Swaddling Made Easy

Every doctor, book, nurse, and talk show nowadays recommends swaddling your baby. They even taught us swaddling in our childbirth prep class. After hearing the overwhelming recommendations, I knew this was a parenting technique I wanted to do. Swaddling a baby keeps them held tight and is supposed to mimic feeling like the baby is still in the womb. It also keeps the baby from waking themselves with the Moro (or startle) reflex.


I remember thinking as soon as Thia arrived I would swaddle her like crazy; Thia, of course, had other ideas. I guess she was well and truly ready to be out into the real world. When you swaddle a baby, their arms are tightly snug at their side inside the blanket. 


My overly active daughter in the womb (she moved so much that if I didn't feel her for an hour I worried) didn't like being confined by any means. The only time Thia actually enjoyed being swaddled would be if she was already asleep, which is counterproductive to the teaching techniques. Most recommend swaddling as a way to help calm fussy babies. 


The best book I read during pregnancy was The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp, and he recommends just that. It was a gift from my loving, wonderful sister-in-law (and recommended by my pediatrician) that I will now include in any baby shower gift. Dr. Karp talks about swaddling and teaches a relatively easy technique (DUDU technique--down, up, down, up). And although my daughter doesn't dig the standard swaddling, the other information is beyond helpful with a new little person in your life. 

On the seldom occasions where she has let us swaddle her in a standard blanket, her arms are always out within 30 minutes top, which means she can still startle herself awake. So I decided to try a "blanket" my mom and I bought on a whim while I was pregnant. It's called a "swaddleme." It's a little more elastic than a normal blanket. It also has a pouch for the feet, which gives the baby more freedom than a blanket. The baby's hands are still tightly at their side so they don't wake themselves up with the Moro Reflex.

I can't fully explain why this product works for my daughter when a regular blanket doesn't; the reasons above are guesses, but it does work for her. She's still not as happy as a clam at first, but within a minute or so she's soothed. It's even become part of our nightly "schedule." (Schedule is in quotes because at this point it's wishful thinking, but a girl can dream.) But I like to think that once she feels the feet pouch she knows it's time for a longer leg sleep. 


I'm curious if other moms have the swaddling conflict. Maybe other babies like the feeling? It's always entirely possible that Thia got her mom's stubbornness and just wants it her way.