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Our resident sleep expert, Laura, shares her expertise on why it is important to swaddle a baby, a step-by-step guide to swaddling and when to stop.
During the first 3 months with your new born, swaddling can be an extremely helpful tool to help your baby settle to sleep and sleep more soundly. Swaddling is the practice of gently wrapping your baby in a light breathable blanket. During the fourth trimester your baby is adjusting to the outside world and looking for the comfort of that womb-like environment. This is why new-borns so love to be held, rocked and cuddled and do that adorable new born ‘scrunch’ with their bodies! Swaddling your baby will help recreate the snug, comforting environment of the womb as well as mimicking the soothing touch they take such comfort in when cradled by their parents.
During these first few months your baby has a ‘Moro’ reflex also known as the startle reflex. This is entirely normal and healthy; however it can disrupt their sleep when they are placed down into the cot or when their arms move around during sleep. Swaddling helps to avoid this happening as your baby is wrapped securely.
Babies can be swaddled from birth using a stretchy, breathable swaddling blanket.
From 12 weeks of age you should no longer swaddle your baby. At this point, they are ready to begin to discover their own comfortable position for sleep, so need to have the freedom to move their body around and have access to their hands, which they may choose to use to soothe themselves.
You must stop swaddling your baby when they begin to show signs of rolling. This can happen as early as 6 -7 weeks old. Swaddling once your baby is able to roll is no longer safe and increases the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and suffocation.
If your baby has not shown signs of rolling by 8 weeks old, I recommend starting to transition your baby out of their swaddle in preparation. Babies born early may need to wait a little closer to 12 weeks to begin transitioning out of the swaddle.
Before beginning this transition ensure you have introduced some other positive sleep associations that will help calm your baby when they are no longer able to be swaddled. Setting up their routines and sleep environment for sleep success is going to be instrumental in ensuring the transition goes smoothly.
Some tips include:
Start by swaddling your baby with one arm left outside of the swaddle so they can begin to adjust to these new sensations and find a comfortable position for their free arm. After a couple of nights you can leave both arms outside of the swaddle and finally completely remove the swaddle and move your baby to a well-fitting sleeping bag with a TOG appropriate to the room temperature. Note that if your baby shows signs of rolling at any time during this transitional period you must stop swaddling.
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