Swaddling

To make your baby sleep safely and comfortably, it helps to recreate the familiar snugness keeping your little one warm and comfortable while still inside the mother's womb.

Swaddling helps soothe babies. It also cushions the startling motions that frequently wake babies.

To swaddle your baby - spread a blanket of a size just enough to fully cover the little one, and then slightly fold over one corner. Always ensuring that your baby's head is facing you, place the baby's head at the edge of the folded corner. Pick up one end of the blanket and bring it across the baby's body, and then tuck one side beneath him or her. Fold the bottom point of the blanket (make sure to leave extra room for the baby's feet), then pick up the other corner of the blanket, bring it across and tuck beneath the baby, exposing only the head and upper part of the neck. It's that simple!

Now that you've saddled your baby, it is highly important to practice safe sleeping habits.

Let the baby sleep safely by 1) ensuring that your baby is on his back when sleeping, 2) stopping the swaddling practice when your baby learns how to roll over on his stomach, 3) never having the baby sleep on his stomach, so he will not have difficulty breathing. (Note that letting the baby sleep on his stomach can also increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS) and 4) always check the temperature inside the swaddle to avoid overheating.

Never swaddle the baby too tightly; it can increase the risk of overheating or eventually cause a respiratory infection. If your baby's hips and knees are unable to move due to the tightness of the swaddle, you run the risk of developmental dysplasia of the little one's hip, causing it to be partially or completely dislocated. In fact, if the baby already has dysplasia, swaddling isn't recommended.

Swaddling - correct swaddling - can resemble the condition inside the mother's womb. It is an effective technique to help calm infants and hopefully promote excellent sleeping pattern.

(Helpful Resource: www.mayoclinic.org)