As new parents, we all want our babies to feel comfortable. After hundreds of years of practice, the art of swaddling has been passed down.
Swaddling means wrapping a newborn baby snuggly in a blanket, meant to remind your child of the feeling of being in the womb and give them a feeling of warmth and security.
The right swaddle has many benefits, and here are 7 reasons to swaddle:
· SLEEP LONGER
If you put your baby in a swaddle, they will sleep better and sleep longer. This is determined by the main features of the swaddle. A swaddle will wrap your baby tightly, mimicking a mother’s embrace and caressing. The most popular muslin swaddles are made of cotton or bamboo fibers. These materials are soft, breathable, and gentle, and are more suitable for babies’ delicate skin.
At the same time, when babies are properly wrapped, it can effectively prevent the startle reflex of newborn babies from disturbing their sleep. Especially when the baby’s hands are folded over their hearts, they are also able to soothe themselves and get them back to sleep, helping the baby sleep better and longer.
· REDUCE THE RISK OF SIDS
Sleeping on the tummy or side of a newborn baby is one of the important factors that increase the risk of SIDS. Swaddling can keep your baby in a supine sleeping position without inadvertently covering the head or face of the newborn with bedding, so swaddling can effectively reduce the incidence of SIDS or sudden infant death syndrome.
Safety Tip: Never put a baby to sleep on his stomach, even a swaddling baby should be constantly monitored. Once your baby is able to roll over in the swaddle, the swaddle needs to be stopped. Wearable blankets can be used instead of swaddles at this time.
· REGULARTE THE TEMPERATURE
Newborn babies are unable to regulate their body temperature, they can only rely on the external environment. Swaddling clothes can play a good role in keeping the baby at the right temperature. When the baby is wrapped in swaddling clothes, the skin temperature of the baby feels normal and is generally at the most appropriate temperature, neither too cold nor too hot.
· PREVENT COLIC
Many newborn babies have colic. As novice parents, they will feel at a loss at this time. If the baby cries for two or three hours a day and it is difficult to appease them, it is likely to be caused by colic.
Wrap the baby in swaddling clothes, can give them a feeling in the womb, and will unconsciously have a sense of security. At the same time, swaddling clothes can put slight pressure on their abdomen and relieve any pain and discomfort they may have.
· IMPROVED NEUROMUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT
For newborn babies, their limbs are actually unintentional and random, and fixing their arms actually helps them develop better motor skills. In particular, the help for muscle development of premature infants is more obvious.
· SOOTHE CRYING BABY
Some babies cry loudly when they are swaddled, making their parents think they don’t like swaddling clothes. But when babies are swaddled, they can remember their comfort in the womb, soothing them and reducing the frequency of their cries. At the same time, swaddling lays the foundation for other soothing techniques. It can appease the distressed baby more effectively.
· IMPROVE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE
Many people don’t realize that swaddling is not only good for babies but also good for parents. Swaddling clothes can help babies sleep better and longer, so parents can sleep better and longer. If the baby cries less, the pressure on the parents’ life will also be reduced, and they can also have the spirit to take better care of the baby.
The bottom line of everything mentioned here is that swaddling helps an infant adjust to a whole new world around them. Because of swaddling, your baby will feel loved, nurtured, and cherished – nothing short of a good start in life.