Dos and Don'ts of a Baby Swaddle Blanket

Swaddling is an age-old practice of comfortably wrapping your baby in a thin blanket or sheet making him feel cozy and secure. Many mums swaddle their babies to provide them a good nap. The soft material blanket ensures complete protection against the wind and helps to prevent overheating when babies sleep on their back. The right time to stop swaddling varies from child to child but usually stops around the 3-month-old mark. 

 It is completely your choice whether or not you wish to swaddle your baby but it acts as a way of helping your baby feel more serene and calm.

There are certain approaches to be taken into consideration when you make a purchase decision of swaddle blanket for your lil’ one. The essentiality that a swaddle blanket offers is safety and comfort that benefits both: Baby and the parents.

Let’s take a peek into the dos and don’ts of a baby swaddle blanket:  

 DOS:

-      Ensure that you go for a superior quality, organic cotton blanket: Don’t try to save your hard-earned money by buying something that is cheap in quality. Poor quality swaddle blankets will make your baby’s skin itch & there are high chances of rashes on that sensitive baby skin. Ensure purchasing blankets of superior quality made of organic materials and water-based dyes & ink to treat your child’s skin with care. 

-      Master the art of swaddling:
These are some essentials to swaddling
A) Make use of a flat surface, like a bed or changing table.
B) Let your baby face upward during the process.
C) Let the pleats be neat as even slightest mistake might cause disturbance.
D) Ensure that your baby can make movement & that the blanket isn’t too tight.

-      Proper Temperature setting: It is essential to check the temperature frequently to ensure that your baby is comfortable. The idea of swaddling lies in keeping the baby secure with proper warmth and comfort.

-      Ensure that your baby is in safe hands: If you have a nanny for your lil’ one, see to it that she knows how to swaddle your baby correctly.
 

-      Watch if your baby is giving you sweaty and tiring signals: Check more often if your baby has a heat rash, sweats uncontrollably and is breathing rapidly. These are signals to remove the swaddle blanket and watch for your baby to cool down a little.     

DONT'S:

-      Don’t swaddle your baby too tight: It becomes necessary to master the swaddling skill as wrong swaddling like pinning down your baby’s legs in a fully straight position can increase chances of hip dysplasia. Wrapping the baby too tightly can disturb the blood circulation and cause overheating causing serious medical issues. It is always better to learn swaddling from a nurse or midwife to avoid any future health risks.

Don’t swaddle your baby too loosely: If you don’t swaddle your newborn tight enough, he can slither his way free from the baby swaddleblanket. The method will be of no use if incorrect swaddling is into picture. On the other hand, lose swaddling can increase risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) that causes accidental suffocation if swaddled incorrectly.

                 The key is to let your baby feel comfortable and safe.