Swaddling a newborn: ways to swaddle correctly - step-by-step instructions. Pros and cons of tightly swaddling a newborn – should you swaddle your baby tightly? What to swaddle a newborn in at home

28.04.2024 -

One of the most pressing questions that torment a young mother immediately after the birth of a baby is how to properly swaddle a newborn. Modern doctors advise not to restrict the baby’s movements, while grandmothers insist on the old Soviet version of the “soldier”, when the baby’s limbs are pulled together very tightly, so that he cannot move even a millimeter. However, each mother must independently decide which option will be optimal for her child, since the development of children is very individual.

The benefits of swaddling

Swaddling a newborn is necessary in the first weeks of life. This is due to the fact that in the last trimester of pregnancy the baby occupies almost the entire uterus, it tightly hugs it from all sides. However, after birth the baby finds himself in different conditions. There is nothing else that presses him or clasps him, does not direct his development, etc. Because of this, he may feel uncomfortable. Excessive freedom of movement is annoying and disturbing, especially during sleep.

Swaddling helps to recreate a familiar and cozy environment, therefore making the transition to new conditions easier. The tight-fitting fabric not only protects the baby from the cold, but also gives him a feeling of security.

In addition to psychological factors, there are also physiological ones. If you do not swaddle your baby, there is a high probability of uneven muscle development. And due to the inability to hold his head up, the baby may develop torticollis, and these are completely different difficulties. Therefore, at first, swaddling a baby is not only possible, but also necessary.

Most often, the question that torments many mothers involves a misunderstanding not only of how to properly swaddle a newborn, but also for how long it should be done. There is no clear answer here either. Some children adapt in a few weeks, others in 2-3 months. The baby needs to be constantly monitored.

This option is possible: during the day the baby lies without diapers, and at night he is wrapped to ensure a calm, sound sleep. Many kids wake up precisely because of their own movements, they are afraid of emptiness and their own freedom. However, if the baby at the age of 4-5 weeks does not show anxiety and has adapted well to the outside world, then you can gradually abandon swaddling.

You should also not delay swaddling, as this can negatively affect the growth and development of the newborn. The fabric not only does not allow full movement, but can also pinch the limbs. As a result, the muscles will not receive the necessary load, which will slow down physical development and delay the development of rollovers and many other skills.

Swaddling options

There are many ways to properly swaddle a newborn baby. Choosing the appropriate method is a matter of personal preference for mother and baby. You need to choose the option that seems most comfortable.

Oblique swaddling

The baby is placed in the center of the straightened fabric. Its upper part should be at neck level. Then the mother straightens the baby’s hand and presses it to the body, fixing it in this position with the help of a diaper. The fabric goes under the back diagonally. Do the same with the second hand. There should be no folds on the blanket, especially under the back.

There is a free bottom edge left. It needs to be straightened and raised up so that it is not lower than the elbows, but not higher than the neck. The tail is wrapped around the baby's body and secured in the resulting pockets on the sides. This option allows you to swaddle the baby in such a way as to fix his arms, but leave the ability to move his legs.

Swaddling "envelope"

This option is well known from Soviet times. Often in photographs and films you can see children wrapped in blankets in this way. The method was especially popular in winter.

The diaper is laid in a diamond shape. The upper part is not removed or folded, but remains under the baby’s head. One of the edges is circled around the baby's body and placed under the back. Then they lift the lower corner and place it on the baby’s stomach. Now the second side part is wrapped around the body, placed behind the back and secured. She also presses the bottom corner. For beauty and greater reliability, you can secure the blanket with ribbon and tie a bow. With this method of swaddling, the baby's head is closed. This option is optimal for street walks.

Free swaddling

A diaper is spread on the table. The baby is placed in the center so that the fabric passes at the level of the armpits. This way your hands remain free. The right edge is wrapped around the body and goes behind the left side. Do the same with the second part. Then raise the bottom edge to the armpits and wrap it over the top edge of the diaper. As a result, the baby’s hands are left free, and the legs end up in a fabric bag that does not restrict movement.

