My baby hates the swaddle!

Does my baby need to be swaddled? My baby hates the swaddle! Boy, if I had $1 for every parent that told me that I would be RICH! Why is swaddling my baby so important? A newborn up until around 4 months or until they roll over should be placed in a swaddle every time they sleep. Swaddles help your child to sleep longer as it prevents them from waking themselves up. Most babies are really comforted by a swaddle.

The key to a good swaddle is keeping it tight and snug. Some studies call this a type of “motor restraint,” which is just a technical way of saying that it restricts a baby’s movements so they don’t set off their moro or “startle” reflex. Babies often wake themselves up by jerking movements. The startle reflex is an innate thing that every baby has from birth. Babies are accustomed to being in the womb which is nice and tight and snug. When they are born, they have what is called the moro or “startle” reflex which causes them to startle with loud noises or large movements and can easily wake them from sleep. When you swaddle the baby it resembles the womb and these quick, large movements will not cause them to wake up as easily.

Many parents are fearful of wrapping their baby because they see it as unsafe. This can be true if they don’t swaddle the baby properly, or if they are starting to roll. If the baby easily escapes from the swaddle and there is loose material around their body or face then that could cause worry. The solution is to learn how to swaddle properly or find a swaddle that does it for you! In order to swaddle with the large muslin blankets, it’s important to swaddle with the arms down and to swaddle tight tight tight. Many times when I am showing parents how to swaddle they are amazed and worried at how tight that I swaddle. As long as there is wiggle room of 2 fingers in the chest and enough material around the hips to prevent hip dysplasia, then the swaddle is safe.

Ensure that your baby does not overheat when you swaddle them. Some clients are concerned about whether their baby will be too hot with the swaddle. This might mean that you may need to eliminate a layer of clothing. Sometimes only a diaper and swaddle is sufficient if it is warmer. Clothing and swaddles have a TOG value which can give you a peace of mind. TOG stands for “Thermal Overall Grade,’ which is a unit of measurement used to calculate the thermal insulation of a product, usually in the textile industry. Click on this link for a better explanation for this https://us.lovetodream.com/sleep-center/what-is-a-tog-rating/

Another option if you aren’t “swaddle proficient” is to buy a swaddle blanket. Personally, my favorite swaddle blanket is The Miracle Blanket. If done properly, there is NO way that your baby will be a houdini and escape. Another swaddle that I like is the Happiest Baby Sleepea 5-Second Swaddle. This swaddle is user-friendly and also keeps the baby securely swaddled. Personally, I’m not a fan of anything with the arms up, or the velcro-only swaddles. Oftentimes these swaddles don’t work for babies as they escape easily or they still startle themselves. I have been with so many clients as a sleep consultant and postpartum doula and find that babies easily escape and wake themselves up with these swaddles. If you do have a velcro swaddle or a different swaddle than I mentioned here, I highly recommend the Anna & Eve- Baby Swaddle Strap. It wraps around the arms to keep them secure. After you put this on the baby, then you can use any blanket or swaddle with it and the results are great. This is an amazing product!

I’m also not a fan of anything weighted or the Baby Merlin’s Magic Suit. Both of these products can be a sleep crutch and an unnecessary expense. The goal is to get babies out of the swaddle around month 4 so that they can start to learn independent sleep and not be restricted by weight so that they can move as they need to.

How long should your baby be in a swaddle? A swaddle becomes unsafe if your baby has started rolling over. At this time I recommend putting your baby in a sleep sack. Usually around 4 months, I recommend ditching the swaddle if you haven’t already. Any sooner, will lead to many wake-ups. To do this effectively, you can start with 1 arm out for 3 days and then un-swaddle the other arm. There will be a trial and error period but they are usually ready around this time to be out of the swaddle. A sleep sack is very important at this age. I will be covering the importance of a transitional swaddle and sleep sack in another blog.

Remember, swaddling is one of the most important ways to ensure that your baby sleeps longer. This is one of the top sleeping tips that I recommend to all new parents. If you have any questions about swaddling or newborn care, feel free to go to my website and purchase my Newborn Sleep Guide for only $19. Happy Sleeping!