How to swaddle a newborn baby properly

When a child is born, new parents have many questions. One of them - how to swaddle a newborn? Modern parents prefer to put on a baby clothes, and from swaddling they refuse from the first days of life crumbs. Is this correct and to what extent do the statements of the people of the Soviet hardening about the necessity of this procedure correspond to reality? And if you have to swaddle a newborn baby, how can this be done? It is necessary to deal with these issues.

Why swaddle a newborn baby?

In my mother's belly the baby felt protected. He was comfortable and warm, so after birth it is important to provide him with such conditions, so that the crumb could be more easily adapted to the outside world. The diaper provides the baby with a hug, so it feels calm. In addition, it limits the movement of the baby, which contributes to a sound sleep.

On a note! Before you begin to swaddle, the newborn baby must be washed, dried with a towel, dried every fold, and perform all the necessary hygienic procedures. It is advisable to wear a diaper, otherwise soon swaddling has to start anew.

The benefit of diapering for a newborn baby is as follows:

Due to the limited movements during swaddling, the newborn does not "throw up" the legs and pens, so do not get scared.
When touching the diaper surface, the baby is comfortable, and he feels protected.
The diaper keeps the mother warm.

On a note! There is a claim that the children, who were swaddled in their infancy, sleep more quietly in the future.

As for the statement about the correct formation of bones in swaddling the baby, it has no scientific confirmation.

Types of swaddling newborn baby

There are several types of swaddling, each of which is relevant for a particular case. The choice may be related to the prescription of the doctor or the convenience of the parents. It does not matter which way to swaddle a child. The main thing is for him to be comfortable and cozy.

Tough

Sucking a newborn baby is hard enough, and this task is beyond the strength of the parents of the first child. Not so long ago a tight swaddling was recommended by pediatricians, this method was actively used in maternity hospitals. As a result, in the children's department, the toddlers lay in columns and could not move their limbs.

On a note! Today, medical workers have changed their minds and in many developed countries are gradually abandoning the tight swaddling of newborns. There was an opinion that the diaper squeezes the baby's internal organs, inhibits the development of respiratory functions, overheats the body, drowns out the instinct of freedom.

Either way, it is the tight swaddling that allows newborns to fall asleep quickly and calm down. Instructions with step-by-step photos help to do this:

Put the baby on the diaper in such a way that its upper edge runs just above the neck.
The left edge of the diaper should be wrapped around the torso of the newborn, wrapping it under the opposite side of the child and taking it under the arm.
Similar action to do with the right edge of the diaper, bringing it to the opposite side and fixing behind the baby's back.
Lower the diaper, wrap it under one corner, then the second, securing it.

On a note! If the fixed part of the diaper in a certain place weakens, the whole process of swaddling will go wrong.

Free

The technique of free swaddling is similar to tight. The only difference is that when the diapers are freely wrapped, the diaper does not wrap around tightly, and the handles and legs do not have to be straightened.

On a note! Free swaddling is convenient. Due to the fact that the newborn during the movement will constantly rest against the diaper, he will not have a fear of a large space. Unlike tight swaddling, the risk of squeezing the baby's internal organs is reduced to zero.

You can also change the technology a little. After wrapping one edge of the diaper, fold the lower part up, and then wrap the second edge.

With the head

Immediately after the birth of the newborn should be swaddled with the head, which will ensure the protection of the fontanel from damage. In addition, the baby's head will be warmer if it is wrapped in a diaper. The technique of changing the newborn's head is as follows:

On a flat surface spread the diaper, lay on it a newborn baby. The baby's head should be about 5 cm below the top edge, as in the picture.
Wrap the top of the canvas head of the newborn, as in the photo.
The right side of the diaper should be wrapped around the body and wound behind the opposite handle.
The lower edge of the diaper is folded up and secured.
The left edge of the diaper should be wrapped around the body in the direction of the opposite handle. Lock the canvas.

On a note! If you swaddle a newborn with your head, you need to ensure that the diaper does not hang over the baby's eyes.

