Swaddling recreates the snug feeling your baby had in the womb, reducing the startle reflex that can jolt newborns awake and helping many of them settle into deeper, longer sleep.
The Safe Technique
Lay the blanket in a diamond shape, place your baby so the top edge sits at their shoulders, wrap one side across their body and tuck it under the other, then fold the bottom up and wrap the second side across. Leave enough room for the hips and knees to move to avoid hip dysplasia.
Core Safety Rules
Wrap the arms snugly while keeping the hips relatively loose, and never wrap the chest so tightly it restricts breathing. Always place a swaddled baby on their back to sleep, and stop swaddling entirely as soon as they start trying to roll over.
- Use a lightweight, breathable fabric to avoid overheating.
- Make sure you can easily slide two fingers between the fabric and your baby's chest.
- Never swaddle a baby who is sleeping in the same bed as you.
- Stop swaddling around two months old, or the moment they attempt to roll, whichever comes first.
