What is the secret to a good swaddle?

[rabster]

After noticing there are so many other swaddlers on here, I have a question for you all..

We swaddle DS cos his flailing arms wake him up regularly. But while DH is great at doing a really good tight swaddle, DS always escapes from mine - it is just too loose. So he always wakes up and needs reswaddling.

Any tips for getting a good tight swaddle? I use half a cotbed sheet, cut into a triangle, so it is a bit stretchy. I tried a Swaddleaze, but his arms were too flaily to be kept inside it.

Any help would be appreciated, as when he wakes himself with a poo at night, I dread changing him as I have to reswaddle!!

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MNHQ

i used to use gap blankies - they're like t shirt material, so they get a good stretch. lie baby diagonally, tuck one side over and under, flip up the bottom to make a kind of pocket, then bring the other side round and tuck under your baby. (this was a good 7+ yaers ago - swaddling techniques have probably gotten a bit more 21st century since then. )

here is a link to how to swaddle effectively using nothing but a flannel blanket, or in my dd's case, a small tablecloth.

it is in German or Czech (?) just go to the diagrams at the very bottom.

poor thing was swaddled till 8 months because of her eczema.

one of the secrets is to start with the blanket in a diamond pattern as it makes the cloth stretch on the diagonal.

the second is to have both arms bent on their chest or straight by their sides.

third, you can't swaddle too tightly. there is always enough room to breath.

I don't know if this'll help you but we have to put our DDs daughters across her chest (think holding opposing hips) while we swaddle, otherwise it comes up too high or she gets out. Having said, now she gets out anyway and chucks her blankets out the cot if she's too hot.

Mind you I also found her out of her M&P 'can't get out of these easily' sleeping bag, having got out and then vomited INSIDE the bag (yet not on her babygro)! Spooky!

I have weaned my little one off the swaddling now...but when it was still essential to him having a good sleep I used the swaddling blanket from Grobag and also Miracle Blanket (when he got a bit bigger), both were fantastic and enabled me to keep him tightly wrapped all night.

hope this helps

When my dd was swaddled it was still winter and what I did was swaddle her in a thin cotton sheet and then put her in a 1 tog grobag with her arms inside. she was as snug as a bug in a rug. She loved it and never got out.

I found with dd1 that a stretchy quite thinish shawl was the best.

Fold into triangle lie LO in the middle.

Put one arm by LO's side

Wrap the oporsite (sp?) piece of shawl over tightly whilst tucking under arm and bum.

Then pull otherside of shawl over the rest of body and arm, all the way round.

Result lovely snuggley baby.

Miracle Blanket is good at staying wrapped as it has extra flaps which go over the arms and under the body so their body weight keeps them in place.

The swaddling blankets with velcro are really good. I have a swaddle me bought from blooming marvellous.