Swaddling
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=37382
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Topic: Swaddling
Posted By: _SMS_
Subject: Swaddling
Date Posted: 09 January 2011 at 7:18pm
I never swaddled DD, she was a summer baby and liked stretching out etc. So sorry if these questions sound really dumb  Having a winter baby i guess i should find out about it
What is the point of swaddling? and is there any benefits to doing this? Do you just use a normal blanket? Or do i need to buy wraps etc? Does it need to be certain fabric? Thanks  -------------  
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Replies:
Posted By: FionaO
Date Posted: 09 January 2011 at 7:38pm
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I can't remember why we did it, but we did and it was awesome, i believe its to stop tiny babies from jerking themselves awake, the wrap makes them feel all snug and like they are still in the womb or something. I ended up wrapping DS for about 7 months he slept so well wrapped, when I tried to take him out of the wrap he flapped so much he just couldn't get to sleep. We bought to miracle wraps, but any large blanket would do, specifically designed wraps are just easier to use and wriggly babies are less likely to escape. ------------- 
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Posted By: TheKelly
Date Posted: 09 January 2011 at 7:45pm
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I had two winter babies and I swaddled them both,they both slept well.
The point as far as I can see is to make them feel as secure as they did in the womb, you have to do it properly tho, too loose and there is no point, too tight and there is also no point, a housemother at Bethany where I stayed after having Caitlyn was a pro at wrapping, she got it just right. I always make the sheet or wrap or whatever into a triangle shape with the top folded down, seems to work easiest ------------- 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: mummyofprinces
Date Posted: 09 January 2011 at 9:15pm
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Swaddling is to prevent the startle reflex.. when they hear a loud noise etc they jerk their arms up this wakes them.
So if they are swaddled then they cant wake themselves up with this movement. Also, they have been all squished up inside you for so long and to all of sudden have all this space is bit much for them to take, it makes them feel nice and safe to be all wrapped up  -------------   
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Posted By: MrsJMcD
Date Posted: 09 January 2011 at 9:23pm
| when my son was born we swaddled him in a stretch merino wrap and it worked really well, but we switched to a cotton wrap after a few weeks as it was October so not as cold and he's a warm baby anyway so was starting to overheat. |
Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 09 January 2011 at 9:53pm
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Lily was a late summer baby and we only did swaddling because it was shown in antenatal and after her birth once she was all dressed etc the nurse swaddled her for me so I kinda thought 'guess you're meant to!'
One thing with using muslin (summer) or cotton (don't use polar fleece etc, stick with cotton and dress appropriately underneath) is that they are breathable as young bubs can't regulate their temps and can over heat, get cold quick, esp if they get too hot sweat and get cold iygwim. Another thing with them is sometimes they can break free and if they 'need' to be swaddled it can cause them to wake lots (my dd). We got a miracle wrap (try the sleep store or baby star) and it was fantastic. DD finally weaned from her wrap at 7.5-8mo and she sleeps much better now but imo not all babies need swaddling so I would do it based on how well baby sleeps being swaddled/unswaddled. DD used to FIGHT being swaddled. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Kalimirella
Date Posted: 09 January 2011 at 10:05pm
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I had an autumn baby who hated being swaddled, like your first baby, so we just made sure she had a heater on low and plenty of warm natural fibre blankets (though you could use a sleeping bag). The wraps we tried to use were just bought from baby city and that thick flannel cotton in large squares. Or a more stretchy cotton/polyester that was much lighter.
Just saying your baby may not like swaddling. Mine certainly preferred stretching out. ------------- Kiara is 3 and Teagan is 2, now we're expecting our long awaited 3rd! http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 09 January 2011 at 10:30pm
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I swaddle new babies, they seem to find it secure/comforting and it prevents the startle reflex from waking them up. Sometimes they just jerk in their sleep for no apparent reason. I use cotton; brushed cotton for my winter baby. Doesn't matter what material too much so long as it isn't too warm and breathes well. What's most important is that it's a good size. I like 120x120, a lot seem to be only 100x100cm.
