Swaddling; Health Visitor said absolutely not, Antenatal teacher said go for it - What did you do?!

[MotherofKitties]

Hi all,

I'm receiving some really conflicting advice about swaddling and I'd appreciate your thoughts!

We had planned to swaddle as our antenatal teacher recommended it and I get the theory behind babies feeling happier when they're 'close' and contained; obviously we wouldn't be swaddling tightly to prevent constriction of baby's chest and overheating, and we would be using cotton specific muslins only to do this, but it seems like a good alternative to sheets in this hot weather too.

Anyway, we had our first pre-birth health visitor appointment the other day and she says swaddling was a big no no, and not to even consider it because all the research shows it increases SIDS/cot death due to overheating and constriction issues.

This has obviously concerned me and when I questioned her on it (and explained we'd be shown how to do it loosely so as to avoid constriction and overheating etc), as nice as she was, she was very black and white about the subject without providing any examples or advice about why or where the research comes from.

This is our first baby and so I have no previous experience with swaddling and I obviously don't want to do anything that might endanger our child, so I was wondering whether anyone else has been warned not to, if anyone has any success stories for it, or advice on why not to?

Thanks in advance

Xx

This is the first time I've heard of a health visitor advising against swaddling. I've had two babies (both in different areas with different health visitor teams) and they both advised swaddling.

I didn't know that there was a sids risk with it so won't say there isn't because I don't know. I just know that out of the five or six HVs I have seen, none of them have told me this. Last visit was about four months ago.

I recommend you do your own research and see what you come up with. Babies love to be swaddled - Google the fourth trimester. You might also find the book baby bliss very helpful.

Welcome to parenting. Hugely conflicting advice. Similarly in hospital it's like an oven, they swaddle the babies and put hats on them. Then you leave being read the riot act on not having the house too hot, not swaddling and never putting hats on inside...... NHS
also recommend not co sleeping, but the midwife put DD2 in bed with me in hospital after she refused to settle.

I suggest doing what works best for your baby! Good luck.

The Lullaby Trust doesn't advise for or against. Looks like there might have been an alarmist study published last year but the SIDS risk was about placing babies on their side or front - so the same issues as when they are not swaddled.

General rules are:

• Swaddle with a very light cotton cloth eg a muslin

-Don't swaddle above the shoulders so it can't travel up to their face

• Swaddle arms only, not kegs as it can affect hip development
• Alsways sleep babies on their backs and at the foot of the cot
• Check baby's temperature
• Stop swaddlig when they start to roll

FWIW we swaddled both of mine for ages and they loved it

Hi there!

We swaddled using a light cellular blanket. We didn't do it tightly.
This was shown to us by midwives at the hospital so you can imagine my surprise when I discovered the Royal College of Midwives does not recommend swaddling (like your health visitor said for risks of SID and overheating).

My personal view is you'll have to see what kind of baby you have. She may be happy without swaddling but she may also be who needs a lot of reassurance.
And I agree with other PP, conflicting advice is part and parcel of parenting

• a baby

I second the advice to see what your baby likes. Mine hated swaddling and gro bags. In fact he is over three and still hates having any sort of cover at night.

Funnily enough I was just thinking about this yesterday orange! DS was born last July. The postnatal ward was boiling and they had DS swaddled in no less than three blankets the entire time, yet I remember spending the first few months petrified about overheating.

My LO didn't like being swaddled (he didn't like anything mind you) but I'd probably try it again with the next unless any solid evidence came out to suggest otherwise.

Can I ask how you know if a baby is too warm/cold? That may be a daft question, but I'm expecting my first in November and all the advice just says to check that it's not too warm, but how do I actually know if it's getting too warm??

Actino, I've been told the best parts of a baby to check for temperature is their back and chest. If they're hot and sweaty, they're too hot. Little hands and feet tend to feel cooler anyway, so are a poor representation of the baby's overall temperature.

Re: swaddling. I've never heard of this being a risk. All the conflicting info from professionals is so unhelpful! Like first time mum's aren't worried enough about doing the wrong thing

Not all babies like swaddling, my first hated it and even as a newborn escaped out the blankets. He won't sleep under covers now either.

Thanks, lemondrop. I felt a bit dumb asking that, but I want sure how to tell that they were getting to warm (apart from the obvious signs like turning red)

We've just bought this for ds2 - it keeps the arms in the up position that babies love but stops them flailing about when they startle. Keeps legs loose though. Could be an easier alternative to a traditional swaddle.

Dd is 3 months tomorrow (where did that time go?!) and isn't a fan of being swaddled or of being too hot. We've just this last week successfully used sleeping bags with her and that's really to stop herbthrashing around. We have 0.5 tog sleeping bag, so very light.
I'm paranoid about over heating so check the back of her neck and her chest. You'll get used to their normal temperature and what feels hot and what is normal for them.