1 more swaddling option

Lay the fabric out in a diamond shape on a flat surface. The top corner needs to be bent. Place the child slightly to the left of center. In this case, the fold of the upper edge should be at the level of the base of the head. The lower corner should be raised and placed on the baby's stomach. Wrap the side corners around the body. Fold the edge of the diaper over the left shoulder into a V shape on the baby's chest. Press the fabric with your palm. Place the right edge of the diaper over the wrist of the hand holding the letter V. The “belt” should pass approximately at the level of the elbows and tightly press the baby’s arms. Tuck the fabric at the neck.

There is no consensus on how to properly swaddle a baby. Each mother chooses her own option. You need to be guided by your personal feelings and condition of the baby.

General rules for swaddling

There are several rules for swaddling a newborn that must be followed. This will keep the baby healthy and make the swaddling process easier and more enjoyable.

You can only wrap a clean baby. Before swaddling, it is advisable to wash the baby and wipe dry. This simple measure will help avoid many problems in children: diaper rash, unpleasant odor and some diseases.
You can only use diapers that are clean and carefully ironed on both sides. Even if almost nothing gets on the fabric, it still needs to be changed. This again is the key to the baby’s health.
When ironing diapers, it is advisable to use the steam function. Then the blanket will become softer and more pleasant to the body. If you don’t have a steamer, you can use a spray bottle for wetting.
You can put a diaper on your baby under the diaper or place a gauze pad under his butt.
Under no circumstances should you interrupt the swaddling process in the middle! If something urgent happens, you must first put the baby in the crib, and only then go about your business. Otherwise, any sudden movement of the baby may lead to a fall and injury.
You can wrap the baby on any flat surface that is comfortable for the mother: a sofa, a special table, etc.
It is not recommended to swaddle children older than 2 months;
Do not pull or pinch the child’s limbs, especially the hip joints. This can lead to negative consequences.
If the baby is worried, it means he is uncomfortable, you need to check whether the folds are in the way, or whether the fabric is too tight.

Swaddling a newborn may seem difficult at first. The baby may not be wrapped in the most careful manner. But after several trainings, the mother will be able to do this no worse than a nurse in the maternity hospital.

How to swaddle a baby correctly? This is perhaps the first question that a mother has when she comes home from the maternity hospital with her baby. It is simply impossible to swaddle a baby evenly, neatly and tightly enough the first time. However, this problem can be solved very easily, the main thing is practice, and you will have enough of it in the near future)

When swaddling, we use only clean diapers. For a long time there was an opinion that it was necessary to iron it, and this had to be done very carefully, on both sides. However, as pediatricians have proven, ironing diapers is a waste of time and effort. Freshly washed diapers do not contain any pathogenic bacteria that would need to be destroyed using high-temperature treatment.

Where should you swaddle your baby? Yes, wherever it is convenient for you. This could be a changing table, a sofa, or a bed. The main thing is not to leave the baby alone for a minute, in order to avoid an accidental fall. If you need to leave, be sure to put the baby in the crib, where he will be safe while you are away.

How to swaddle a newborn baby

The baby must be clean and in a clean diaper. If you use gauze diapers rather than disposable ones, you need to have at least 20 diapers, since they will get dirty much more often.

If it’s cold outside and cool inside, prepare a couple of films in advance.

The picture clearly shows what the process should look like swaddling bags with handles. This is how all children in maternity hospitals are swaddled.

We spread the diaper and carefully place the baby in the middle of the diaper so that his head is higher than the edge of the diaper. We press the right hand to the body, and wrap the right corner of the diaper diagonally, the edge of the diaper should be wrapped behind the baby’s back. Now we press the left hand to the body in the same way, and wrap the left corner of the diaper, like the right one, diagonally. At the bottom we get a “fish tail”. The edges are tucked under the baby one by one, and then secured in the side pocket we created.

Everything is ready, the baby was swaddled quickly and not at all difficult. A few training sessions and this process will be brought to automaticity, don’t even doubt it.

Below we show how to properly swaddle a newborn in pictures step by step.

When the house is cool, we swaddle the baby in a second diaper, the only difference being that there is no longer any need to press the arms, since they are already hidden.

