When a newborn is born, parents try to properly care for it. In the first months, many mothers decide to swaddle their babies. To avoid problems, you need to do it correctly.

Preparation for the procedure

Types of swaddling of newborn babies:

• tight;
• free;
• wide.

It is advisable to purchase a special changing table.

If you do not have this opportunity, swaddle your newborn baby on a flat surface, for example, using a table. Prepare everything you might need in advance:

• clean, ironed diapers;
• vests, rompers;
• diapers;
• baby wipes;
• powder, oil, cream.

If the house is cool enough, turn on the heater when you get ready to take care of your dirty baby.

Try to quickly swaddle the baby so that he does not freeze. Always keep an eye on it as it may fall.

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How long does it take to swaddle a baby?

Doctors say that baby needs to be swaddled for at least the first month of life.. Otherwise, he will wake himself up by moving his arms and legs and have trouble sleeping.

If you refuse to use diapers during the day, use them at night. Then the sleep will be stronger, the baby will wake up cheerful and calm.

When the baby grows up, you can wrap him up, leaving his arms free. For the first 2-3 months of life, a swaddled baby feels comfortable.

As he gets older, he will begin to move more actively, so swaddling should be loose. At the age of three months you can completely abandon this, if you feel that the moment is right.

Once you reach 5 months of age, you must stop using this method., otherwise it will lead to delayed physical development.

There is no need to think that the baby will freeze in his sleep. You can cover him with a blanket, dress him up in a warm suit.

To swaddle a newborn or not, how to learn to do it correctly so that the baby is comfortable, Dr. Komarovsky will tell you in the following video:

Using diapers is beneficial for newborns. Babies sleep better at night. Proper swaddling in the first months of life will help the baby gradually get used to a new, interesting, exciting world. When the child begins to consciously move his arms and legs and begins to actively develop, this practice will no longer be needed.

This question arises before new parents in the maternity hospital when the child is given to them. After the first feeding, the baby's diapers become wet. As a rule, in the maternity hospital, doctors themselves tell you how to properly swaddle a baby. But it will still be better if the young mother learns this process herself while she is still pregnant . Master wrapping You can use dolls or soft toys at home.

Why is swaddling needed?

Now in stores you can find many hygiene products that will help a young mother do without diapers. In the markets you can find a large selection of disposable diapers and clothing for small children. Many parents use ordinary cotton diapers They are considered a relic, but they are still necessary in the following situations:

By swaddling baby will lie quietly and all the above procedures can be safely carried out.

When medical procedures are performed, the cloth is necessary. If you need to put a heating pad on your baby's tummy, it is much easier to do this when he is in a diaper. Doctors have established that a child who was swaddled in childhood has a developed sense of touch. When the fabric touches the baby's body, he quickly develops a sense of touch. If the baby was born premature, then in this case the canvas will imitate the mother’s womb. And this will have a very beneficial effect on the child.

How to swaddle correctly

How to properly swaddle a newborn: all swaddling can be divided step by step into several types.

Tight full wrap. With this type of swaddling, the baby is wrapped from head to toe. If the baby is swaddled very tightly, he will not be able to turn his head and will be completely immobilized. With this type, the legs can be completely straight or slightly bent.

How to swaddle a newborn: classic wrapping. The baby in this form is wrapped in a diaper from neck to heels. At the same time, his shoulders are closed, and his arms are pressed very tightly to his body. At the same time, the head can move left and right.

1. Thus, the child can react to any sound stimuli or drink mother’s milk.
2. Free wrap. With this wrapping, a kind of nest is built from fabric, in which the child can move his arms, legs, and head.
3. But his movement is limited. With this type of swaddling, the baby’s coordination abilities are developed. At the same time, the baby gets to know his body and capabilities.

Lower body wrap. Very comfortable when the baby gets used to his hands and is not afraid of them. With this wrapping, disposable diapers do not need to be used. In addition, the legs will be in constant motion, the skin will breathe. And a new beautiful blouse will not get dirty if the baby goes to the toilet.

At what age should a baby be swaddled?

