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Pregnancy

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Original poster

Latest midwives episode - swaddling....

25 replies

Emmiedarling · 05/09/2012 09:46

I am just watching Midwives on Iplayer and am a little confused...

The midwife visiting a couple of the new Mums, told them that they had put their babies down 'wrong.' Both these babies were swaddled - which I am/was planning to do.

Can anyone shred any light on this? Can babies not sleep swaddled?

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MrsPaynie · 05/09/2012 10:10

I was wondering the same! I swaddled both DS and DD1 and plan on swaddling this one when she arrives too. It was my midwife that showed me how to do it first time around, and both were swaddled in the hospital and nothing was said to me... Maybe the guidelines have changed recently. But for me, as long as the baby isn't too hot then I will probably continue with swaddling if my baby is comforted by it.

ticklebug74 · 05/09/2012 10:16

I think they were too heavily swaddled. I understood that you swaddled in a light layer then tucked baby in with blankets as required. But I am pregnant with dc3 and perhaps things have changed since my last one.

PollyIndia · 05/09/2012 10:20

This confused me too. I wonder if maybe it was the blankets they used to swaddle. I don't know though. I am defo planning to swaddle if the baby is ok with it

CaptainHetty · 05/09/2012 10:21

I think it was badly edited, to be honest. I'm pretty sure the issue with the swaddling in last night's episode as that baby was too heavily swaddled and in one instance, also wearing a hat, so probably more an overheating issue than the actual swaddling itself.

I've always swaddled my children, but in a very light blanket and added another one if they've needed it.

Original poster

Emmiedarling · 05/09/2012 10:24

Okay cool. I've bought the Anais Anais swaddling muslins so I presume they will be just fine as long as baby is okay with it!

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notso · 05/09/2012 10:26

I think it depends on the midwife, one told me DS4 was put down wrong becuse his feet were not touching the foot of the moses basket they were about 2 cm away from it.

BettyandDon · 05/09/2012 10:30

Well I planned to swaddle aswell...my DD was not to be swaddled! Prefered to wriggle. We went with grobags after a month I think as blankets were not staying on at all.

GoldPlatedNineDoors · 05/09/2012 10:36

I used Aden and Anais swaddles too, and I and dd loved them. I was frustrated with that MW in general. She told the. about feet to foot - great, BUT they were swaddled so that removes the need for feet to foot, and then added a lose blanket over the top which I thought was inadvisable.

Also, surely babies who die from being smothered by bedsharing/sofa sleeping dont die of SIDS? SIDS is sudden infant death....not.smothering.

She made me.quite cross actually, as I had thought the show.was well done until this episode.

sleepyhead · 05/09/2012 10:56

IIRC, the baby was swaddled in a padded material, in a crib next to a radiator, and wearing a fleece hat.

There appears to be a strong belief in many cultures (my granny for a start) that a baby can't be wrapped up too warmly, indoors and out, and I guess they have to work around that.

PeshwariNaan · 05/09/2012 11:36

I watched this too and I'm pretty sure it's because the babies were incorrectly swaddled in very heavy blankets and placed at the top of the cribs. Also the babies were all wearing hats which they shouldn't have been.

I plan to swaddle with some looseness in the legs (to allow for movement). This is the swaddle I got. It's very light and thin.

SIDS/ cot death is smothering to some extent. I was surprised as the misinformation though - cosleeping is actually indicated as a cot death preventative as long as the parents place the baby correctly, do not use duvets, and do not smoke or do drugs/ drink alcohol.

Nightfall1983 · 05/09/2012 11:42

Actually I think its because the guidelines have recently changed to discourage swaddling. According to FSID (cot-death charity/body) swaddling can lead to an increased SIDs risk - see here.

However I have carefully read the associated study and concluded that the increased risk appears to be when babies around 3 months are swaddled for the first time and not with infants swaddled from birth. If it suits baby (currently 40 + 11 with DC1) then I am planning to swaddle still and have confidence in my desicion...

MelanieWiggles · 05/09/2012 11:48

Am in Ireland and guidance has changed recently so that swaddling is not recommended any more because of the SIDS risk. When I had DS2 in December the babies were all placed under blankets in cots in the maternity hospital.

