In this article
One of the most important things a new mom can learn is how to swaddle a baby. You may be wondering why it’s so important to know this skill, and what happens if the baby hates to be swaddled? It’s important because there is magic in that burrito swaddle. There is something soothing and calming to babies about being wrapped tightly and securely with love.
What do you do if your newborn baby hates being swaddled? Well, the truth is not all babies like to be swaddled, at least not in the traditional way. Often, when a baby resists swaddling, you just need to try a new technique. Generally, newborn babies respond well to the pleasant warmth and comforting feeling of being swaddled.
The first thing you need to do if your baby hates to be swaddled, is to make sure you’re doing it correctly. Here are a few swaddling tips.
How to swaddle your baby
- Lie a blanket down on the floor/bed.
- Fold down one corner.
- Lay the baby down on the blanket, with their head above the fold.
- Wrap one side of the blanket across the baby’s body, arm at baby’s side.
- Tuck the blanket underneath the baby.
- Fold the blanket corner at bottom, up toward the baby’s chest.
- Make sure the baby’s legs can move freely and that the baby is not wrapped too tightly.
- Wrap the last remaining side of the blanket across the baby’s body.
- Tuck blanket under the baby.
- Voilà! Your baby is swaddled!
An important thing to remember: Once the baby can roll over, you shouldn’t swaddle them.
Set the swaddling mood
My girls loved being swaddled after a warm bath. Just like we like to be cozy and relaxed at the end of a long day, babies do, too. Try massaging the baby with lavender baby lotion. Play some relaxing music, use a white noise machine, and employ your most soothing mommy voice.
Swaddle earlier
Do not wait until they’re overtired to try to swaddle your newborn. An overtired baby is a cranky one, and trying to wrap them in a swaddle may prove torturous to both you and your baby.
Take cues from your baby. I knew my girls would go down for a nap around 9 a.m. and then again around 2 p.m., so I would start the decompressing and swaddling about a half-hour before they were full tilt exhausted. This helped them relax and fall asleep peacefully rather than fighting sleep and making us both cry.
Alternatives to traditional swaddling
If baby is really not responding well to being swaddled, just try another swaddling technique.
“My son hated being swaddled in his blanket, so out of pure desperation I used my husband’s old T-shirt and it worked,” mom Bertha Tuskan told Mom.com. “I never used anything else ever again.”
It’s that simple. Don’t overcommit to anything that isn’t working. There’s no reason to stress you or the baby out. Try swaddling with their arms out of the swaddle. Try swaddling with only one of the baby’s arms wrapped. Try swaddling with one foot out. Who doesn’t like a foot out? Just that little bit of freedom can sometimes make the difference between a newborn feeling safe and feeling trapped.
If your baby still seems frustrated, try a different wrapping technique or a different swaddling blanket material. Maybe they’re hot or too cold. Each baby is different. Do whatever makes your baby happiest.
Dr. Nicole Brunette of Indiana has a method she used on her two girls. “If all else fails to console your swaddled baby, try adding gentle, bouncing movements along with swaddling,” she advises. “The bounce always seemed to work on my girls so well. In fact, I still find myself doing that bounce whenever I’m standing still.”
What to do when swaddling isn’t working
Try other techniques to comfort and relax your newborn, if swaddling is not working. The most important thing is that baby is getting enough sleep. If your baby is not getting comfort from it, maybe swaddling is not for your baby. Consider switching to a breathable muslin or a baby sleeping bag/ wearable baby blanket.
Some babies just never like being swaddled tightly. Maybe it’s the restriction or the temperature. If you suspect it’s either of these, muslin is more breathable and the baby sleeping blanket gives your baby more freedom of movement.
What are your best tips for swaddling your newborn?
