To swaddle it not to swaddle, that is my question...

[BexGershon]

I have a wonderful 3 week old baby girl.
I have been swaddling her from the day she came home from hospital and she loves it. She sleeps from 11pm-6am and obviously though out most if the day and She hardly ever cries when I put her down.
Most of my family think I'm wicked for doing this and say she needs to get movement but she's unswoddled for 4 hours (2 hrs in the morning and 2 hrs at night) when she's awake.
Am I being mean to my baby and is this wrong?

Before anyone says about the baby going into a deep sleep, she room is the correct temp and she's wearing the right amount of layers.

Thanks x

We swaddled our boys and they were very calm and quiet babies, who slept well and were generally very happy.
Shame you can't swaddle toddlers really...

This book was a revelation, and I wished we'd read it born DS1 was born.

We swaddled DS from day 1 until he was about 17 weeks when he was finally too big for the Miracle Blanket - swaddling is what I credit for me calling our first 6 months with DS "easy". And it was. Anything is easy when you're getting 7 hours sleep at 10 days in!

The only difference I had was that I only swaddled DS at night, mainly because we live in the Caribbean and it's way too hot to swaddle during the day when I was out and about.

Ignore those that say it's cruel, as long as she's getting plenty of opportunity to kick about and move when she's awake (although being 3 weeks, I doubt she's moving around that much!!) she'll be fine!

And even after we stopped swaddling, DS continued to be a good sleeper, only a few weeks here and there when he's been teething, or is sick and when he decided to give up his dummy that he's given trouble, otherwise he's 7pm-7am.

Enjoy your baby girl!

Latest research suggests a link between swaddling and SIDS so I personally wouldn't swaddle as it is too easy for a baby to overheat. DD has never been swaddled, and has slept through from five weeks - she's now 15 months. We use sleeping bags.

But as you say the room is the correct temperature etc, so it's a personal choice really. I did notice that you say your DD has the correct number of layers on - something that seems to be little known is that when a baby is swaddled the single item used to swaddle them should actually be counted as three items due to the wrapping of the fabric and the nature of swaddling meaning there is restricted air circulation within, so more heat produced.

I swaddled mine in thin stuff during the Summer, can still remain cool enough and be swaddled. I think they like it.

Following on from Coola and Recall, living in the tropics, we swaddled DS in only a nappy.

When he first came home from hospital we also had him in a onesie but actually he didn't need the onesie as our AC cools the house to 82oF and the onesie would have been too much.

Swaddle them in less clothing underneath and if you notice them cold through the night, put a thin layer over them.

I swaddled my dd. Mainly for night time and she loved it but you do need to be careful temp wise.

I used a muslin cloth to swaddle when it was warm and its also important rhat when your baby is swaddled their hips/legs are not swaddled tightly. Thet should have their hips and legs in the froggy position :)

As long as you unswaddle baby when awake i dont see the problem. She will gradually sleep less in the day anyway and she will let you know if she decides she doesnt like to be swaddled anymore :)

"froggy position"

Well its the best way of describing it!

There is a link with hip problems but babies love to be swaddled. We swaddled baby at night in a giant Muslim and a vest when it was hot. I used to swaddle up pop in pram and walk away and she'd drift off. Then at 3 1/2 months I found the little Houdini unwrapped, pulling muslin across her mouth and nose. Bye bye swaddling, bye bye sleep. I think for other babies who cease swaddling later the wrap can be a sleep cue. Apparently I slept with my shawl till I was 2.

Babies have been swaddled for centuries. Your baby likes it.