Swaddling

[KLPeanut]

Not sure I spelled it right but what do people think about swaddling the newborn right after they are born. The hat discussion got me thinking about this also. My gut reaction is that it feels good to a newborn to have some room to move around and feel the world. But I've heard people say that infants feel more comfortable if they are tightly wrapped because it represents the womb.

Just want to know people's thoughts on this.

I remember unwrapping my babies and looking at them but feeling guilty in case a nurse walked in. It felt freeing to unwrap them.

[EmilyVorpe]

In MHO, babies like to be wrapped. They have been so smushed for so long that they LIKE it. But I don't think there is any harm in letting the baby go free if that's ok with them. I don't think its a "medical" thing. You can dress a baby warm enough without a blanket binding them.

Unfortunately, my 5 month old STILL prefers to be swaddled!!! We have to use 2 blankets !! I hope she grows out of it by 1st grade!

[liseux]

I think they like to be wrapped up too, but I think swaddling should be balanced with lots of skin to skin contact. I see a lot of new parents getting caught up in constantly keeping baby swaddled, b/c that's what they are taught these days by hospital staff and others, but as a volunteer LC I see the benefits of getting baby down to a dipe and cuddling on mom or dad's chest too. A friend of mine says that skin to skin is like control, alt delete to a newborn, it totally resets them.

I also suck at swaddling so I just keep my own babies on me for the first weeks.

[ellebelle]

IMHO, swaddling is a substitute for skin to skin contact or just plain holding and cuddling. Babies need that "outer womb". When a mom or dad holds the baby, they are providing the outer womb. When they can't be held, swaddling can keep the baby happier.

A couple of the hospitals around here whisk the baby away to do all the newborn procedures before they hand mom the tightly swaddled football, i mean, baby for the first time. When I can't steer my students away from these hospitals, I encourage the moms to unswaddle the babies and put them skin-to-skin.

Ellen
wife to G., homeschooling mom to ds13, ds11, dd7
Bradley® Certified Childbirth Educator

[Zoo Loo Naturals]

How about tucked inside the shirt of the mother skin-to-skin.

[Reha]

Originally Posted by Zoo Loo Naturals

How about tucked inside the shirt of the mother skin-to-skin.

:

[GatorNNP]

I prefer to wrap newly born babies in a "lazy swaddle" I keep the hands up towards the face so they can calm themselves as they have done in utero. Unswaddled is better for feeding and skin to skin time. Some babes seem to like more boundaries than others.

[1stimestar]

Neither one of my kids seemed to like being swaddled. Of course, they were held the majority of the time for a long time too so that may be why.