To answer this question, you need to take a closer look at the behavior of the baby. You cannot rely on the advice of doctors and grandmothers, because each child is individual and unique. When a baby has just been brought from the hospital, it is recommended to swaddle his head, because he will not be cold and comfortable. Then you need to look at the baby’s reaction when his mother washes him. Or when a child changes clothes.

What types of diapers are there?

Diapers vary in size and fabric quality. As a rule, chintz fabric is placed next to the body of the crumb, and flannel fabric is placed on top. Large flannel sheets are not needed; they are usually purchased in 100 x 100 cm sizes. How exactly to purchase diapers? It is necessary to take into account some points: if the fabric is sewn independently, then their width must be made according to the roll of fabric. If the diapers are made from sheets, then they need to be cut so that there is less residue left.

Types and sizes of diapers

From 70 to 95 cm. This canvas size is not the most convenient. They are recommended to be used as a napkin or sheet.

From 95 to 100 centimeters. This type of fabric is suitable for wrapping a newborn baby. When the child grows out of them, this fabric can be used as a bedding on a bed or on a changing table.

From 110 to 125 cm. Such canvases are very comfortable, they can be used until the baby is three months old. In this diaper size it is very convenient to wrap the baby in several layers.

From 120 x70 to 135 x 95 cm. Such fabrics are especially convenient for use. Because they allow you to wrap the crumbs completely with his head or just wrap his legs.

Velcro fabric. In another way it is called a “newborn envelope”. The following sizes are available: 53, 68, 72 cm. As a rule, Velcro envelopes are very convenient. They are made of cotton, jersey, fleece. Usually the product is beautifully decorated with lace and decorative embroidery. Using a Velcro diaper makes the process of swaddling your baby much easier. This fabric is more convenient to use when walking or visiting a pediatrician.

How to properly swaddle a newborn in pictures step by step

When using a Velcro swaddle, wrapping the baby is carried out in three steps: the first step. It is necessary to put the baby on a diaper and put his feet in a specially designated envelope.

The second step is to wrap the crumb on the right side and securing the fabric with Velcro.

The third step is to wrap the crumb on the left side and the fabric is also secured with Velcro. Thus, the child is wrapped in a diaper from heels to shoulders. As a rule, this type of wrapping is considered tight.

What are the ways to swaddle a baby?

The first method is to wrap it with your hands. To do this, you need to place the child on a table or bed. The child must be placed on the fabric so that his neck is on the surface of the edge of the fabric.

1. The baby's left hand should be placed on the tummy or chest. Then you need to take the upper corner of the fabric and bring it behind your back through the side.
2. Then the baby’s hand should be placed next to the left one, and the other hand should be held with your own hand.
3. Then you need to take the edge of the canvas and bring it behind the newborn’s back through his left side. At the bottom of the corner, the fabric must be spread to the side with both hands. Then the lower border of the fabric must be secured to the baby’s chest above the arms.

If the fabric is too tight, then the edge must be folded. The remaining free edge must be tucked under the baby's back. And the freed left corner must be passed through the back and out over the right shoulder. After this, the corner is tucked into the fold on the child’s chest, or the wrapping can be secured with a ribbon for enhanced fixation.

Swaddling a baby with arms

How to properly wrap a newborn will be discussed below. How to wrap a newborn is shown in the pictures.

Then you need to take the lower corner of the fabric and place it behind the baby’s back over the left shoulder. Wrap the remaining free left corner around the baby from left to right, and put the edge behind the back. Wrapping a newborn is a very simple process.

Next, you need to lay out the fabric, tuck the top edge by 25 cm. Then the baby’s right hand needs to be placed under the fold. Then you need to put the child's hand on the tummy. And at the same time, move the remaining edge of the sheet over the baby’s left side. Do the same with the left edge of the fabric. Thus, wrapping the newborn is half completed. All that remains is to swaddle the legs. To do this, the lower side must be folded under the newborn’s knees.

Method two

For this method, you need to lay out the sheet and tuck the top edge by 25 cm. The newborn's right arm must be placed under the fold. Another baby's hand you need to put it on your tummy. And at the same time, move the right edge of the diaper behind the baby’s left side. Next, the process of how to swaddle a baby continues with the left edge of the canvas.

