Swaddling

During the first few weeks, your baby will spend most of his or her time wrapped in a receiving blanket. Not only does this keep your baby warm, but the slight pressure around the body seems to give most newborns a sense of security.

New parents often learn how to swaddle their infant from the nurses in the hospital. A blanket wrapped snugly around your baby’s body can resemble the mother’s womb and help soothe your newborn baby. When done correctly, swaddling can be an effective technique to help calm infants and promote sleep.

But if you plan to swaddle your infant at home, you need to follow a few guidelines to make sure you are doing it safely.

How to swaddle correctly:

1. To swaddle, spread the blanket out flat, with one corner folded down.
2. Lay your baby face-up on the blanket, with his or her head above the folded corner.
3. Straighten your baby's left arm, and wrap the left corner of the blanket over your baby's body and tuck it between his or her right arm and the right side of his or her body.
4. Then tuck the right arm down, and fold the right corner of the blanket over your baby's body and under his or her left side.
5. Fold or twist the bottom of the blanket loosely and tuck it under one side of your baby.
6. Make sure your baby's hips can move and that the blanket is not too tight. You want to be able to get at least two or three fingers between the baby's chest and the swaddle.

Swaddling can increase the chance your baby will overheat, so avoid letting your baby get too hot. The baby could be too hot if you notice sweating, damp hair, flushed cheeks, heat rash, and rapid breathing.

Make photos of your newborn baby, upload to the App. Write whether you swaddle your little one.