Step-by-Step Guide to Swaddle a Baby for Comfort

Soothing a newborn baby may seem to be a challenging task. But if you learn about swaddling your newborns, your life will change for good! Swaddling is an age-old practice of wrapping newborns in a soft, light, and breathable cloth, to help them feel calm and snuggle (1).

It is believed that swaddling has a calming effect on babies because it provides them with the comfort they felt in their mother’s womb. This is a go-to technique for many parents to soothe their babies and put them to a goodnight's sleep. However, there is more to swaddling than what meets the eye! It is known to hold many benefits for newborn babies. So, go add a warm snuggle swaddle wrap, to your baby care essentials checklist.

But not everyone knows how to swaddle a baby rightly. Hence we have compiled this article as an ultimate guide with steps to swaddling newborns, its benefits, potential risks, and a lot more! So keep reading further!

What are the Benefits of Swaddling?

Before we dive deeper, let us briefly understand the many benefits of swaddling a newborn:

1 • Keeps your baby warm and snuggly while they are sleeping
2 • Limits the startle reflex which can disturb your baby’s sleep (2)
3 • Swaddle provides your baby with a sense, of comfort, and security by mimicking the warm environment of your womb.
4 • Helps to soothe your baby, even when they possibly have colic Helps to provide comfort to your baby.

How to Swaddle a Newborn Baby - Step-Wise Guide

While there are different ways to swaddle a baby, here we have provided a step-wise guide on the simplest swaddling method:

Step 1 - Find a flat surface with no sharp edges or corners, which puts your baby at risk of falling or rolling over.

Step 2 - Place your baby face-up on the swaddle wrap, and fold the swaddle from one corner, with the head positioned at the folded corner.

Step 3 - Straighten your baby’s arms and place them over their body. Bring the swaddle from one side over the body and tuck it on the opposite side under the body.

Step 4 - Repeat the same process for the opposite side, leaving the neck and head unswaddled.

Step 5 - Gather the ends, and secure the tail in a knot, as shown in the video.

What Type of Swaddle to Use for Newborns?

This is the most pertinent question that crosses the mind of every new parent about swaddling. A swaddle wrap or a blanket is meant to provide comfort and warmth like that of the mother’s womb. Hence the material of the wrap must be made of cotton, linen, muslin or other natural fibres. Such materials allow breathability while providing warmth. You can choose a swaddle blanket or a wrap to suit your needs.

Want to go a step further? How about a ready-made swaddle, for all the parents on the go? SuperBottoms dry feel swaddle wrap comes with snaps to help you adjust the wrap lengthwise and offers flexibility in adjusting the tightness as well. If you are looking for breathable swaddle blankets, that can even work as burp clothes, look no further. SuperBottoms mulmul swaddles are made of 100% softest mulmul cotton, which offers breathability while your baby is sound asleep, and has multipurpose usage.

Safety Tips to Swaddle A Baby

Here are some safety tips you must follow while swaddling newborn babies:

1. Swaddling may lower the ability of your baby to naturally arouse themselves from sleep, thereby increasing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). So, ensure you do not keep your baby swaddled for longer times
2. Swaddling newborn babies too tightly can lead to hip problems. So ensure there is always a 2-3 fingers gap in between their chest and the swaddle.
3. Ensure that your baby is not too warm on being swaddled. So if you see them sweating or damp hair, flushed cheeks, or rapid breathing, they are most likely to be overdressed.

Key Takeaways

1. Age Old Practice: Swaddling is a centuries-old tradition of covering newborns in a soft, light, and breathable cloth to help infants feel calm and snug.

2. Better Sleep: Limits the startle reflex which can disturb your baby’s sleep.

3. Must Consider the Safety: Make sure your kid is not swaddled for too long and that there is a 2-3 finger gap between their chest and the swaddle.

Message From SuperBottoms

Hi there, new parents! No matter where you are around the world or in India, SuperBottoms ensures your kids are using the best and safest products. SuperBottoms offers the best cloth diapers, which are completely safe and gentle for your baby, DryFeel langots for diaper-free time, padded underwear for potty training your kids, and period underwear for women. These products suit your baby's delicate skin at any time of year. SuperBottoms is a must-have product for you and your child whether you live in Canada, Kuwait, the United States, Qatar, Hawaii, Bahrain, Armenia, the United Arab Emirates, or the Philippines. SuperBottoms products are also available on Amazon, Myntra, Flipkart, FirstCry, Zepto, Swiggy and Blinkit.