To do this, place your left hand under the edge of the diaper and bend the left corner over the right side of the newborn. Tuck the bottom corner under the baby's knee. When wrapping this way, you need to pay special attention so that the fabric does not overtighten the child. The baby should be completely wrapped up, but at the same time he should be able to move a little.

How to swaddle a baby so that his hands remain swaddle-free

The baby must be placed on a sheet so that its upper corner is higher than its armpits.

If you don’t want to dress your baby in a vest or sliders, then you can use two diapers, the bottom one should be made of cotton and the top one should be made of flannel fabric. When asked whether it is worth swaddling a baby, you need to answer that it depends on the individual character of the baby. If the child is hyperactive and is afraid of his movements, then he needs to be swaddled. And if the baby feels good in rompers and a blouse, then there is no need to use wrapping.

Almost every new mother, especially if her first child was born, wonders how to properly swaddle a newborn baby. A nurse should teach this simple matter in the maternity hospital. But if this did not happen, or the knowledge is a little forgotten, then this article is for you. (At the end of the article there is a selection of video instructions)

Before you start swaddling ( ), you must ensure that you are using clean, washed and ironed diapers. Some unscrupulous mothers continue to use a diaper after the baby has urinated on it. No need to do this! Such an irresponsible attitude towards the child threatens the development of dermatitis and dermatitis, which cause the baby suffering and considerable discomfort.

You need to iron the diaper on both sides. It’s good if you have a steamer - you will save time, and the diaper will be soft and pleasant to touch for the child. If there is no steamer, then when ironing with a regular iron, spray the diaper with water so that it does not become overdried and hard.

You can swaddle your baby wherever it is convenient for you - on the changing table, on the sofa, on the bed.

Remember - under no circumstances leave the baby alone on the changing table, even for a minute - he may turn around, fall from a height and injure himself. Be careful. If you urgently need to go to another room, take the time to put your baby in the crib.

So, how to swaddle a newborn baby.

Swaddling

First of all, make sure that the baby is clean, if necessary, wash the baby and put a clean diaper on him. If you don't use disposable diapers, you can make diapers out of gauze and place them under your baby's bottom. In this case, the diapers will become dirty more often, so purchase at least 20 of them in advance.

If it’s a cold season and the room is cool, prepare two diapers at once for swaddling.

Note to moms!

Hello girls) I didn’t think that the problem of stretch marks would affect me too, and I’ll also write about it))) But there’s nowhere to go, so I’m writing here: How did I get rid of stretch marks after childbirth? I will be very glad if my method helps you too...

We begin the swaddling itself. Spread the diaper on the surface of the changing table or bed. Place the baby carefully in the center of the diaper, the baby's head should be higher than the edge of the diaper. Press the baby's right hand to the body, wrap the right corner of the diaper diagonally. The edge of the diaper should go behind the baby's back. Then we press the left handle, and similarly wrap the left edge of the diaper. We still have a “tail” below. We also fold the edges one by one under the baby and secure them in the resulting side pocket. All!

If it’s cold, then wrap the baby wrapped in one diaper in a second diaper according to the principle described above, the only difference will be that the baby’s hands are already hidden and do not need to be pressed.

During the hot season, the baby can be swaddled with open arms, using the free swaddling method. In this case, the child’s arms should be above the edge of the diaper, and wrapping the edges follows the same principle as simple swaddling.

A baby wrapped in a diaper should feel comfortable. If he is clearly unhappy, and even when carried in your arms you cannot calm him down, check whether the folds in the diaper are bothering him or whether you swaddled him too tightly.

You can get used to swaddling a baby after a couple of training sessions, then the process will be automatic for you. The main thing is to be confident in your abilities, and success will not keep you waiting!

We also read:

By the way, for mommies (and daddies) who don’t know how to swaddle at all, there are special Summer infant swaddleme swaddling envelopes, here we wrote a short review of envelopes —

Well, watch the video about what kind of envelopes these are:

Video instructions - learning to swaddle correctly

A little humor - swaddling in the style of Batman 🙂

There are many conflicting opinions about the need to swaddle newborn babies. In modern maternity hospitals, neonatologists and pediatricians are increasingly recommending that parents teach their children to do without diapers from the first days of life, while strict grandparents, on the contrary, insist on mandatory swaddling. In any case, the question of whether a newborn child needs to be swaddled should be decided exclusively by his parents, taking into account the individual characteristics of the little family member.

