How Do You Swaddle A Newborn?

When parents ask us for advice on caring for a newborn- one of our first responses is “Do you swaddle them?” But what even is swaddling?

Swaddling: The formal definition is “to wrap someone (usually a baby) in blankets or cloth.”

Well, that seems broad. So I guess the real question is, how do you swaddle a newborn…effectively.

For today’s purposes we are going to redefine swaddling!

Swaddling: “to wrap up a baby so they feel snug and secure for comfort or sleep.” That’s better!

There are hundreds of ways to swaddle, today we are going to breeze over the basics.

Arm Placement Note*

Your newborn should not be swaddled with their arms down by their side until they are developmentally ready. Read more about Arm Placement Here. Signs your baby is ready to swaddle arms down:

• They are full term
• They have been Earth-side at least a week and are eating and gaining well
• They do not fight or pull against you when you try to put their arms down

1. Swaddling with a Self-Containing Swaddle

This is the easiest swaddling option. The swaddle usually consists of a zipper [and sometimes velcro] and you put the baby’s arms in and zip them inside. Examples of this are Woombie, Love to Dream, Swaddleme and Gunamuna Sleep Bag.

Pros:

Simple, and pretty foolproof.

Cons:

Not the most effective. Sometimes it’s too big or too small. Once babies get bigger they start to break their arms out. And often it isn’t tight enough so babies can still move their arms around inside. [The Gunamuna is an exception- It does a pretty good job of swaddling tight and being self containing!]

2. Swaddling with a Blanket

Using a blanket actually has dozens of variations! We recommend that you either watch a video [Did we mention we have loads of those], or have someone help you learn hands on. But let’s go over the basics:

1. You want to decide where your baby’s arm placement will be.
2. You want to make sure that both arms are secured where you want them to be.
3. You want to make sure that even with some movement none of the blanket will come unravelled
4. You want to make sure the baby has room to kick and move their legs without fabric being tight on their feet or hips

How to Swaddle a Newborn with a Swaddling Blanket:

Step one: Line your baby’s shoulders up with the fabric. You can use the side or fold down a corner.

Step two: Bring one side over the baby and tuck on the other side

Step three: Bring fabric from the bottom and fold so the bottom edge of the fabric is up near your baby’s belly or chest

Step four: Bring fabric that is left from the other side of the baby and bring it over

Step five: Secure any loose ends

Pros:

• Versatile- fits babies of any shape or size and there are many options for how to swaddle
• Inexpensive and the blankets can be used for other purposes later on
• We find we can get a better fit than many other swaddles on the market

Cons:

• There is definitely a learning curve. Parents and caregivers have to get it wrong a few times before they get it right.
• If it isn’t done correctly there is a safety risk of having a loose blanket in the crib.

3. Fancy Swaddles:

There are so many new swaddles on the market and new ones coming out every day! I just saw one with little bat wings!

Here are our general instructions for how to use any swaddle on the market:

1. Read about it! Look at their website, read any instructions that come with it.
2. Watch! Look at videos on their website or on youtube.
3. Ask! Ask a friend or a professional to show you. There may be tips or tricks you’re missing.

Want to learn more about one fancy swaddle in particular? Check out our blog on the miracle blanket!