Im really interested to hear what people think of swaddling a baby...

[mum2oliver]

......

Swear by it - the tighter the better !

Tried it with DS1, he wasn't keen.

Didn't bother with DS2.

Some babies love it though. Don't have a problem with it!

I agree with NotAnOtter, it made my 2 children feel safe and secure, even though they looked like little bugs - round head then this little bug shaped body

worked for us too.

swaddling a newborn is what i did, taught to me by mum, taught to her by her mum

Cool.What did every1 swaddle in?

think it does depend on the baby - DS1 (born in heatwave) kept poking his leg out every time Maternity nurse at hospital kept swaddling him - so I gave up once at home.

DS2 (born in winter) absolutely loved it - the tighter the better for him.

I swaddled in a cotton cellular pram blanket or a thin cotton sheet depending on how hot it was.

DS (born in winter) loved being swaddled in a flanellette sheet

I'd like to be swaddled in a flannelette sheet I love them

I also either used a sheet or cellular blanket

how to swaddle a baby

yes soft cotton sheets, ahh

Dd4 was premature and swaddlig was the only way she would sleep. It worked for ages and was a godsend

Thanx guys.

Before I was a mum I used to think it was a bit mean but when I was shown how to swaddle my DS I saw how relaxing and calming it was.

If you think about it, because babies haven't even begun to master control of their arms and legs, when they get upset they kick and thrash and it must be a stressful sensation. It must feel good for something to hold them tight and stop that feeling of being out of control.

sheet - cotbed size jonelle is ideal - then folded cellular blankets. I do it in the pram too - my friends laugh ... 5 babies - all sleepers!

didn't do it with mine - if I'd have known about it I'd have tried it with dd!!!

worked a treat with the dgs's

dont mean to sound smug - i seriously see it as my key to happy parenting!

me too NotAnOtter

best thing ever, did it with ds until he was too big and then bought him a sleeping bag

i always swaadle...reason being babies have the startle reflex until they are roughly six months old...any loud sudden noises makes them fling their arms and legs out and wakes them up. If you watch a baby go to sleep quite often just as they are drifting off their legs begin to drop and that can also startle them awake. If you swaddle them they cant fling their arms and legs out in shock so sleep better...

also some babies like my second DD elsie (2 weeks old today!) get very sucky when they get tired and dont wnat a feed but want to suck...however being so small they have no control over thier hands and just flail them about like a mad thing trying to suck...these babies benefit from swaddling too until they are old enough to get thumb in mouth or hold a dummy in. hope that helps!

my son was swaddled until be was about 10 months he loved it!
My daughter wasnt impressed at all.

Newborns love it in my experience!

Like cheasypees I also thought it was mean and that babies needed freedom to move but I found that mine slept much better when swaddled in a thin blanket.

I got NO sleep for the first 6 weeks of DD's life until I started swaddling. She's now 5 months and still swaddled. In this hot weather I'm just using a flannelette sheet, but in winter I used a cot sized blanket.