Two basic techniques for swaddling small babies

1. Full swaddling. This type of swaddling is also called swaddling with handles. With it, the baby is swaddled completely, only the head remains free.
2. Incomplete or loose swaddling. In this case, only the newborn’s legs are swaddled, and the arms remain free.

The swaddling process is carried out before each feeding on a special changing table. If there is no such thing at home, then you can use a regular table or parent’s bed. The main thing is that the surface is smooth and moderately hard.

Both the baby’s clothes and the diapers used must be clean and ironed on both sides. Since children's skin is extremely sensitive, undershirts and rompers in the first months of the baby's life should be made exclusively of cotton fabric. Thin baby diapers can be made of chintz or calico, and warm ones can be made of flannel or flannel.

Before we move on to a direct description of swaddling methods, let's look at how to carry out this process without causing discomfort to the baby.

The most common mistakes when swaddling

• The swaddling is too tight or too loose. In the first case, circulatory disorders and muscle underdevelopment of the child are possible. In the second, the baby will simply quickly turn around and will have to be swaddled again.

• Many people believe that swaddling can help straighten a baby's legs. Alas, this is not true. The shape of the legs (as well as the entire human body) is genetically determined and swaddling cannot correct defects. But when the child grows up, physical education will help strengthen the muscular system and eliminate some figure flaws.

• Putting on several baby vests and onesies before swaddling to keep the baby warmer. Such a “set” of things will only contribute to overheating of the child, and.

Thus, young parents should independently decide when and why to swaddle their newborn baby in order to create for him comfortable living conditions that promote the active growth and proper development of the little person.

And now we directly invite you to familiarize yourself with several methods of swaddling, and the photos will clearly demonstrate this process.

Full swaddling

Full swaddling significantly limits the baby's motor activity. It is recommended for use in the first months of a child’s life, when involuntary movements of the arms and legs predominate, and the baby cannot coordinate their work. Very often, the chaotic movement of the hands does not help the baby. This type of swaddling can be done in two ways.

Method 1:

1) Before swaddling a newborn, a light diaper is placed on top of a warm one.

2) The baby is dressed and put on a diaper.

3) The baby is placed on prepared diapers.

4) The left edge of the diaper is wrapped around the baby, passing it under the right arm, and tucked behind the back.

5) Then the baby is wrapped with the right edge of the diaper.

6) The lower edge of the diaper is straightened and raised to the level of the children's elbows.

7) The baby is wrapped with a raised diaper edge and secured.

Method II.

The essence of this method of swaddling is to form a kind of scarf for the baby from the diaper.

1) Before swaddling, the top thin diaper is placed on top of the warm one, not strictly along the edge, but a little higher.

2) The baby is placed on the prepared diapers so that the top edge of the light diaper is higher than the level of the baby’s head.

3) A scarf is formed from a light diaper by tucking it on both sides at the level of the child’s temple.

4) The left edge of the light diaper is wrapped around the baby, passing it under the right arm, and tucked behind the back.

5) Then the right edge of the diaper is wrapped around the baby.

6) After this, alternately the left and right edges of a warm diaper are wrapped around the newborn.

7) The lower edge of the warm diaper is straightened, lifted and fixed similarly to the first method.

Free swaddling

If a baby with fixed arms feels uncomfortable, then in such a situation it is worth trying to swaddle him in a loose way, leaving the arms open.

1) Before swaddling your baby, you should prepare thin and warm diapers and place them one on top of the other. In this case, the flannelette diaper should be on the bottom, and the calico diaper on top.

2) The baby is dressed in a vest with closed sleeves, put on a diaper and placed on prepared diapers.

3) The left edge of the diaper, starting from the armpit, is wrapped around the baby’s chest and tucked behind the back under the right arm.

4) Then the right edge of the diaper is wrapped around the baby from the right armpit and placed behind the back under the left arm.

