How to swaddle a baby : a step by step guide

Swaddling your baby is one of the most important things you can do to help them feel safe and secure. It helps to recreate the feeling of being in the womb. It also helps settle a baby down for a peaceful sleep.

But how to swaddle a baby? What materials should you use? And what are the safety considerations?

Keep reading for answers to all these questions, plus step by step instructions on how to swaddle your little one.

What materials should you use to swaddle your baby?

When it comes to swaddling, soft materials like breathable cotton or muslin are best.

These materials help keeping your baby comfortable while still allowing their skin to breathe.

Avoid using any fabrics that seem too thick or too thin. They could cause discomfort. Even worse, it could put your baby’s safety at risk.

It’s also worth considering purchasing a swaddling blanket with pre-made arm holes, which makes the whole process much easier.

They make them from cotton and come in an array of adorable patterns and designs.

If you’re going down this route, make sure you buy one that’s large enough. It should fit snuggly around your little one. Try not to leave any excess material.

How to swaddle your baby : a step by step guide

Once you got the right materials, let’s get started! Here we provide step by step instructions on how to swaddle your little one safely and securely:

1. Lay out the blanket on a flat surface so that it forms a diamond shape with two points at either end and two points at either side.
2. Remember, if using pre-made armholes, make sure you lay out the blanket. Thus, those holes are positioned correctly (i.e., one hole near each side point).
3. Place your baby face-up in the center of the diamond shape. Their head slightly above the top point. Be careful to never cover the head. Make sure their arms are relaxed at their sides. Be careful so that no excess fabric covers them up from chest level down .This applies whether or not there are pre-made armholes.
4. Take hold of both side points and bring them together across your baby’s body towards their opposite shoulder. Do this before tucking them beneath the baby (you may need someone else’s help here!). 
5. Take hold of both remaining points at either end and fold them over your baby’s feet. Again, do this before tucking them beneath his/her body (again, help might be needed here!). 
6. Give everything a gentle but firm tug. This is so as to ensure everything is tucked in around him/her ! Also check there’s no excess material bunched up anywhere. This could potentially cause discomfort or pose a strangulation hazard when sleeping.
7. Enjoy watching your peacefully sleeping little one!
8. When ready to unswaddle again simply reverse steps 1-6!   
9. Finally, remember always place your baby on his/her back when sleeping. Never place him/her on his/her front or side as this increases their risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). 
10. Unwrap gently if they stir during sleep. Sudden movements can startle babies who are used to being swaddled !

Swaddling a baby, always a go to method

In fine, swaddling is an age old tradition used by many parents around the world as an effective way to help settle babies for peaceful sleeps.

Used correctly, swaddling has many benefits for both parent and child. For example, it helps promoting feelings of security and comfort for babies.

As for parents, it eases their worries about accidental suffocation or SIDS. This may happen with loose bedding or blankets during sleep time for infants under 12 months old .

So, why not try to swaddle your little one for a good sleep?

With our easy guide above and some practice runs before bedtime we promise you’ll soon be pros! Good luck !