No Result
View All Result
BellyBelly
  • Home
  • Getting Pregnant
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Articles
    • Pregnancy Week By Week
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Pregnancy Calculator
  • Birth
  • New Mothers
  • Baby
    • Baby Articles
    • Baby Week By Week
    • Baby Sleep Articles
    • Your Baby’s Starsign
  • Breastfeeding
  • Toddler
  • Child
  • Men
  • Parenting
  • Health & Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Recipes & Cooking
    • Relationships
    • Family Travel
    • Men
  • Home
  • Getting Pregnant
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Articles
    • Pregnancy Week By Week
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Pregnancy Calculator
  • Birth
  • New Mothers
  • Baby
    • Baby Articles
    • Baby Week By Week
    • Baby Sleep Articles
    • Your Baby’s Starsign
  • Breastfeeding
  • Toddler
  • Child
  • Men
  • Parenting
  • Health & Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Recipes & Cooking
    • Relationships
    • Family Travel
    • Men
No Result
View All Result
BellyBelly
No Result
View All Result
Home Baby

How To Swaddle A Baby: A Step By Step Video

by Kelly Winder
Last updated December 20, 2020
Reading Time: 3 min
How To Swaddle A Baby: A Step By Step Video

Ready to learn how to swaddle a baby?

Swaddling babies is the practice of wrapping babies from the shoulders down in a blanket.

Many parents want to learn how to swaddle their babies, because at first glance, it certainly looks like origami!

But rest assured, you too can become a swaddling pro.

The idea is to calm the baby by creating a restrictive environment similar to the one they experienced in utero.

Some people believe it may help babies to settle, and allow them to feel safe.

Swaddling was traditionally used in a number of cultures, but fell out of favour when the link between hip dysplasia was first identified.

Swaddling has recently come back into fashion as a way of calming colicky and unsettled babies, which has led to an increased need for raised awareness of safe swaddling practices.

Most experts recommend stopping by the time your baby is two months old.

This is because it’s around this time when babies start to roll over.

A baby sleeping on his or her front in a swaddling position can be dangerous.

So, here’s how to swaddle a baby!

How To Swaddle A Baby – Step By Step

The below video will teach you how to swaddle a baby – safely. There are safe and unsafe ways to swaddle a baby.

Below the video, you’ll find more safe swaddling tips.

Swaddling And Hip Dysplasia

Newborn babies naturally adopt a ‘frog’ position, with their knees bent and their hips open.

This position is thought to aid the optimum development of the ball and socket hip joints. Hip healthy swaddling is thought to encourage healthy development.

Traditionally, however, swaddling meant tightly wrapping a baby’s legs into an unnatural position.

The legs would usually be extended and together when wrapped, meaning the baby’s hip sockets were in an unnatural development.

It soon became apparent that this practice was increasing the risk of hip dysplasia developing.

The International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI) state that “Swaddling infants with the hips and knees in an extended position increases the risk of hip dysplasia and dislocation. It is the recommendation of the IHDI that infant hips should be positioned in slight flexion and abduction during swaddling. The knees should also be maintained in slight flexion. Additional free movement in the direction of hip flexion and abduction may have some benefit.”

For more information on swaddling and hip dysplasia, visit the International Hip Dysplasia Institute.

5 Tips For Safe Swaddling

To safely swaddle your baby, allowing for natural hip positioning, you could try the diamond method detailed below:

1. Place a blanket on the floor in a diamond shape.
2. Fold the top corner down, and lie your baby with his shoulders across the flat edge.
3. Draw one top corner across your baby, and tuck it under his bottom.
4. Draw the bottom corner up gently and tuck it in. Your baby should be able to keep his legs in the fetal position, rather than having them in an unnatural extended position.
5. Draw the remaining corner across your baby, and tuck it in near your baby’s neck.

To Swaddle Or Not To Swaddle?

Tightly swaddling your baby can not only lead to hip dysplasia, but overheating if excessive blankets are used.

Overheating can increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Some healthcare professionals warn against swaddling because of the apparent risks, but others are happy to recommend safe swaddling as it is believed that this can reduce the risks.

Like anything related to parenting, do what works for you, but always follow safety guidelines.

Previous Post

12 Things Mothers Really Do When Baby Sleeps

Next Post

An Open Letter To Dr Carr-Gregg – Aussie Parents Are Not ‘Crap’

Kelly Winder

Kelly Winder is the Founder and Content Director at BellyBelly. She's also a writer, doula (since 2005), and a mother to three awesome children. Kelly is passionate about helping parents and parents-to-be to feel more confident and informed about all things pregnancy, birth and parenting. Her other loves include travel, tea, travel, and animal rights and welfare. And travel.

Next Post
An Open Letter To Dr Carr-Gregg – Aussie Parents Are Not ‘Crap’

An Open Letter To Dr Carr-Gregg - Aussie Parents Are Not 'Crap'

Recommended

hard spot in my abdomen

Hard Spot In My Abdomen – Is It Baby?

Last updated January 11, 2021
evening primrose oil to induce labour

Evening Primrose Oil To Induce Labour – Does It Work?

Last updated January 11, 2021
static electric shock while pregnant

Static Electric Shock While Pregnant

Last updated January 8, 2021

Trending

how to conceive a boy

How To Conceive A Boy – 6 Expert Tips to Have A Baby Boy

Last updated January 20, 2021
conceive a girl

How To Conceive A Girl – 9 Tips To Conceive A Baby Girl

Last updated January 20, 2021
cervix dilation

Cervix Dilation – 9 Signs You’re Dilating

Last updated January 20, 2021
BellyBelly

We’re passionate about women and men feeling informed, confident and prepared for pregnancy, birth and early parenting.

  • Home
  • Getting Pregnant
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Articles
    • Pregnancy Week By Week
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Pregnancy Calculator
  • Birth
  • New Mothers
  • Baby
    • Baby Articles
    • Baby Week By Week
    • Baby Sleep Articles
    • Your Baby’s Starsign
  • Breastfeeding
  • Toddler
  • Child
  • Men
  • Parenting
  • Health & Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Recipes & Cooking
    • Relationships
    • Family Travel
    • Men
  • Pregnancy Symptoms
  • Pregnancy Week by Week
  • Baby Week by Week

OUR NETWORK


  • bellybelly.com.au

  • www.aroundtheworldpluskids.com.au

  • www.doula-training.com.au
  • About
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise

© Copyright 2002–2021 BellyBelly, All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Getting Pregnant
  • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Articles
    • Pregnancy Week By Week
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Pregnancy Calculator
  • Birth
  • New Mothers
  • Baby
    • Baby Articles
    • Baby Week By Week
    • Baby Sleep Articles
    • Your Baby’s Starsign
  • Breastfeeding
  • Toddler
  • Child
  • Men
  • Parenting
  • Health & Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Recipes & Cooking
    • Relationships
    • Family Travel
    • Men

© Copyright 2002–2021 BellyBelly, All Rights Reserved.