How to swaddle a newborn baby - features and recommendations

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 12:45

In today's society there is a disagreement about whether it is necessary to swaddle a newborn baby. Young mothers are divided into those who prefer traditional swaddling, and those who consider it a relic of the past. Let's try to figure it out.

Where did the need for swaddling come from

For a long time, newborn babies were swaddled. Firstly, because there was no such variety of clothes before, even a piece of fabric was a delight. Babies were wrapped not just in diapers, but in pieces of fabric that could be found from relatives or neighbors. That is why the question never arose - why swaddle newborn babies.

Secondly, for a long time it was tight swaddling that was popular, it was believed that the baby should be fixed as much as possible in one position, with outstretched arms and legs, wrapping him tightly in a diaper. Since this method did not allow the newborn to injure himself with reflex movements of the limbs, the constrained position reminds him of the last month spent in the womb, in the sametraffic-restricted condition.

Do I need to swaddle a newborn baby?

Disputes and protests about the "need" to swaddle a child have existed at all times. According to some sources, one of the first was the scientist Pliny the Elder, who lived in the 1st century AD. e. Until the 17th century, most teachers and doctors advocated swaddling children, and not only for it to be tight, but also for a long time - it was not limited to a couple of months. In the 18th century, Jean-Jacques Rousseau was skeptical of tight swaddling, primarily arguing that it was unnatural for the psyche and physical condition of the child.

By the middle of the 19th century, most experts had moved away from the statement that extremely tight swaddling was necessary, a more loyal form appeared, suggesting different variations of this process. At the present time, many parents prefer to listen to modern experts in this field. So, for example, Dr. Komarovsky talks about whether it is necessary to swaddle a newborn baby. Many mothers are happy to listen to his opinion, because he considers both sides of this issue, reasoning with humor and presenting the right to choose to each parent.

Main reasons for swaddling

This process has both strengths and weaknesses. To understand how to swaddle a newborn baby, and whether your child needs it, you should read different opinions, but, first of all, watch your baby.

1. Calming. Every mommystrives to create a comfortable atmosphere around your baby. In order for the child to have the opportunity to gradually get used to the world around him in conditions of calm, it is best to provide him with the environment in which he arrived for the last month in the womb.

2. Development of touch. The diaper attached to the baby creates a feeling of warmth that the baby has experienced before.
3. Prevention of possible injury. In the first months, the newborn does not control the movement of the arms and legs, this happens on a reflex level, which can lead to accidental bumps or scratches.
4. Economy. Young parents in the first months of their baby's life will not spend large amounts of money on the purchase of various clothes. It is enough to buy a few diapers from different materials, depending on the season in which the baby was born.

Reasons against swaddling

Why do some people refuse it?

1. Tight swaddling affects muscle tone negatively.
2. During the hot season, swaddling can lead to rashes on the baby's body, and to a state of discomfort from high temperatures and a constrained state.

3. Modern young parents find it easier to find a way out of the situation by buying clothes than to learn proper swaddling and its methods.

Types of swaddling

There were no varieties of swaddling before. In Soviet times, a young mother listened to her mother and mother-in-law's instruction on how to swaddle a newborn baby.

In modern society, there are 7 types of baby swaddling:

1. Tight - this is how children were swaddled at all times.
2. Wide - great for sleeping, the child has the ability to move the legs. You can do it both open and closed method.
3. Open - so called because the hands of a newborn are free from swaddling, so you need to wear a vest or blouse on top.
4. Closed is a good solution for walking and feeding, but for him, in addition to a diaper, a vest and a hat are needed.
5. Envelope swaddling - great for walking in the cold season, this method requires a blanket.
6. Swaddling with the head - this is the method used by nurses in the maternity hospital when the baby is discharged with his mother, there is a similarity with the closed type technique.
7. Swaddling a "diaper" is a method that is especially relevant in case of allergic reactions or diaper rash in the inguinal zone of a child.