How to swaddle a newborn baby in the summer?

In hot weather it is best to use the method free swaddling. With this method, the baby, while swaddling, is positioned on the diaper so that his arms remain above the edge of the diaper. We wrap the diaper in the same way as with simple swaddling. Thus, the newborn baby’s arms remain open. Or, you can use ready-made envelopes in which the baby’s legs are fixed and the arms are free.

If your swaddled baby shows obvious signs of anxiety and cannot calm down even in your arms, check whether you swaddled him too tightly and whether there are folds in the swaddle that are interfering with him. It is very important that the baby feels comfortable. The recommended air temperature in a room with a newborn wrapped in a diaper should be about twenty degrees.

Should I swaddle my baby?

Not long ago, whether to swaddle a baby or not became a subject of debate among pediatricians and parents of babies. Opponents of this method cite the following arguments in their favor:

It is possible for babies wrapped in diapers to overheat, since their thermoregulation mechanism is very different from adults. If the room is too warm, it’s hot outside, and the likelihood of overheating increases;
keeping a baby in a diaper can lead to developmental delays, since he is not able to freely master the movements of his arms and legs;
It is useful for newborn babies to sleep lying on their stomach, but while swaddled it is almost impossible to do this;
tight constriction can have a detrimental effect on the child’s cardiovascular system, as it slows down the blood circulation process;

In addition, common reasons for young mothers to refuse to wrap their baby tightly are the following:

simplifying newborn care;
inability and unwillingness to learn to swaddle;
It’s much easier to put rompers on your baby, and dad can change them if necessary.

At the end of the article we have prepared additional material for you. Download the checklist “How to properly put on and change diapers” and caring for your baby will bring you only joy!

Here's what proponents of the method say in defense of their position:

swaddling keeps the baby's body temperature normal in the first weeks of life;
the baby is calmer and sleeps better when wrapped in a diaper, as it does not disturb itself with uncontrolled movements of its arms and legs;
being in diapers, the baby feels more natural, because in recent weeks, while in the womb, he has become accustomed to the lack of living space, and therefore in diapers he is both more comfortable and calmer. In rompers and blouses, babies may get scared in their sleep and wake up;
Using diapers is much less expensive for a young family’s budget than purchasing new pants, tights, and blouses for a growing child every two to three weeks.

There are several types of swaddling. In addition to those already described, free and swaddling with handles, swaddling with an “envelope” and wide swaddling is practiced.

Swaddling with an "envelope" is done as follows. The corner of the diaper above the baby's head should be left free. We lift the bottom corner of the diaper and place it on the baby’s tummy. We lay the side corners as with normal swaddling. All! A child in such a diaper will feel great while walking outside. If it's cold, we wrap it in a blanket, but if it's hot, we use a gauze diaper.

Wide swaddling A newborn is used if the baby has muscle tone disorders or orthopedic problems. When swaddling wide, the baby's legs are bent, the hips are abducted, the position for the baby is very comfortable and familiar. This type of swaddling does not interfere with the proper development of the baby’s hip joints, it can help in cases of mild dysplasia, and prevent the occurrence of subluxation or dislocation of the hip in babies. This type of swaddling is used from birth to six months.

It is advisable to master all types of swaddling; this will be very useful for your newborn baby and will make your life easier. It is better to alternate different swaddling techniques.

And one more tip on how to swaddle a baby correctly.

Before swaddling, put on your baby a thin vest that wraps around the back, followed by a warm one that wraps around the chest. After that . A diaper is often a gauze square 80 by 80 cm, which is folded into a triangle. We pass a right angle between the baby’s legs, and wrap the sharp corners around the stomach.

Until what age should a baby be swaddled?

There are no specific time standards. Different babies need different times to get used to the new, huge world around them, which has replaced the close comfort of their mother’s tummy. One week may be enough to adapt, or it may take six months. In general, children from one and a half to three months can get by with loose swaddling. And yet, until how many months to swaddle a baby, you have to decide for yourself, and with experience you will definitely understand how to swaddle a newborn in the most convenient way.

