to swaddle or not to swaddle...

[southernbelle79]

hi all

I did with my last but a friend today said it could cause hip probs in baby later on...I was wondering if any of you were planning to once u had ur bubbas

If its done too tightly it can damage hips, you just need to make sure there some room to move. You can get special swaddle blankets from the grobag company which are safe due to the design.

The other hazard with swaddling is the baby overheating or suffocating so bare those in mind

I will be swaddling its something woman have done with their babies for millenniums. So I'm a bit about all the dire warnings as long as its not done too tightly for long periods of time.

Link to BBC news article on this here. It seems to me that it depends on how the hips are swaddled. There are similar warnings about baby carriers but it very much depends on the design of the carrier. I tried swaddling with dd but it wasn't particularly useful. She seemed to like being free to kick about.

No. I havent with my 2 and I wouldn't if I have a 3rd. Simply because of the health risks, also i'd be paranoid that if they were to roll over when swaddled they can't roll back....and anyway i'd HATE to be wrapped up with my arms trapped by my side!

It can cause hip problems but so can many things. Swaddling safely means leaving legs free to draw up but making sure they can't fling their arms around, and that's tricky to get right, but it's not safe as soon as they even think about rolling.

I swaddle tinies (think less than 6 weeks) but it's more like a sleeping bag. I don't like some of the swaddle products on the market because they restrict movement too much.

We swaddled ds until he was 9-10months. He couldn't roll until he started to crawl. We started early out of desperation for more sleep and never looked back. He hated the "process" but loved the security once swaddled. We

only swaddled his arms and his legs were loose (in a commercial swaddle blanket which were quite secure). If he got an arm free he woke up distressed. If it was warm I would adjust clothing appropriately - sometimes nothing but nappy and swaddle blanket, and he slept in our room the entire time he was swaddled (waking regularly to bf!)

I will try loose swaddling (possibly with arms out) in a large muslin. Just until she can fit in to a sleep bag.

My boys disnt like it but my dd would only sleep swaddled until she was over a year old!

As othersahve said just make sure you dotn swaddle hips/legs tightly, make sure legs are in froggy position and keep a check on temp so they dont overheat. You can get big muslin cloths to swaddle which are good to make sire they don't gt et too hot.

Aden and an a is do them, expensive but you often get them cheap in tkmax.

You might not be able to anyway. DS was so lively that he could get out of everything. Thought I would try with DD2 but she was such a good sleeper that I forgot, which is a shame because pretty much the only thing I bought for her was an organic swaddling cloth

I do it to six weeks only. After that, a half swaddle, with the arms out is advised.

This time I discovered Aden & Anais muslin swaddle cloths too - Prince George's muslin of choice you know . They're fab.

This was discussed recently on Radio 4's Inside Health programme, currently available (with transcript) at www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01r9crt

Paediatric orthopaedic surgeon, Professor Nicholas Clarke, who featured on the programme is on the Medical Advisory Board of the International Hip Dysplasia Institute - the Institute offers Hip-Healthy Swaddling advice, including a video.

thanks all, great feedback

Kicking around also really helps with wind so swaddling is terrible for colicky babies.

What on earth is wrong with babies crying and kicking?? It is what they do. Peopled swaddled years ago because they had to get up and work for long hours in the mills or on the land. Why do it now? Babies express themselves with movement and, they cry. It's what they do! I find swaddling depressing. It seems all about parents getting sleep! What can be in it for the baby that a lovely cuddle can't do?

"What can be in it for the baby that a lovely cuddle can't do?"

It's noting at all like a "lovely cuddle"

You find it depressing that some babies find it comforting to be wrapped up tight?

Um, OK.

Chronic sleep deprivation is depressing too.

We brought a swaddling blanket from Amazon when DD was about 5 months and we were desperate. She slept like a log in it. But it worked only for a couple of months and then back to the drawing board. Such is the way with a babies, sleep and great ideas. She runs around like a mad thing now. No sign of any hip damage. I would certainly use it again.