Swaddling your baby has many positive health effects. It protects them from startling themselves. It keeps them from scratching their faces. It mimics your touch and the embrace of the womb, thus soothing anxiety.
But if you’re a new parent — or you’ve recently decided to give swaddling a try — it can be quite difficult to secure a squirming, fussy infant!
Luckily, these baby swaddling techniques will help make it easy, ensuring a better night’s rest for both you and your baby. Read on for three of the best baby swaddling techniques, based on the age and size of your little one.
1. Hands Up
For the youngest babies, you want to avoid stretching their limbs before they’re ready. The hands up swaddle keeps their arms comfortably near their face, and their legs in a frog position until they’re ready for a new position.
To achieve this technique:
- On a flat surface, fold the top corner of the blanket down from the length of your baby’s body — from neck to bottom — creating a triangle shape.
- Tuck one of your baby’s hands under the fold you just created, wrap that side across their body, and tuck the blanket underneath them.
- Fold up the bottom of the blanket, tucking the tip into the top. This should give your baby enough room to move their legs around.
- Tuck your baby’s other hand under the fold and bring that side of the blanket across the body. You should see a “V” shape at the front of the swaddle.
- Wrap the other side all the way under, tucking the corner into the front of the swaddle.
Not sure what kind of blanket to use? Generally, it should be big enough to cover the entirety of your baby’s body. Most 43″ x 43″ blankets will do the trick. However, there are also benefits of using custom-made swaddles to ensure a snug fit.
2. The Burrito
Similar to the “hands up” technique, the burrito is a bit simpler and works for larger babies — and larger blankets.
Start as you did with the previous technique, except this time, only fold the top corner down about 4 inches. This should give you a diamond shape instead of a triangle. Your baby’s neck should be just above the top line of the diamond.
The wrapping process will be the same as the hands up technique. Tuck one arm under the fold and bring the blanket across that side of the body, tucking the end under that side.
Before wrapping the other side, tuck the bottom of the blanket into the top right side of the fold.
With this technique, you can either keep your baby’s arms near their shoulders or tuck the swaddle under the armpits for older babies.
3. The Simple Swaddle
As your baby grows and develops their motor skills, you’ll notice them flailing their arms a lot more. Similar to the above techniques, the simple swaddle is essentially the same, but it keeps your baby’s arms at their sides.
Start as you did with the burrito. This time, fold the top corner of the blanket about a hand-length down, keeping your baby’s neck near the top line of the diamond.
Instead of tucking your baby’s arms into the folds, you’ll simply bring one side of the blanket across their body and tuck underneath. You will do this for both sides before bringing the bottom of the blanket up and tucking it into the top.
Alternatively, you could tuck the bottom of each side underneath your baby instead of tucking the front into the top.
Looking for More Baby Swaddling Techniques?
The right baby swaddling techniques will depend on the size and age of your little one, as well as their preferences. If your baby doesn’t like the swaddle, try tightening or loosening it. If they’re still fussy, it might be time to move on to the next technique.
Swaddling is not a cure-all for your baby’s fussiness. But, if done correctly, it can help calm them down when it seems like nothing else is working.
If you found this article helpful, be sure to check out our parenting section for more helpful tips!