Watching how your newborn baby falls asleep and sleeps, you will understand when the time comes to say goodbye to diapers.

Read our next article.

Download the checklist "How to properly put on and change diapers"

Do you think that gauze diapers are safer for your baby? By downloading the checklist, you will learn how to properly put on and change diapers. Let caring for your baby bring you only joy!

When a newborn is born, parents try to care for it properly. In the first months, many mothers decide to swaddle their babies. To avoid problems, you need to do it correctly.

Preparation for the procedure

Types of swaddling of newborn babies:

tight;
free;
wide.

It is advisable to purchase a special changing table.

If you don't have this option, swaddle your newborn baby on a flat surface, for example, it is acceptable to use a table. Prepare everything you might need in advance:

clean, ironed diapers;
vests, rompers;
diapers;
baby wipes;
powder, oil, cream.

If the house is cool enough, turn on the heater when you get ready to take care of your dirty baby.

Try to quickly swaddle the baby so that he does not freeze. Always keep an eye on it as it may fall.

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How long does it take to swaddle a baby?
Doctors say that The baby needs to be swaddled for at least the first month of life. Otherwise, he will wake himself up by moving his arms and legs and have trouble sleeping.
If you refuse to use diapers during the day, use them at night. Then the sleep will be stronger, the baby will wake up cheerful and calm.
When the baby grows up, you can wrap him up, leaving his arms free. For the first 2-3 months of life, a swaddled baby feels comfortable.
As he gets older, he will begin to move more actively, so swaddling should be loose. At the age of three months, you can completely abandon this if you feel that the moment has come.
Upon reaching 5 months of life, it is imperative to stop using this method, otherwise it will lead to delayed physical development.
There is no need to think that the baby will freeze in his sleep. You can cover him with a blanket, dress him up in a warm suit.
Whether or not to swaddle a newborn, how to learn to do it correctly so that the baby is comfortable, Dr. Komarovsky will tell you in the following video:
>Using diapers is beneficial for newborns. Babies sleep better at night. Proper swaddling in the first months of life will help the baby gradually get used to a new, interesting, exciting world. When the child begins to consciously move his arms and legs and begins to actively develop, this practice will no longer be needed.
In contact with

They begin to swaddle the baby in the maternity hospital. Young inexperienced mothers often ask nurses to teach them this skill. But it’s better to learn the basics of the art of swaddling in advance and practice on dolls or toys.

The child is swaddled so that he is not afraid of his hands, his movements, and also does not accidentally scratch himself with his nails. It is important to assist the child, to help him settle into the world outside his mother’s tummy. Experts recommend swaddling for at least the first month of life. Usually the mother herself, on an intuitive level, understands when to stop swaddling. After 2 months of life, you can give the child a little freedom and not swaddle his hands. And from 3 months, the baby begins to roll over on his side, become interested in the world around him and try to reach for toys. At this age, complete refusal of swaddling is already permitted.

Pros and cons of swaddling

There are people who believe that swaddling is not beneficial. Let's look at the arguments they make:

Swaddling restricts the baby's freedom of movement, which can put pressure on the diaphragm and create some discomfort.

Blood circulation in the baby’s body is disrupted, as a result the functioning of internal organs and muscles is disrupted.

As a result, the baby is isolated from the mother, since there is no tactile contact.

To prevent hip dysplasia, it is necessary to keep the baby out of diapers.

Curvature of the legs cannot be corrected by swaddling.

A swaddled child is limited in freedom of action and knowledge of the world.

While in a diaper, the baby may overheat, this is especially possible in the summer.

At the same time, there are also supporters of swaddling. To prove their point of view, they provide the following arguments:

A swaddled baby experiences calm, comfort, safety, falls asleep quickly, and sleeps soundly.

New parents find it easier to swaddle their baby to reduce the risk of harm.

It will be easier for mom to feed and rock the baby in a swaddled state.

Why do mothers prefer swaddling:

Babies become more sensitive at night and can startle and wake up from any sound. Or he can simply touch his face with his hands, knock the pacifier out of his mouth, and thereby wake himself up.

