Parents of newborns often swaddle their babies, and there’s a good reason for this. You can comfort your baby and make them feel safer with it. It may even help them sleep better and longer. While swaddling is helpful in many ways, it’s important to know when to stop for your baby’s safety and continued growth. Today, we’re going to talk about some good ways to tell when it’s time to stop wrapping your baby in towels. Please don’t be afraid to share your stories or experiences in this area in the comments or on social pages!
Timeline for Swaddling in General
Most babies are swaddled on the day they are born or very soon after. Some hospitals will even wrap them up for you when they hand you your baby back after giving birth or while they watch them in the nursery. Many people say that wrapping works best from birth to about 3 months, but like many other things in this area, it depends on the child. A lot of kids will get over this on their own time.
What to Do When It’s Time to Stop Swaddling
Should you decide that it’s time to stop wrapping after about three months, here are some things you should keep an eye out for.
Turning over. If you see your baby trying to roll over while they are sleeping or if they start to do it while they are still awake while being swaddled. This could be dangerous because if they roll over while they sleep and are totally swaddled, they could suffocate. Be very careful.
More moving around. When you swaddle your baby, do they fight or move around? They might be trying to get out because they are getting uncomfortable in the swaddle and need more room to move.
Not feeling well or being picky. Do you notice that your child is getting fussy or irritable quickly as you try to swaddle them? Then you might want to make a change.
Self-soothing gets better. As your baby gets better at soothing himself or herself, you won’t need to wrap them as much.
Read More: https://thebreastfeedingbond.com/
How to Move From Swaddling to Not Swaddling
Another cute thing about the world is a baby who is swaddled and wrapped up in a warm blanket. But babies have to grow out of it eventually, or they’ll be wearing one to their high school graduation! Here are some quick tips to help you get them out of the swaddle.
- Wrap them up, but leave one arm out for a few nights. The next morning, let them move their other arm around more easily while they still get the benefits of being wrapped up.
- Use a sleep sack or wearable blanket as a swaddling transition item.
- Set up a good routine for going to bed. Why do we even swaddle our babies? To help them become more calm and fall asleep more quickly. Setting up a good bedtime routine can help them get used to not being swaddled overnight.
- Setting up a dark area
- The room shouldn’t be too hot or too cold.
Play soft music or white noise in the room to help them fall asleep. - Before you put them to sleep, give them a bath to make them feel clean, warm, and soft.
- As they drift off to sleep, sing them a song. Little ones can get out of the swaddle for comfort just by knowing you’re there and your words can calm them down.
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