A swaddled baby surely makes everyone go “awww.” With a blanket wrapped snugly around the baby’s body and just the face being visible a glimpse of this baby burrito is undoubtedly the most calming sight for everyone. But apart from making your little one look like the cutest baby burrito; swaddling helps your munchkin feel safe and secure while s/he adjusts to life outside the womb, reduces anxiety and promotes self-soothing by teaching them to sleep on their own.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) shows that when swaddling is done correctly, it can be the most effective technique to calm infants and promote a sweet and balmy sleep. And, the importance of sleep for babies can’t be overlooked. Do you know that according to studies, in the first three years more than 1,000,000 million neural connections are formed per second while the baby is in sound sleep? Not just that, most of your cupcake’s brain development happens while s/he is asleep- be it the formation of a connection between the left and right hemispheres of the brain or restoration of learnings of that entire day and above all that, when babies sleep well, Mummas and Pappas also sleep well!
So here are some super-easy tips to swaddling your munchkin the right way to help it get the sleep it needs:
Step 1: Put the swaddle blanket on the bed
Spread the swaddle blanket or normal square-shaped cotton or elastic blanket in a triangular shape at the centre of the bed. Now, place your little one face-up on the blanket. Ensure to keep the edges of the blanket above the shoulders.
Step 2: The right arm goes next
Slightly bend the right arm and place it alongside the baby’s body. Further, take the swaddle and pull it across the chest, keeping the right arm under the fabric. Tuck the edge of the swaddle under the body, leaving the left arm free.
Step 3: Get hold of the bottom
In the third step, take the bottom corner of the blanket up over your munchkin’s body and tuck it under the first fold, under the chin. Now, straighten the left arm and pull the right side of the blanket over your baby’s body and tuck it under the right side.
Step 4: Just some finishing touches
Finally, If you see some unwanted edges, tuck them under the body of your baby. In the end, ensure to keep the swaddle snug, but not too tight, there should be a gap of at least two to three fingers between your baby’s chest and the blanket and the swaddle should be loose around the hips for the legs to move freely.