5) Straighten the bottom edge of the diaper, lift it, wrap it around the baby at waist level and secure it in the usual way.

How to make a cloth diaper?

Currently, almost all young mothers use diapers of the “diaper” type, but not many know that a baby diaper can be made with your own hands from cotton fabric or gauze, just as our mothers and grandmothers did. Of course, with this method we cannot avoid wet diapers, but we will avoid diaper rash, which often occurs after diapers.

How to make a cloth diaper yourself:

1) Fold the diaper or gauze into a scarf.

2) Place the baby on the prepared diaper so that the top of the “kerchief” (right angle) is between the legs, and its longest side is at waist level.

3) The right corner of the diaper is lifted up, covering the newborn’s perineum with it.

4) The sharp edges are alternately wrapped left and right around the tummy at waist level and secured.

And more articles on the topic:

Comments (13) -

At first I tried to swaddle, but after unsuccessful attempts I gave up on the whole thing. The only thing was that she covered the child’s hands only for sleep. I am against swaddling, especially since now there are wonderful and comfortable clothes for babies - little men. But every mother decides for herself what to do with her child.

I never mastered the art of swaddling, but I can forgive it. Although I tried it and it worked a little. It seems to me that swaddling can be done at a very early age, and then it is more convenient for everyone, especially dads, to wear regular undershirts and onesies, which everyone can handle.

Our ancestors swaddled children because there were no other clothing options for newborns. Diapers are cheap and cheerful, and, most importantly, universal, which is what they tried to reduce everything to in the USSR.
Forced swaddling in the maternity hospital did not cause me anything but discomfort and inconvenience. The baby was just born, there are so many new, unknown things, a lot to learn - my head is spinning... and here are the uncomfortable, incomprehensible diapers - to the point of tears ((I didn’t consciously learn to swaddle in advance, because I knew that after discharge from the maternity hospital, the diapers would only be used to cover -cover-get wet.

In Israel, it is strictly forbidden to swaddle, there are a lot of children in our family (and I recently gave birth), but no one swaddled, I think that this hinders the baby’s movements and this is unnecessary! Indeed, in the USSR it was a problem to find clothes for a child and there were no disposable diapers; now diapers are not relevant!

I swaddled my eldest son, but not for long. In the maternity hospital I tried to swaddle her like a soldier, but in the house there was free swaddling. I didn’t swaddle my youngest daughter at all.

I swaddled the baby only for the first month of his life, because, moving his arms and legs, he could not fall asleep for a long time.
Then, when the time of wakefulness increased, there was no need to put him to sleep in this way: after ringing the rattles, the little man sweetly fell asleep on his own.

And I always swaddled my baby, fell asleep faster and slept more peacefully. And I did it like in the first method. Yes, and dad took his son in his arms more boldly when he didn’t wave his arms and legs).

Definitely no one uses the second method of swaddling the head anymore. Some mothers use wide swaddling, but more often do without it.

I have two children. I swaddled both of them at one time, otherwise they slept restlessly and woke up constantly. And naughty hands are to blame for everything, which kept waking up the kids. At first I used full swaddling (the first method), and when they grew up a little, I simply fixed the arms with a diaper and left the legs free. But over time, my babies learned to free their hands during sleep, and so gradually we completely calmly weaned ourselves from diapers. So I don't see any harm in swaddling.

Thank you very much for the forgotten science.
no matter how many little people are at hand, sometimes there will be a need to swaddle the child. but there is no one to ask.

But I now live in the states and, oddly enough, swaddling is encouraged here. At first, I also thought that since my little one protests so much, it means I don’t like it and don’t need it. But he simply refused to breastfeed if his hands were free, and he beat himself, scratching and simply tearing my breasts into pieces. A very restless baby: at 2 weeks he could jump and roll over from his back to his stomach. So I'm swaddling tightly for now, we'll see.

In the maternity hospital they swaddled me to the fullest. But at home it turned out that we really needed hands. We groaned, snotted, did not sleep and everyone tried to take them out. After this, they began to use loose swaddling. We put our hands under our chin or raise them up and it’s very comfortable for us)))

Who knows what the size of a do-it-yourself diaper is?

