Babies don't have to be swaddled. If your baby is happy without swaddling, don't bother. Always put your baby to sleep on his back. This is true no matter what, but is especially true if he is swaddled.
Swaddling your newborn at night can help your baby sleep longer stretches at night. The purpose of swaddling is to help reduce the “startle or Moro” reflex. Yes, you should swaddle your newborn at night. The startle reflex is a primitive reflex that is present and birth and is a protective mechanism.
Babies don't need to be swaddled to be healthy and happy. If your baby is happy without swaddling, that's great news.
You should stop swaddling your baby when they start to roll over. That's typically between two and four months. During this time, your baby might be able to roll onto their tummy, but not be able to roll back over. This can raise their risk of SIDs.
Sleep suits can be a great alternative or swaddling transition. The suits keep baby's arms in a T-shape, to prevent rolling, while still keeping them comfortable. Make sure to keep the room they are in cool, as suits can be warm. Remember, swaddling (or an alternative solution) should end when your baby begins to roll.
If it is warm outside, putting your baby in a diaper underneath the swaddle may just be enough. If however, the temperature is cold, it's a good idea to put baby in a short or long sleeved onesie or even footy pajamas to ensure that baby is kept warm.
Between 4-6 months babies outgrow the startle (moro) reflex. If your baby is not yet rolling and still swaddled, but is no longer startling this may also indicate it is time to transition from swaddling. Some babies may struggle with this change in their sleeping environment.
Myth #3: Swaddlings Is Uncomfortable
If a baby seems to struggle or resist the swaddle at first, it doesn't mean that swaddling is uncomfortable. Your baby may simply just not know what's happening, but many parents find that babies calm down quickly after starting to swaddle.
Dressing babies for bed: the basics
Dress your baby in layers of fitted clothing rather than just thick pyjamas. You can add or take away layers as the temperature changes. Babies cool themselves down by releasing heat from their heads and faces. Babies can quickly overheat if they fall asleep wearing hats or beanies.
Leave the arms free or the hands by the face: Some babies prefer to have their arms free, while others find it calming to have their hands near their faces. Make sure baby is not too warm: Swaddling should be done to help your infant feel secure, not to keep them warm.
“Night one is a euphoric night,” said Jennifer Howting, a registered nurse in paediatrics based in Kingston, Ont. “But babies on night two wake up a lot more—they're more alert and are ready to feed. The second night is when the exhaustion really hits [for parents].” Night two can bring a lot of crying.
Safe Sleep Guidelines for Your Baby
Anything that could potentially cover their mouth and nose could lead to suffocation for your infant. The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued safe sleep guidelines. This includes a strong recommendation against having blankets in your baby's crib.
The easiest way to tell if your baby is too hot or too cold is by feeling the nape of the neck to see if it's sweaty or cold to the touch. When babies are too warm, they may have flushed cheeks and look like they're sweating. An overheated baby may also breathe rapidly.
Swaddled Babies Sleep Longer
The researchers found swaddling increases a baby's total amount of sleep as well as nonrapid eye movement (NREM) or light sleep compared with when they were not swaddled.
Swaddling a newborn in blanket has been thought to be a tool to help calm babies and get them to sleep longer. But according to the Contemporary Pediatrics guide, Swaddling 101, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), many babies can stay calm with no swaddling at all.
Babies who are swaddled too tightly may develop a problem with their hips. Studies have found that straightening and tightly wrapping a baby's legs can lead to hip dislocation or hip dysplasia. This is an abnormal formation of the hip joint where the top of the thigh bone is not held firmly in the socket of the hip.
"Swaddling can increase the chance your baby will overheat, so avoid letting your baby get too hot. The baby could be too hot if you notice sweating, damp hair, flushed cheeks, heat rash, and rapid breathing."
Squirming fuss bucket
Remember, crying and fussiness is the only way your baby can communicate to you that they are not happy about something. Watch for squirming as this is a sure sign that they are no longer happy being swaddled and they are trying to squirm their way out.
While the cause of SIDS is unknown, many clinicians and researchers believe that SIDS is associated with problems in the ability of the baby to arouse from sleep, to detect low levels of oxygen, or a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood. When babies sleep face down, they may re-breathe exhaled carbon dioxide.
“Second night syndrome” is a perfectly normal response to being born, and most babies experience a bit of fussiness on their second night of life. It doesn't mean that anything is wrong or that your baby is starving. It can feel overwhelming, but there ARE some things you can do to help survive the second night!
There's no need to wake your baby at night for a nappy change. Instead, just check the nappy when they wake up for night-time feeds or in the morning after sleep.
Sleepless nights are common in new parenthood, but they do not last forever. Most babies will begin to sleep for longer periods at night from the age of 6 months old. Newborn babies need to feed every few hours until the age of 3 months. After this, it is normal for infants to feed once or twice during the night.