Welcome to the world of swaddling.
Something which is done by almost every new generation mother but the benefits are rarely spoken about. Its basically wrapping up your baby gently in a muslin blanket.
When I started swaddling Prithvi, people around me thought I was strangling him in a way by not letting him move his hands and legs. Some even compared it to a jute sack and advised me against it. I still continued, eventually when they saw Prithvi sleep peacefully and for longer hours as he could not startle himself awake with his flailing limbs (one of the main reasons for infants interrupted sleep) , they acknowledged the importance of swaddling. I think it helps your little one feel snug and secure, like how they feel in a mother’s womb.
According to ‘The American Academy of Pediatrics‘ the safest position for an infant to sleep (swaddled or not swaddled) is on his back and luckily for me Prithvi always slept on his back. Infact he was one of those babies who never enjoyed tummy time which got me worried but just like swaddling-not every child enjoys tummy time.
Though my baby loved being swaddled, not every baby is a fan! If getting wrapped up makes your baby more crazed than calm, you don’t have to do it. But before giving up completely, you might want to experiment with some alternatives :-
1. Veera, my niece was swaddled too but when she turned 2 months old she loved to move her arms around so we left her arms out of the swaddle blanket. You can do the same and see if your baby enjoys that. Do not forget to tuck the bottom of the blanket underneath your baby so that he/she would not pull the blanket up to his face.
2. Got a little one who loves to kick? Your baby might do better with a Velcro tab swaddle (which is harder to kick off) or sleep sack (which allows for more leg movement).
And if none seem to be the right fit. Feel free to move on. There’s no need to force your baby into a swaddle if he or she doesn’t like it.
About Author:
My name is Swapnil, I am mother of a 1 year old boy. I did my graduation in Psychology from Delhi University followed by L.L.B from faculty of law, D.U. I have recently started a blog by the name of “Little Mister Human” on Instagram. It’s been great sharing all my experiences and hoping some day when my baby is all grown up he might laugh reading all about himself and a few funny things he does now.