When we talk about newborns, the image of a cute little bag carefully wrapped in a diaper immediately appears in our heads. Indeed, until quite recently, it was customary to swaddle babies in a set of a diaper and a blanket, or only in a diaper.

How justified this is in our time, when a lot of cute clothes for little ones have appeared, we will discuss below. However, to this day, many mothers and nurses in the maternity hospital are accustomed to wrapping a newborn “the old fashioned way.”

What are the benefits of swaddling for babies and parents?

During his time in the mother's womb, the baby has become accustomed to limited space, and therefore at first he may experience discomfort from the new freedom of movement, and swaddling will help him adapt gradually.

In addition, as practice shows, babies in diapers often fall asleep faster and sleep more peacefully than in diapers.

With sufficient skill, parents can change their baby's diapers to clean ones much faster and easier than changing blouses and pants. At the same time, using a diaper in infancy helps mom and dad save a lot on diapers, which, you see, is a powerful argument in our time.

What is it like?

If our great-grandmothers made do with one type of swaddling - now it is called tight - using a swaddle for this, then modern children are swaddled in different ways: freely, selectively (leaving arms or legs free) and even in a special orthopedic way.

Tight (classic, soldier, column)

Tight swaddling is now used quite rarely; the child needs to be left a little freedom. However, the basic principle remains the same - the diaper completely covers both the baby’s arms and legs. This method is called simple or classic swaddling.

Free

Depending on the mother’s need or desire, the baby can be swaddled freely, leaving room for the legs to move, or even leaving the arms free.

With your head

You can swaddle the baby completely, with his head. If the room where the child is is cool, this can be very convenient. Especially if the baby is not very good at putting on a hat.

We offer an algorithm of actions that will help you swaddle your newborn easily and, most importantly, correctly.

What is needed for swaddling?

1. Diapers (in hot weather, one thin diaper is enough; in cool weather, a warm, soft flannel diaper is also placed under a thin diaper).
2. Pampers or disposable diaper.
3. Any product you choose that you use to treat your baby’s skin under the diaper (oil, cream or powder).
4. Convenient place for changing.

Is a changing table required?

It is convenient to swaddle your baby on a special changing table. As a rule, it is simply a flat table with a shelf for storing care products.

This table, of course, is very convenient because it has sides to protect the baby, and also allows the mother not to bend over the child too much, easing the load on her back.

However, its presence is not at all necessary. It is quite possible to swaddle your baby both on the bed and on the sofa.

• An important point when swaddling is to ensure that the baby’s neck and chest are not pulled too tightly.
• Never leave a swaddled baby on your stomach, as this can lead to suffocation.
• You should not wrap your baby in a diaper after 3 months, let him move more. If desired, you can leave swaddling only for nighttime sleep.

And most importantly: never leave your child on the sofa or table unattended! If you need to leave for something, be sure to transfer the baby to his crib. It's better to be safe than sorry!

How to prepare your baby before swaddling?

You can wrap your baby in a diaper only after following standard hygiene procedures:

1. The child needs to be washed and dried thoroughly.
2. Before wrapping the baby in diapers, put on a diaper or gauze diaper.
3. Having carefully blotted the skin, treat it under the diaper with oil, baby cream or talcum powder to prevent diaper rash from forming.

How to make a diaper from gauze?

In order to save money when swaddling a baby, you can use gauze diapers rather than ready-made disposable diapers. How to build it is clearly demonstrated by the following diagram in pictures:

How to properly disinfect diapers?

After washing, it is highly advisable to iron diapers for a newborn on both sides with a hot iron. If possible, it is better to use a steamer. Then the fabric will not only be disinfected, but will also become softer.

If you don’t have such a device, you can simply spray water on the fabric while ironing.

Let's get down to business: step-by-step instructions

Previously, even kindergarten children, playing at being daughters and mothers, deftly wrapped dolls in rags, copying their mother’s movements. If you didn’t swaddle toys as a child or are not sure that you know how to do it correctly, we will try to tell and show everything.