Broad

This kind of diapering is often used for dysplasia according to the doctor's indications. Its essence consists in free wrapping the legs of the newborn. The rest of the body is not wrapped in a diaper, which allows free movement of the handles. The legs of the newborn take the pose of the frog, which is most convenient for children up to six months. Wide swaddling is performed as follows:

Fold the diaper on a flat solid surface in the shape of a triangle. The sharp angle of the canvas should look down.
Put the newborn on the diaper so that the lower sharp edge is between the legs. The upper edge of the canvas should pass at the level of the waist.
The sharp tip of the diaper, which is located between the legs of the newborn, is raised upward. It must pass between the legs of the baby.
Then the side parts of the diaper are alternately wrapped around the opposite sides and fixed behind the back.
Lay out on the same surface a second diaper in a rectangular shape. In the middle place the newborn. The upper edge of the diaper runs along the waist.
The left and right edge of the diaper can be freely wrapped and fastened.
Lower the diaper up and fix it behind the back of the newborn.

Wide swaddling provides a free space for the newborn and does not fetter it too much in the movements.

Blanket envelope

In the cold period, the newborn is wrapped in a blanket. Thus, you can swaddle the child by making an envelope. Swaddling the newborn is desirable with the use of two blankets: thin and warm. To correctly swaddle a newborn with a blanket-envelope, you need to do the following:

Both blankets put a diamond on a flat surface. Thin - from above, warm - from below.
Put the newborn in the center.
Take both blankets on one side and throw them in the opposite direction. Leave it behind the back of the baby.
Lower edge wrap up.
The second edge is wrapped in the same way as the right one.
Cover the blanket with tape, fixing all the free edges. Above you get a kind of hood.

To collect a newborn for a walk, you do not have to put on several layers of clothing. It is enough to use a bikini tie and sliders, and then swaddle the baby in a blanket. In it, the child will be much warmer than in the overalls, and her mother will save a lot of time, going for a walk.

Swaddling the legs

It is not always necessary to swaddle the newborn completely. Sometimes it is enough to wrap only the legs. To implement such an idea in practice will help the following instruction:

Place the diaper on a flat surface. Put the newborn on it in such a way that the upper edge of the canvas is at the level of the armpits.
Then swaddle in the standard way. First wrap one, then the second edge of the diaper.
Lower edge wrapped in a standard way, not pulling too diaper.

If you swaddle the baby in this way, he can move the handles freely, and also flex the legs a little.

On a note! Before wrapping the lower edge of the diaper is recommended to lay one half of the canvas over the leg. This will help to avoid damage to the skin when limbs rub against each other.

Beginning with two weeks of life, the baby is recommended to swaddle this way during periods of wakefulness. To sleep, it is better to wrap the baby with a diaper completely, to limit the movements of the handles.

How long should I swaddle a newborn?

At some point, parents ask themselves: how long to swaddle a newborn baby? It is worth noting that each kid is individual. All children adapt differently to environmental conditions, different and the time of development of coordination. Thus, to say exactly when it is necessary to stop swaddling a newborn baby is quite difficult. Any mother, watching her own baby, can easily determine when you can leave it for the night without a diaper. But there are some cases when a wide swaddling is prescribed by a pediatrician. In such a situation, you should stop swaddling a child when the doctor allows it.

For reference! On average, children are swaddled for 4 months, but in some cases it lasts longer.

You can use the following recommendations:

if the baby does not show undue anxiety, it is enough to swaddle him only during the first month of life;
pediatricians do not recommend swaddling a child for more than 4 months, if there is no doctor's appointment for that;
if you swaddle children for a long time, their motor development is delayed.

Helpful Tips

Young mothers can get acquainted with the main recommendations from Dr. Komarovsky before starting to swaddle a newborn:

To properly choose the type of swaddling of a newborn baby, it is advisable to consult with doctors in the hospital who know the peculiarities of its development and state of health.
Learn to swaddle better before delivery, using for this purpose an ordinary doll.
If you can not properly swaddle, you can see a step-by-step video, where the whole process is visualized, or familiar with the schemes.
If the mother is in a bad mood, it is not recommended to swaddle a newborn baby, since the child feels her condition, which will cause him anxiety.
When a newborn child is naughty, crying and generally in a bad mood, it is not recommended to swaddle it, first the baby should be reassured.

Guided by these recommendations, you can quickly learn how to swaddle a newborn baby.

Video: how correctly to swaddle a newborn baby?

Having tried several times to swarm a doll, hands quickly get used to movements, and in the future they will perform them automatically. Do not be afraid, in fact, swaddling a child is not so difficult as it seems at first glance. To quickly learn how to do it correctly, you can watch the following videos.