I have to say I was always a bit confused by the seeming contradiction between the risk of overheating and it being ok to swaddle when I had DS1.

milk · 05/09/2012 11:54

I still plan on swaddling in a cellular blanket with nothing on top (for DC2).

tamster83 · 05/09/2012 11:57

i was thinking the same when i watched it lastnight, i was told with my 1st 2kids to swaddle and new borns were ment to always wear a hat for the 1st couple of weeks,,,, things change all the time i guess altho lastnight the midwife said to place loose blakets on so the baby could kick them off if they were hot .Which i would never do as i was always told/warned (includeing with my last ds who is only just turned 1) that babys could wriggle down or kick to covers over them and wouldnt be able to breath hense a leading cause to cotdeath,,
advice changes so much its hard to know which to follow , but im 12 wks pg atm and will defo be swaddleing if it help settle the baby ,, some like it some dont so i guess will shall see,,,,,,,,,

whatsoever · 05/09/2012 11:59

On my ante-natal course we were lightly discouraged from swaddling based on the SIDS risk but I didn't think the MWs truly believed it. I got the impression it was heavy swaddling that was the issue, and they also pointed out soem babies just don't get on with it as they like their arms free (totally separate issue).

exiledmancityfan · 05/09/2012 12:13

I have also read about the swaddling and SIDS. DS1 didn't like being swaddled so we never did, not planning on doing it for DS2 either when he is born in a few weeks.

Heartbeep · 05/09/2012 12:16

I wondered this too, thought maybe because of the type of blanket.

Was planning to swaddle DC2 who is due in a couple of weeks as swaddling is the only thing that got DC1 to sleep!

The swaddle blankets were the first thing DH got out the attic for washing....

BuntyCollocks · 05/09/2012 15:54

I swaddled DC1 using swaddle wraps from summer, and will be doing the same with DC2. They are very lightweight. I think the issue is overheating as well, but I never had an issue in those wraps, and touch wood, won't have again. Mind you, they are both winter babies.

DowntonOut · 05/09/2012 16:13

We were told at NhS antenatal classes that swaddling isn't recommended anymore. So in the hospital DD had a sheet over the top, tucked in tightly at either side of the cot. Didn't take me long once home to discover that she slept better swaddled and I'll do it from the start for my next baby.

HarlettOScara · 05/09/2012 16:27

DD is 9 weeks old and both the hospital and community MWs advised against swaddling so she sleeps with her blanket tucked in around the edges of her mattress.

DD was swaddled for a few hours last week (required for filming for TV) and she slept so soundly while she was swaddled that I am considering doing it at home now too.

crazypaving · 05/09/2012 16:28

Hmm, I've heard new information on the news lately about swaddling and problems with hips. Could it be to do with that?

piedaterre · 05/09/2012 16:30

They are no longer recommending it because a lot of people swaddled too tightly causing hip issues, or so I read.
I will swaddle lightly like I did before if the baby seems to like it (as my other 2 did). it's just stupid, mothers have swaddled for thousands of years.

ShhhhhGoBackToSleep · 05/09/2012 16:41

There are two problems with swaddling. One is that newborns need to be in a froggy position for their hip development, but tight swaddling stops them from doing this, the other is SIDS.

Lots of people swaddle because it keeps babies in deeper sleep for longer, but this then puts them more at risk for forgetting to breathe :-(. I think it was particularly bad that the baby was heavily swaddled, by a radiator and with a hat on, which makes it much much more risky.

I never swaddled, but then I do co-sleep with a side car cot so horses for. Courses I suppose.

5madthings · 05/09/2012 16:48

you can swaddle as long as you are careful re temp so use a muslin or thin cotton sheets
and yes you need to make sure you dont swaddle legs and hips tightly, they need to be in froggy position and able to wriggle/kick them about.

i swaddled my four boys but they all grew out of it by two-three months. my dd however loved being swaddled and would only sleep swaddled until 15mths!

Loislane78 · 05/09/2012 17:42

One of the babies was also on a pillow thing.

My LO is nearly 3 weeks and I haven't heard any contrary advice about swaddling either in hospital or community MW. As always, i think its down to what the mum thinks is right for baby (within reason obviously).

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