Children in the first year of life develop very quickly, every month their height increases by several centimeters, and they gain weight well. Because of this, the baby constantly needs new clothes. In this case, diapers will be a great way to save money.

By fixing the baby's position with a diaper, it will be easier to feed him with a bottle or breastfeed.

By the way, happykids has a very useful one on how to properly hold a baby after feeding.

Correct swaddling

There are several swaddling techniques that differ in their execution algorithm:

free;

tight;

in a blanket;

wide.

It is most convenient to wrap the baby in a diaper in a special, separate place; usually a specialized table is set up for this. But in cases where the apartment does not have the ability to install such a table, this process is performed on a smooth surface. For swaddling, parents will also need the following items:

wet wipes;

special care products;

diapers;

fresh diapers;

vests and rompers.

Children lose heat very quickly and in order to prevent the child from getting too cold, in winter you can connect heating elements and reduce the time for changing diapers. It is important to check the availability of all necessary things for the procedure, so as not to leave the child without clothes and alone in search of them. In the winter season, it is recommended to swaddle the child in several diapers, and the scheme will look like this: first they wrap it in a calico diaper, then in a flannelette diaper.

Free swaddling

In the illustration: One of the free swaddling techniques

Recently, pediatricians have given their preference to the free style of swaddling. When using this method, you must first put a blouse on the child, and then wrap the legs in a diaper. In this case, there is no need for strong fixation of the legs; they should have freedom of movement. Recently, envelopes have appeared that create the effect of free swaddling.

In the photo: Changing envelopes. Different degrees of hand freedom are shown.

Free-style swaddling is perfect for the summer season so that your baby doesn't get locked up. Free swaddling can be used both with hidden hands and free.

Swaddling without handles

the child is placed on a diaper, with the upper edge located under the arms;

the free ends of the diaper are wrapped crosswise from left to right and from right to left behind the back;

the rest of the diaper at the legs is folded into a pocket and fixed.

See another technique with free handles below:

Free swaddling with handles

the child is placed on a diaper, with the upper edge located under the neck;

We wrap the left and right edges of the diaper behind the back, without fixing the arms along the body;

Raise the edge of the diaper at the legs up to chest level and secure it at the sides.

Tight swaddling

This method was very popular in Soviet times and among the peoples of Africa and India. It is believed that a tightly swaddled baby will be able to cause less harm to himself, and in the future he will show obedience and discipline. The algorithm for performing tight swaddling is simple:

lay the diaper on a flat surface;

place the child in the middle of the cloth, with the head above the diaper;

the right hand is pressed to the stomach;

the right edge of the diaper is folded under the back obliquely;

repeat the same movements on the left side;

The free end of the diaper is bent upward and tucked into the created pocket.

Wide swaddling

This method of swaddling is used as a prevention and treatment of hip deformities in infants. With wide swaddling, the baby's legs have a natural position: the legs are apart and slightly bent at the knees. Thanks to this position of the legs, the likelihood of dislocations and subluxations of the joints is eliminated. In this case, the hands can be either in a free position or fixed with a second diaper. For this swaddling technique, you usually need 3 pieces of fabric at once:

The first diaper is used to fix the wide position of the legs, while they are strengthened at an angle of 90 degrees;

the first piece of fabric is secured with the second;

and the third diaper is wrapped on top of all the others.

Swaddling with a blanket

Sometimes in the winter, parents wrap their child in an insulated blanket. You can wrap your baby in a blanket with or without his head. Swaddling in a blanket with your head:

the blanket is placed obliquely;

the baby is laid in the middle of the blanket;

the left side of the blanket is folded behind the back, a fold is made where the upper edge is located under the baby’s chin, and the lower edge in the navel area;

the lower corner of the blanket is fixed under the fold;

then the right side of the blanket is wrapped behind the child’s back;

secure the resulting envelope with a bow.

In the autumn and spring seasons, the baby can be wrapped without a head, putting only a hat on it. This swaddling option looks like this:

the blanket is placed obliquely;

create a fold on the outside;

we place the baby on the blanket so that the head lies above the fold;

We fasten the left edge of the blanket under the back;

legs are wrapped in a blanket;

fold the right edge of the blanket;

We fix the position of the blanket with a bow.

