Calm Sleeping Baby

Relieve colic, excessive crying, fussy and unsettled babies

 

Baby Swaddling

Can help calm your baby, reduce colic symptoms, soothe overstimulated babies helping them to sleep better

What is swaddling?

Swaddling is a practice that has been used to help newborn babies adjust to life outside the womb for thousands of years. It involves wrapping your baby in a cotton sheet and helps to keep them feeling warm, secure and comfortable. Many midwives advocate this practice and it is now often taught to new parents in hospital.

Despite being widely used in Eastern cultures, swaddling has not been particularly popular in the West during recent times. However, its popularly in the UK is now on the rise; this can be partly attributed to research that has suggested that swaddling can help to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in young babies.

How will this help calm my baby?

Wrapping your baby in swaddling helps to restrict movement of their arms and legs and creates pressure against their skin. This not only helps to recreate the secure environment they enjoyed in the womb, but also helps to prevent baby from being disturbed by their own 'moro' or 'startle' reflex (where they suddenly throw their arms wide to the side).

Studies have also suggested that swaddling can:

• Help to enhance development in low birth weight babies,
• Reduce the risk of cot death,
• Sooth overstimulated babies
• Help to reduce symptoms of colic by applying gentle pressure to their abdominal area
• Help babies experience deeper sleep and are less easily disturbed and wake less frequently than those simply placed under sheets or blankets.

For many swaddling helps to calm, soothe and comfort baby, making for a more peaceful nights sleep. However, swaddling is not for everyone and some babies do not like the restricted sensation it provides. However, it is definitely worth a try - ask your midwife or health visitor for more information or a demonstration if you are unsure of how to swaddle your baby.

"We have scientific evidence to support the age-old belief that swaddled infants sleep better than unswaddled infants"

Dr Claudia Gerard, Washington University School of Medicine

Purchase your swaddle blanket here

You will be taken to the BUMP to 3 web site which is where I purchased my swaddle blankets. Select the SLEEP tab and then the Grobag Swaddling article.