Should I Swaddle My Baby?
Most mothers get their swaddling lessons in the hospitals from the nurses who are pros in it. A newborn baby, who has been used to their warm and secured position in the womb find it difficult to instantly adjust to the outer world. In such cases swaddling comes handy as they remind the baby of the comfort of the womb thereby helping them to sleep better, thereby leading to both the mother and child getting ample rest.
In the first few months of the infant’s life, swaddling can be very important.
Following Are The Reasons:-
Firstly, as mentioned before, newborns do not have the capability of controlling their body temperatures. Thus they often get cold even in warm rooms. The best way to keep the baby warm is to swaddle them. It is found that newborns who are swaddled normally get better sleep and are less fussy as they feel better when they are warm.
In the womb, the baby was in a very small space and hence felt very cozy and secure. But once born, they find themselves outside their comfort zone in the big outer world. Most children get frightened due to this and start crying. Hence, swaddling the baby creates the illusion of that cozy and secured womb, thereby inducing good sleep in the newborn.
It has also been seen that swaddling significantly lessens the signs of colic in the baby. A baby suffering from colic pain cries everyday and doesn’t get good sleep. Swaddling helps to reduce the occurrence of colic thereby allowing the child to sleep better.
Babies have a jerk reflex which often startles them even from a deep sleep. They find it difficult to go back to sleep after that. Swaddling confines the baby’s limbs and minimizes the effects of the jerk, thus making it easy for the baby to go back to sleep.
Often mothers wonder if they are swaddling their child too tight. How tight a baby should be swaddled depends on the preferences of the baby. Some like the tight coziness of the swaddle, others may like it loose. Care should be taken that the swaddle is not so tight that it makes it difficult for the child to breathe. Also covering the head is a big no.Though swaddling has many advantages, there is a point of time when it should be gradually stopped.
When the child is a newborn, they will welcome the tight swaddling as it makes them feel warm and secure. But once they grow a bit, they might not like being confined in a blanket. One nice way to comply with this is by keeping the legs free or by swaddling them very loose.
It is okay to swaddle the child during bedtime. But during their wakeful periods, it is advisable to set them free and let them experience the worlds around them through touch. Too much swaddling often limits the development of the child due to the forced immobility.
At times the babies themselves will let the parents know by crying that they do not want to be swaddled anymore. The parents should take the cues accordingly. Even in case of the ones who want to keep on being swaddled, the parents should gradually make them get used to freedom.
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