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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

swaddling - good idea in summer?

26 replies

miniegg · 16/07/2007 10:47

hello everyone
i wasn't sure which section to put this question in, as the parenting boards all seem to be about older children, rather than tiny babies!
can anyone advise on swaddling a newborn-is it a good idea in this warm weather? What do babies wear under the swaddle? just a nappy, or a little sleepsuit?
my baby is due tomorrow - I am a first timer. I have heard good things about swaddling but i'm a bit nervous the baby might overheat.
thanks in advance and sorry if this question is in the wrong place...

OP posts:

Wisteria · 16/07/2007 10:51

do people still swaddle at all?

bananabump · 16/07/2007 10:52

Just wanted to say best of luck on the baby (mine's due in a fortnight) and I'll be watching this thread cos I've been wondering about this too!!

Wisteria · 16/07/2007 10:55

I know that I am out of touch probably as my dcs are 11 & 13 but I was under the impression that it was not good to swaddle at all and unnecessary, especially in the Summer.
Hope someone with more recent experience comes along for you both now - oh and good luck with your bambinos

ow82 · 16/07/2007 10:55

I swaddled my son last summer - he had a nappy and a very thin summer blanket - no more than a sheet really. all windows were open, and a fan was on in high summer. once he was asleep we did unswaddle his arms and take the sheet off thou. hth. (mine was 5 months at the time so it was a bit easier to do)

marymoocow · 16/07/2007 10:55

my dd ( i seem to posting alot about her today ) was a summer baby, and loved to be swaddled. It was the only way i could get her to sleep. Depending on the temperature of the day she would have a vest snd sleepsuit on and then wrapped in a cotton sheet, or if it was a bit chillier she would have a crotched blanked instead. Obviously if we ever get any warm days then you could just go with the vests and cotton sheet. You will get to know if your baby feels too hot.
Good luck and enjoy

ow82 · 16/07/2007 10:55

wisteria - I was told to swaddle DS straight away he was born end last feb.

Wisteria · 16/07/2007 10:57

, we were told that it led to overheating and possible cot death! God just as well I 've found this site before I embark on JuniorWisty 3&4!

youpeskykids · 16/07/2007 11:02

Both my Dss LOVED being swaddled - DS1 was born in November so put him in his usual all-in-one sleep suits and used a slightly thicker blanket (his room was also quite cold). DS2 born in March also loves being swaddled, but because the weather is warmer and his room is slightly warmer, we use a think cellular blanket to swaddle him in.

youpeskykids · 16/07/2007 11:03

OMG - my post looks like I had 2 kids only 3 months apart! In fact, there is 3.4 years between them - just for the avoidance of doubt!

Original poster

miniegg · 16/07/2007 11:11

thanks everyone - and hoping for more posts on this. some childcare gurus seem to be big on swaddling, which is where I got the idea from..

OP posts:

marymoocow · 16/07/2007 11:17

Would just like to add that neither of my ds would entertain the idea of being swaddled (not sure i actually had time to for ds2, being the third ), but ds1 loved to wave his arms around too much. A growbag was good for him (not the tomato variety of course)

theprecious · 16/07/2007 11:38

ds is 7 days old and we read Harvey Karp, and have been using his 5 S's. We've been swaddling in a light light wrap and although he wriggles like a good 'un he totally calms him down. Haven't swaddled the last couple of nights as it's been hot.

It's been good so far, and is also good in the day for keeping him calm and sleepy.

Washersaurus · 16/07/2007 11:56

My DS was born in the super-hot summer of 2005 and he was swaddled for every nap because he had such a dramatic moro reflex it was the only way we could stop him from waking himself up!

On a really hot night we would just use a muslin to swaddle him, but usually just a sheet.

As long as you adjust the number of clothing layers, to ensure baby doesn't overheat, I can't see why swaddling would be a danger; infact it was my midwife that (thankfully) recommended it to use!

I'm a big Harvey Karp fan too btw

theprecious · 17/07/2007 10:06

and just to warn you that LO will scream like a fire engine whilst you are swaddling, and then shut up. best to get your dp to do it to begin with. I couldn't cope with the crying to do it properly!

Oblomov · 17/07/2007 10:27

Ds(3.5) loved to be swaddled. I was no good at it. But dh was an instant success.
Some babies just don't like it, but some, love the closeness / restrcition / womb like - ness of it. Just to warn you - don't force it if your baby doesn't seem to enjoy. I apppreciate it is very muggy at the moment. We used something very light to swaddle and had window adjar and sometimes even a fan. But he wasn't swaddled for that long anyway, becasue we moved him into a growbag.
I probably wouldn't have done it, if ds had screamed, like theprecious's ds - sounds terrible.
I was lead to believe that swaddling was HIGHLY recommendaed, at the moment ( everything goes round and round, there wasa time that talc was all the rage.
Hope that helps. Good luck.

juuule · 17/07/2007 10:28

I've swaddled all mine. Summer babies - either just a nappy or nappy and vest, swaddled with small cotton sheet. In fact, I used cotton sheets to swaddle regardless of season. The difference was in what they were wearing underneath. Mine didn't scream while I was swaddling - I got pretty quick at it and they were bundled up before they knew what was happening.

juuule · 17/07/2007 10:31

I also didn't realise it had gone out of fashion. My babies were born 1987, 90, 91,95,96,98,2000,2003, so spanning 16 years. I found the babies only complained if not swaddled securely. Last baby was born June,2003 and that was VERY hot.

juuule · 17/07/2007 10:32

Ooops missed one in 1992.

Notyummy · 17/07/2007 10:36

Another vote for the swaddling. We used the Miracle swaddling blanket, which is made of thincotton. We bought from Mothercare and it was FAB...and no, I don't work for the shop or the manufacturer! It can sometimes be hard to swaddle firmly with a sheet, and this is designed to make it easier. DD was born last July (hottest on record!) and we just had her in a nappy and the swaddle. You have to do it firmly for it to work, and it really helps...again, I found my dh was better at it at first as he wasn't as 'tentative' as me...but I soon got the hang of it. When she was about 16 weeks we swapped grdually over to a grobag, which is what we still use....she was quite happy with the change. FWIW, we never swaddled for daytime naps...I decided to leave it as a 'now its nighttime and I'm having my big sleep cue'. She'salways been a good sleeper...how much of that is luck and how much of it judgement I will never know...

Wisteria · 17/07/2007 10:37

juuule - that is true commitment for you.... I wonder why health advice seems to differ so much, even at the same times; my dds were 1993 & 1996.

Oblomov · 17/07/2007 11:01

giggle at notyummy's non-tentative dh. My dh was like that. I used to think, wow, let him breathe. But the tighter he did it, the more ds loved it and it never came undone.
DS was avery good sleeper and I pit that down to luck. Nothing I can claim.

Wisteria · 17/07/2007 11:06

Am now having crisis moment as I've remembered the argument I had with the great-gma over swaddling dd1 , seems she was right - she's 91 now and still knows it all. She had no problem sleeping though (dd1 not ggma!)

bollox! hate apologising......

juuule · 17/07/2007 11:41

Wisteria Maybe she's forgotten

Wisteria · 17/07/2007 14:54

I doubt it! She can't remember whether she ate lunch but she has no problem reminding me how rude I was to her when I was 15 and refused to wear a pair of gold lame bambi socks that she'd bought me (I was a Goth) .

bossykate · 17/07/2007 14:55

i have two july babies and swaddled neither of them - was too worried about them overheating.

hth.

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