Was a life saver for my eldest. Only thing that would calm him down so he could sleep. As he got bigger, we wrapped him more loosely and it was discarded totally by 5-6 months.
Didn't really make any difference with second. Third hated it.

Each child is going to be different.

My HV advocated swaddling for cranky DS. As long as you use common sense regarding temperature and check them regularly for signs of overheating.

orange I remember well the boiling muggy hospital room! I took my own thermometer in and couldn't believe how far from safe it was. I remember dressing DS for the heat and a nurse would come in and 'oh let's pop another blanket on him', or if I opened the window I was asked to close it for fear of DS escaping getting a chill.

I had a midwifery assistant swaddle DS in hospital, she did it off her own back, I'd been awake for over 24 hours and post section, she could have done pretty much anything and I'd have been ok with it if it meant he slept. Which he did. But then I got a right telling off a few hours later from the midwife who effectively told me I was hugely risking DS's life.
He's still in his Moses basket and sleeps under a homemade crocheted blanket, has hated me swaddling him at home.

We swaddled DC1 who seemed to like it. DC2 hated it. However they are both winter babies - I probably would not have done it if they were summer newborns.

My advice is take pretty much everything the HV says with a pinch of salt.

My baby spent time in hospital due to being premature and loved being swaddled with her arms out or hands near her face but we were told not to swaddle at home for the same reasons as you were told. Instead we use the sheet she was swaddled with to very firmly tuck her in the Moses basket and that seems to give her the security she had from swaddling.
Health visitors have to give you the formal information by the book so they don't get in trouble but I would say do what feels right to you and sensible. In the summer heat swaddling doesn't seem a good idea but it's about keeping an eye on your baby not overheating. I was told by health visitor that the most important thing is not to put a hat on babies inside so at least there is somewhere for the heat to leave the body.

I intermittently swaddle DS2. He also likes the loves to dream arms up swaddle linked to above. I aimed to stick to the guidelines but also think it's important that everyone gets some sleep. Exhausted parents present their own risks. DS1 was a front sleeper. Once he could roll, I accepted that this was the way he was going to sleep and stopped fighting it.

It's weird because the hospital was really hot and midwives kept swaddling my dd in a really thick blanket then when I was home I got all paranoid about her overheating! Think the best thing is to get a thermometer to keep an eye on room temperature then swaddle accordingly (eg thin cellular blanket if it's warm). Tbh my dd didn't really like it and preferred having her arms free, she really loves her sleeping bag now! As pp have said, all babies are different.

Neither of mine would take it - they both even refused blankets (and the time we tried putting DS1 in a sleeping bag was a comical farce looking back from a position of non-sleep-deprivation). DS1 refused blankets until he was about 5 (and we had a cold winter in a less temperature controlled house than our previous flats!). DS2 co-slept and from very young flat refused to have even a light blanket on him - I spent the winter wearing jumpers to bed because anything we tried to cover ourselves with he kicked straight off.

On the other hand I love being tucked in tight - my nan used to do an excellent job, so I could barely move, and I loved sleeping like that. Even now I slip my hands into the sides of the waistband of whatever bottoms I'm wearing if I'm sleeping on my back because I like having them kept still.

Someone from my NCT said often the advice from HV and midwives would be tailored for the "lowest common denominator". So cosleeping is a no, swaddling is a no, perfect prep is a no etc.

It's not that these things are dangerous per se but about heightened risks. If they condoned the practices but people didn't do it to the safety standards etc they would open themselves up for litigation and accidents.

Cosleeping guidelines are very particular (no bedding, no smoking, no drink etc) it takes one person to say "yes it's fine" one of these not to be followed, a tragedy occurs and then the blame falls to the hcp/NHS. Easier just to blanket dissuade.

This article is quite a sensible break down of the study. alphamom.com/parenting/baby/swaddling-sids-safety-common-sense-look-at-pediatrics-study/

I would recommend swaddling following the caveats in the article.

You check if a baby is too hot by feeling them centrally, so chest/tummy. Don't think their hands feel cold so must keep adding more layers, hands are often quite cool.

Room thermometer is good and I got one which by the side of the temperature told me how many layers were recommended.

Swaddling was a big thing when DS was born (he's almost 12 now). I gave up trying as he utterly detested it! He was a very chilled baby except when you tried to wrap him up or keep him warm. Even now he still has to sleep in just his pants and throws his thin duvet off in winter as he's too hot (and it can be 12 degrees in his room in winter). He's just a hot bod, must be his metabolism.

I didn't do it with DS2 either as he had awful reflux. Swaddling him just made him cry even more.