Full swaddling

1. Spread the diaper horizontally on a flat surface. We wrap the top part a little.
2. We put the baby on the diaper in the middle. One handle can be wrapped in the folded part of the diaper. We fold one part of the diaper onto the opposite side of the baby, tucking the edge slightly under the side. The edge of the diaper goes behind the baby's back.
3. Now we take the second part of the diaper and also fold it under the opposite side of the child.
4. Now the top of the baby is completely covered, including the hangers.
5. We bend the lower part of the diaper forward, covering the baby’s legs. We straighten the diaper and wrap its ends under the top edge of the lapel.

For a better understanding, we offer instructions in pictures:

This method of swaddling is shown in as much detail as possible in the following video clip (video from the maternity hospital):

Free

The principle of loose swaddling is the same as tight swaddling. The only difference: it is performed without strong tension on the diaper, as a result, the baby’s legs and arms remain practically free. In addition, you can swaddle only the baby’s arms or just the baby’s legs in this way.

All actions are performed in the same way as with full swaddling - first one edge is folded, then the other, and finally the lower part is raised and wrapped under the armpits.

Swaddling without handles

If desired, the child can be swaddled only the lower part of the body. In this case, they put a vest or blouse on him, and place him on a diaper not at the level of the neck and shoulders, but at the level of the armpits.

With your head

The algorithm for swaddling a baby's head is as follows:

1. The baby is placed diagonally on a diaper or blanket, so that one of the corners is above the baby's head.
2. The corner is wrapped around the head, imitating a hat or cap.
3. Take turns wrapping one side, the bottom corner, and the other side, as in classic swaddling.

This method is demonstrated in even more detail in the following video:

Wide swaddling: why and how?

Wide swaddling is a means of preventing and even treating congenital dislocation and subluxation of the hip, if it is diagnosed early. In newborn babies, the femoral head easily falls into place if the legs are in the correct position.

When treating congenital dislocation of the hip, special panties are used during swaddling or a folded diaper is simply placed between the legs.

This is done to ensure that the legs are constantly in an extended position. The instructions for wide swaddling are quite simple - the main thing is to leave the baby's legs in a free position.

The essence of this type of swaddling is that the baby is wrapped in a swaddle only halfway and in the usual physiological position - with legs bent and spread apart. That is, the diaper in the hip area is not tightened tightly, but remains in a loose position.

The sequence of wide swaddling is the same as direct swaddling:

1. The child is placed on a diaper, one edge is bent to the opposite side diagonally, fixing it under the handle.
2. Fold the second side of the diaper, leaving the lower part wide and free.
3. The lower part of the diaper is lifted and wrapped around the child’s waist, making sure that the legs are in a completely free position.

Pros and cons of swaddling babies

Curvature of the legs: fact or fiction?

The idea of ​​our ancestors that using tight swaddling can provide a child with slender, even legs is currently untenable. Therefore, pediatricians strongly do not recommend swaddling the baby in this way.

Tight swaddling negatively affects the physiological and emotional development of the child, resulting in problems in the respiratory and nervous systems, the gastrointestinal tract and being one of the causes of rickets.

Simple anxiety or central nervous system problems?

Swaddling “with arms” can provide significant assistance to the baby and parents when going to bed. Indeed, sometimes it happens that children cannot fall asleep, since the chaotic waving of their hands frightens them and wakes them up.

However, sometimes these problems can hide disturbances in the functioning of the child’s nervous system, so it is better not only to swaddle the child for sleep, but also to consult a doctor with the corresponding question.

Simplicity and savings or muscle tone?

As we have already said, after practicing a couple of times, you can swaddle your baby very quickly and deftly. So in some cases this is the easiest and fastest way to dress a child. In addition, let's not forget about saving. Indeed, for the first couple of months the baby is quite comfortable in diapers.

On the other hand, by dressing the baby in pants and a blouse, parents provide him with maximum freedom to move. And we know that any movement improves muscle development and tone.

And, in the end, all these baby clothes are so beautiful! Maybe you shouldn't deny yourself pleasure? By the way, perhaps this is how parents instill good taste in their children from a very early age?

Whether you swaddle your child or dress him in pants and blouses from birth is up to you, the parents, to decide. The main thing is that both you and the baby feel comfortable and comfortable.