When they're young, I don't even worry about a top sheet when they're swaddled. As they get older, I wrap them looser so they can unwrap themselves as they wake - kinda like weaning them off it. -------------  |
Posted By: WestiesGirl
Date Posted: 09 January 2011 at 10:55pm
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DS was a spring baby and we swaddled for 12 months. I just used cotton and Muslin wraps only. And then I added cotton blankets as needed on top and tucked them in. ------------- Our Angel July 08  Gone but not forgotten
And to complete our family, our princess has arrived 
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Posted By: _SMS_
Date Posted: 10 January 2011 at 7:12am
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I just dont want to get stuck not being able to stop swaddling. We will have our heatpump on 24/7 anyway so will have a warm house
I guess ill just see how i go lol  -------------
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Posted By: rachelsea
Date Posted: 10 January 2011 at 7:59am
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Chelsea was born late Feb and we didn't swaddle her at first (seeing she was born before antenatal classes started I didn't really know much about it lol). She would flap her arms about all the time and wake like every sleep cycle. Finally around 2months my Plunket nurse showed me how to swaddle her, and she slept heaps better after that. Around 5-6months she started fighting it, but I found she couldn't settle to sleep with her arms out so just put her in a small sleepsack (a pillowcase with a head hole cut out LOL) till she got used to it, and took that away around 8months when it started getting warm again and she was fine
I'll show you how to do it when my new bubs arrives if ya like ------------- DD 4yrs DS 2yrs http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: tiptoes
Date Posted: 10 January 2011 at 11:26am
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I swaddled DS till he was 10.5 months. It helped settle him really quickly and although when he was small and overtired he'd fight it, he stopped doing that after awhile.
He ended up deciding he didn't want it by himself, I was starting to wonder how I'd ever get rid of it and then he suddenly started pulling his arms straight out as soon as he was wrapped and didn't seem to like it. We used large muslin or cotton (just bought from spotlight) and when he was smaller we used miracle wraps and swaddle mes. They were great! ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com">  
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Posted By: mummymonster
Date Posted: 10 January 2011 at 7:59pm
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I think it's all about the particular baby.
My DS was a real squiggler with a tendency to scratch his face. He can still may his ears bleed when he's tired, as his major tired sign is poking his ears. If he wasn't swaddled he couldn't fall asleep due to his need to scratch his face/ears when tired. I've known other babies who were the complete opposite too. We used cotton flannelet woven blankets with a swaddle style out of a 'Gina Ford' book (only good thing to come out of the book - lol). At various points we tried stretch cotton/muslin/miracle wrap. DS always slept better in cotton flannelet - go figure. When this one comes out I'll just wait and see what they're like and decide the swaddle question then. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Kalimirella
Date Posted: 10 January 2011 at 8:48pm
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Hmm, mine slept really badly when swaddled, she hated being bound up, and loved to have her legs free.
Her startle reflex, moving arms etc, never woke her up when she was little, and then when older it just was no longer a problem. As above, best just to have a couple on hand and see if your baby likes it or not. Mine was also a tummy sleeper (she didn't sleep much otherwise) so it was safer to NOT swaddle so she could support herself on her arms and lift her head easily. ------------- Kiara is 3 and Teagan is 2, now we're expecting our long awaited 3rd! http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 10 January 2011 at 9:51pm
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Kalimirella, that was the same with Lily, her startle reflex never bothered her and she slept her first night on her side with her arms up by her face the whole night! (MW actually told me off because she did a 7 or 8 hours stretch and she lost 80g so I had to feed her 2 hourly day and night to get her back up, little did I know that 80g wasn't very much... She continued to sleep 2 hourly nightly until recently too!
But DD would fight it and I thought it was best for her but now I know next time I'll let baby decide if they need it or not! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: JadeC
Date Posted: 11 January 2011 at 9:21pm
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Must be an individual thing - DS sleeps really badly if he's not swaddled.
In winter we used a merino wrap to swaddle him, really easy to use. Now we use thin cotton 100x100 squares (but 120x120 would be fantastic). DH has just figured out a new swaddle for him that is almost impossible to break out of  ------------- http://pregnancy.baby-gaga.com/" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: mummyofprinces
Date Posted: 12 January 2011 at 9:08am
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I wouldnt worry about being "stuck swaddling", I dont know any adults who need to be swaddled to sleep -------------
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Posted By: Kalimirella
Date Posted: 12 January 2011 at 9:12am
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No, but there sure are some who hog the covers!!! ------------- Kiara is 3 and Teagan is 2, now we're expecting our long awaited 3rd! http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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