Swaddling Methods

All seven types of swaddling have three basic techniques - wide, tight and loose. To avoid questions about how to properly swaddle a newborn baby, consider these methods in more detail:

1. Wide swaddling - This method requires a triangular shaped swaddle. We put the baby on it in the center, then the lower edge is tucked up, closing the inguinal zone, and the side edges turn around in turnaround the pelvis and neatly tied. This method can be found in discussions: "Is it necessary to swaddle a newborn baby", Komarovsky, for example, often recommends it to form the correct bend of the joints.
2. Tight swaddling - for this technique it is necessary to use a square swaddle, on the center of which the child is placed. Then, starting from the upper right corner, we wrap the newborn diagonally - down to the feet, then do the same with the left corner. It is important to know that it is necessary to wrap the baby over the shoulders, without wrapping the head of the child. We put the lower part of the diaper on the newborn from above, bending the protruding corners back, and carefully fix the ends together. This technique should not be used during the hot season. Such swaddling is most relevant in the first month of life.
3. Free swaddling - this method leaves the upper body (arms) free. A diaper is put on the child, then the legs are wrapped with one edge, and the second is fixed so that the movements of the legs are not constrained. This swaddling technology is especially in demand up to 3 months.

Which diapers are better

It is important to remember that for any method of swaddling it is necessary to use diapers only from natural materials - flannelette, flannel, chintz and cotton. Because they have good breathability and practically do not cause an allergic reaction in a child. In addition, if the fabric is not properly cared for, it can become stiff - such a diaper often leaves marks on the baby's body.

Synthetic materials, as well as improper care of fabrics, can lead to many unpleasant consequences, because the skin of a baby at this age is very delicate and vulnerable.

Until how many months can you swaddle a baby

In addition to the frequently asked question: "Should swaddle a newborn baby?", Many mothers are interested in whether swaddling has age restrictions. Indeed, today there are many ways that allow you to swaddle a child not only in the first month of his life.

There is no definite answer, all children are different, it all depends on the characteristics of the child's behavior. The baby can be active - in this case, swaddling allows you to help him fall asleep or eat calmly, and the swaddling period may increase. If the baby is calm, then the need to swaddle may go away already in the first month of his life. Based on maternal practice, it can be noted that tight swaddling is acceptable up to 3 months, later it can affect the development of muscles and joints. The wide swaddling technique allows it to be used up to six months, because it is an excellent replacement for diapers we are used to. How exactly to swaddle a newborn baby and how many months, you need to look at the situation.

Swaddling your baby at different times of the year

How to swaddle a newborn baby in the summer in the heat or in the winter in the cold? Due to the variety of types of swaddling, you can choose the most suitable one. So, for example, in the warm season it is preferable to choose a wideor open swaddling, including "diaper" swaddling. It is very important to monitor the temperature regime of the child, because overheating is just as dangerous as hypothermia. In the cold season, it is better to choose a tight swaddling, and especially swaddling with an "envelope", it will allow you to keep warm.

Modern diapers

The development of new technologies does not stand still. Today you can find a number of such things and devices that greatly facilitate human life. The diapers have also undergone some changes.

In specialized stores you can buy diapers that look like a vest on top and look like a bag from below. That is, putting on such a diaper is much easier than honing the skill of proper swaddling. It is fixed on the buttons, which will not damage the skin of the baby. His leg movements are not constrained, he can move them freely, as well as his arms, but there are scratches on the sleeves that can either be used or tucked up and free the child's hands. With such diapers, young parents will not have the question: "How to swaddle a newborn baby correctly?".

Recommendations

There are general recommendations, knowing which, you can greatly facilitate learning to swaddle a baby:

1. In order not to disrupt the blood supply to the organs, especially with tight swaddling, it is necessary to monitor the pulling of the body in the neck and chest.
2. Tight swaddling is the best option for the first few weeks of a baby's life.
3. Remember that the newborn must lie downon the back or on the side, in no case do not leave the baby on the tummy, in this position he may suffocate.
4. Don't leave your baby unattended, no matter how tight the diaper is.
5. Start practicing the open swaddling method at two months of age.
6. Before wrapping your baby in diapers, bathe him and dry him well, especially in the creases.
7. Try to minimize the use of diapers so that the skin of the newborn breathes under a diaper made of natural materials.
8. In the warm season, use thin diapers.

Is it necessary to swaddle a newborn baby? To refrain from this procedure or not, it is up to the parents to decide. There is a huge variety of opinions and disputes on this topic. But only parents are able to understand their baby.