end up making a baby too hot and dehydrate the baby. 
• Swaddling the baby past the point of necessity
• Wrapping the blanket too loosely. 
• Wrapping too tightly can cause developmental issues. 

How Do You Swaddle A Baby Safely?

While technically you will want to wrap your little one up nice and cozy, sometimes parents like to leave the baby's arms out of the saddle so they don’t feel too restricted. There are a few different ways we can do this which is why we will go through the different steps for each kind of swaddle. 

Full Wrap Swaddle

This is when you wrap everything except for the baby’s head inside the blanket. 

• Step 1:  You will need a good flat surface to lay your swaddle blanket or fabric down onto and ultimately the baby as well. You will want the fabric to be a diamond shape and then fold the top corner down 1/3 of the way down the blanket. 

• Step 2:  Your baby can now be laid down on their back on top of the swaddle blanket. The baby should have their head just about the piece that was folded down. That way when you wrap the baby its head won’t be wrapped into the swaddle. 

• Step 3:  Straighten your baby’s right arm and then take that same side of the blanket and wrap it over the baby. Tuck the blanket between the left arm and the left side of the baby’s body.  

• Step 4:  Now you can take the bottom of the blanket and fold it up over your body covering the feet and bottom part of your baby. Do not make this too tight. Your baby’s leg needs to be able to move around comfortably. Too much restriction can pose issues. 

• Step 5:  Now you can tuck the right side of the blanket or your baby’s left side over to their right and tuck it in. Keep remembering snug fit is not too tight! 

• Step 6:  Check to see if it’s too tight by making sure you can easily fit two fingers between your baby’s chest and the swaddle.  

Arms Out Swaddle

You guessed it! This time we will swaddle the baby but allow the arms to swing free. 

• Step 1:  You still need a good flat surface and the diamond shape swaddle material. Now you will fold the top down halfway instead of 1/3 of the way.  

• Step 2:  Lay your baby down on top of the blanket with their shoulders this time above the swaddle material instead of the head being just about the material. 

• Step 3:  Take the left side of the blanket and wrap it over the baby and tuck it under the opposite armpit.   

• Step 4:  Now you can take the bottom of the blanket and fold it up over your body covering the feet and bottom part of your baby. Do not make this too tight. Your baby’s leg needs to be able to move around comfortably. Too much restriction can pose issues. 

• Step 5:  Now you can tuck the opposite side of the blanket under the other armpit and secure the swaddle.  

• Step 6:  Check to see if it’s too tight by making sure you can easily fit two fingers between your baby’s chest and the swaddle.  

When Should You Stop Swaddling?

Most pediatricians will recommend that you stop swaddling the baby around two months old. This is because they want to make sure that the baby isn’t swaddled anywhere close to the time where they can start rolling onto their stomachs. 

They can roll onto their stomachs at about four months old and if they were to do so while being swaddled this could cause serious safety issues. Two months should allow plenty of time for any babies that start early with rolling onto their stomachs. 

Swaddling Risks

While the benefits are great parents should know some of the risks and safety concerns when it comes to swaddling your baby. 

Rolling

Rolling onto their stomach while being swaddled can contribute to SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. This is because babies if they sleep facedown can take in too much of the carbon dioxide they are breathing out. 

Hip Dysplasia/Bodily Injuries

When the logs are wrapped in too tightly this can cause hip dysplasia. This is when the hip socket becomes dislocated from the baby trying to but not being able to move their legs around because the swaddle is wrapped too tight. This is why it is important to leave room for the legs to move around. 

Overheating/Dehydration

Putting too many layers over your baby can cause the baby to overheat and can lead to passing out or other issues. It also can lead to dehydration in a baby which can be fatal. 

Breathing Issues

A wrap that is too tight can not only lead to breathing issues at that moment, but it can also cause respiratory issues in the future. 

Mommy o’Clock Mommy and Me Sets

Truth be told matching with your kids is the cool thing to do these days. We never saw it coming but we are here for it and not complaining! But what about matching with your baby? There’s not a whole lot out there but with MOC matching Mommy and Me Sets you can swaddle your sweetheart and look cute at the same time!

About The Sets

With so many prints and colors to choose from, your newborn and yourself could be rocking a beautiful baby blue and pink flowered combo that is made from milk silk. This soft and breathable material is used for all the products included in the set so that your baby and you can stay warm without overheating all day long. 

Another valid concern when it comes to swaddling your baby is the breathability of the materials. That’s why these sets are also 100 percent pure cotton that won’t irritate any newborn's skin. It’s super easy to wash as we know spit-up is quite common, so that’s a major plus too!

Because the swaddle blanket is meant to mimic the womb, some babies feel more comfortable with having a little hat or headband around them as well. This is why these sets include both along with the matching headband for mom! If you are going to go matching, it should be head to toe! 

The Maternity Robe and Swaddle matching set includes: 

• Delivery Robe
• Swaddle Blanket
• Mom Headband
• Newborn Headband
• Newborn Hat

Don’t love what you have? That’s OK because it is a 100 percent customer satisfaction deal making the purchase that much easier. You can always send back what you don’t like within 30 days!

Get Cozy!

It’s perfectly normal for any mother dabbling with the idea of swaddling her baby to be a little bit nervous. While the percentage of something going wrong is minimal, the risks can be large if it is not done correctly. That’s why learning how to swaddle your baby the right way is incredibly important. 

When you do figure out how to tuck and wrap the baby in the swaddle blanket, you can reap the benefits! There are so many like your baby staying asleep for longer periods. This is because they don’t essentially frighten themselves with their reflex muscles. 

Other benefits include soothing a colic baby. Because it mimics the womb it may calm a very upset baby down and ultimately lead to less stress for the parents. As long as the materials themselves don’t cause the baby to overheat or restrict the baby’s legs and movement too much, swaddling a baby can be great.

That’s why you can use Mommy o’Clock materials and matching sets because not only will your baby look cute but so will you!