Have the 'rules' about swaddling changed?

[IWillOnlyEatBeans]

When I had DS (about 2.7 yrs ago!) we were encouraged to swaddle him by the MWs in the hospital and we continued to do so for a few months at home as it really helped him to sleep.

DS2 is due in December and I was just wondering whether swaddling is still advised/recommended? I was watching the Midwives programme a few weeks ago and all parents who were swaddling were told not to (but no explanation was given as to why!)

Just wondering what I have missed...

I swaddled. Its about being sensible i either used a cotton cot sheet or muslin cloth and adjusted their clothing accordingly. also be careful not to swaddle their legs and hips too tight. their legs should still be in the froggy position.

I don't know about current advice but Elizabeth Pantley (of No Cry Sleep Solution fame) has been advising against swaddling for ages, specifically when co-sleeping, she says that anything which impedes the baby's natural responses (of which movement is one) has to be a risk factor when bedsharing.

Made sense to me anyway. DS was another baby who hated being swaddled.

This is really interesting. My dd, 18 mths, was swaddled by the midwives in hospital and then by us at home. She liked being as snug as a bug, however she was a big mover so got her arms out by a few weeks and we then swaddled from under her arms until she was big enough for the gro bag (which was quite a while as she was teeny weeny). I used the aden and annais light cotton blankets that we had been given as a gift (which I now buy for everyone who has a baby). We sometimes co-slept and would never have swaddled then, that just didnt seem right (but no idea why I thought that, intuition perhaps!)

Like others are saying, its how you interpert the guidlines and how many of the risk factors you are prepared to expose yourself to. When/if I have more dc I would definately do it again if baby was willing.

So is the whole fourth trimester thing out of fashion now then? Where does this leave the Baby Whisperer with the 5 "S" thing. Bet Harvey's well pissed off.... or maybe he can just write another book about how we should all definitely NOT swaddle and make a load more money. Cynical, moi?

DS is a year old and I swaddled him (at night) from the day he as born until 17 weeks when he got too big for his miracle blanket. He loved it and slept like a dream in his own crib.
I will swaddle with any subsequent babies as well if it helps them - I live in the Caribbean though and the hospitals automatically swaddle the baby and I don't think people tend to follow any guidelines here! I just used to put him in his nappy and then swaddle over the top of that, otherwise he'd be too hot.

I'm just not sure why anyone in their right mind would swaddle a baby's head though?