This method of swaddling a newborn is attractive because it is always possible to straighten the fold and cover the baby’s head with a blanket.

The baby should be swaddled in a carefully ironed diaper.

To ensure that the diaper remains soft even after washing, it must be sprayed with water.

The room temperature must be at least 20 degrees.

As a preventive measure, it is advisable to wrap the baby in a wide swaddling method.

A self-sewn envelope with straps will be an excellent means of swaddling a baby at night, as the legs will be warm and the arms will be free.

What is better not to do:

During the hot season, you should not swaddle your newborn tightly, as there is a risk of the baby overheating.

It is not recommended to wrap your baby in a diaper if he has digestive disorders or diarrhea.

This has come to the end of our article on how to properly swaddle a newborn baby. We hope that the tips from happykids really helped you!

If you have a baby, then after all the procedures the very first action is swaddling the newborn baby. No matter how fashionable slogans are today that a child must be free in his movements, no one has canceled swaddling. It is very important to provide the baby with a sense of protection. Let's try to figure out whether it is necessary to swaddle an infant, and how to do it correctly so that the baby is warm and comfortable.
Closed method
If you don’t know how to wrap your baby in a swaddle for a walk or when feeding, then take into account closed swaddling method. For it you will need:
cap;
rectangular diaper;
vest

Then proceed according to the instructions.
This is not a complicated scheme at all, although difficulties may arise when securing the diaper behind the newborn. You need to make sure that it is not very convex, otherwise the fold will begin to put pressure on the spine.
Public method
In order to swaddle a baby correctly in an open diaper, you will need the skill of closed swaddling. This method is especially useful in the evenings if you decide to give your baby's hands a rest.
If the child is still very tiny (up to one month), then the vest must have closed sleeves so that the baby does not accidentally scratch himself. At an older age, this method will be the main one. The hat will no longer be needed, since this is done for spending time at home.
The open method is practiced when the child has already grown a little, but it is still too early to release him completely, or if he has a problem with the joints of the pelvis or legs.
Tight swaddling
To swaddle your baby tightly, you will need dexterity and skills practiced on the doll. Previously, this option was welcomed by pediatricians and used by midwives in all maternity hospitals. All the children looked the same like pillars and could not move their legs or arms.
Today, doctors are increasingly speaking out against this method, talking about the harm this method causes to health:
And yet, after tight swaddling, babies often calm down and begin to fall asleep not only much faster, but also much more soundly. We tell you how to do a tight swaddling.
The peculiarity of this method is the fact that when some edge weakens due to the active actions of the child or is not fixed, the entire structure will fall apart. But, as already mentioned, this option is rarely used today.
Wide wrap
If you need to swaddle your baby's legs loosely, leaving everything else outside the canvas, then the wide method is used.
Its main advantage is that the baby takes a “frog” pose, which is comfortable for him. He will be able to bend and straighten his arms. In some cases, this method is used for medical reasons if a pathology such as hip dysplasia has been established.
Wide swaddling of infants is a fairly popular option. It is recommended by pediatricians because it does not limit the child’s motor activity and creates enough free space for him.
With your head
In the first few days of life it is necessary swaddle the baby's head, in order to protect the still fragile fontanel and prevent accidental injuries. The swaddling technique is similar to the closed method.
In order to swaddle your baby's head, you need to practice first. In this case, it is important to ensure that the diaper does not cover the baby’s eyes. After 1-2 weeks, you can switch to a closed swaddling method.
Blanket-envelope
You can swaddle your baby in an envelope-shaped blanket. As a rule, this method is used for walks in winter. You will need two clothes - thin and thick (warm).
If the warm (top) blanket is dressed up, you will get a pretty nice swaddling blanket for walking - comfortable and warm.
All of the methods described above require endless patience and certain skills, since it is not always possible to wrap a squirming baby in a diaper. A few useful tips and tricks can help you deal with various intricacies during swaddling.
It is necessary to study the requirements for fabric.