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Sleep

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Original poster

HV says don't swaddle - your views please

18 replies

chiefcookandbottlewasher · 14/02/2008 09:41

my HV says i shouln't swaddle dd as one of the ways babies regulate their temperature is to hold their arms up by their heads while they sleep. Dd settles okay at night but i think the whole process is prolonged by the fact that she does not yet have proper control over her arms and she would benefit from swaddlng. Anyone know if there is any truth in what she says? As far as i know, loads of you swaddle your babies with no harm done?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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BeauLocks · 14/02/2008 09:42

I swaddled both of mine and it worked well. They both had a really strong moro reflex and swaddling kept them from waking every time they dropped off to sleep.

LilRedWG · 14/02/2008 09:43

I swaddled DD with full support of MWs and HV.

nailpolish · 14/02/2008 09:44

yes swaddling is fab
babies love it

SheherazadetheGoat · 14/02/2008 09:44

i am pretty sure the hv showed me how to swaddle.

yomellamoHelly · 14/02/2008 09:44

Swaddled both of mine. Hospital showed me how to do it first night ds1 was born and going bonkers. I think you do need to make sre they don't get too hot, but my 2 loved it and were swaddled for a good few noths each.

lillypie · 14/02/2008 09:45

I swaddled mine and they all slept like babies

Original poster

chiefcookandbottlewasher · 14/02/2008 09:46

that's what i wanted to hear! With that in mind then, how do i do it?

OP posts:

mishymoo · 14/02/2008 09:46

Both the midwives and my HV encouraged me to swaddle DS, however he hated it and always wanted his arms free. Even now at 2.6, his arms are always free from any blankets/duvets, etc.

Elffriend · 14/02/2008 10:08

Swaddle away! It is blissful for them (I thought I was putting him in a straightjacket and felt guilty but he was so happy and content!)

DON'T buy a special swaddle blanket - a con.

Choose a thinnish blanket with a bit of give but not too much (the traditional cellular blankets just have too much give. My method was:

Put blanket into triangle shape (pointy bit downwards)

Put baby on blanket with blanket at shoulder level/slightly below (do not let it wander towards face)

Clasp his hands together in front of her.

Fold blanet round her, tucking one edge in underneath her (roll her if need be!), then fold the second edge over. Make sure it is tight (she will wriggle out/protest if she really wants to). Don't fasten it with anything, just ensure it is tight around her.

Regard your wrapped parcel with pride!

Make sure room temp is okay (obviously). I used to cover the whole affair (baby and swaddle)with a thin, tucked in sheet (at waist level) but use your own judgement on temperature - an extra cover is not really necessary (although I do know that if I had kept the nursery at the lower end of the 'recommended' temperature DS would have frozen to death!)

Relax.

meemar · 14/02/2008 10:10

I've never heard this! Swaddling is widely used for new babies even in hospitals. Ask her where she got this information from.

Original poster

chiefcookandbottlewasher · 14/02/2008 10:12

thanks. Have a feeling she may resist at first but will persevere. Loking forward to the 'relax' bit!

OP posts:

Elffriend · 14/02/2008 10:15

My HV was not keen on swaddling and I think the general advice these days (as opposed to the gospel according to last week is that the baby could overheat = risk of cot death. the fact that a lot not all) babies appear to love it bypasses the system! As long as the temperature is fine, the baby enjoys it and you don't do it until they are at secondary school then i thin its fine.

Same thing about not having cot bumpers because they can keep the cot too warm/double as rope ladders. . Common sense somewhat underrated these days.

colditz · 14/02/2008 10:15

My midwife showed me how to swaddle.

Yet another example of a health visitor giving an opinion as a fact.

Elffriend · 14/02/2008 10:16

was going to add - then have a glass of wine! But was pretending to be 'responsible'!

squeaver · 14/02/2008 10:19

Swaddling is great - they love it. Dd was swaddled for first six weeks then she wanted to move her arms around, look at her fingers etc so - on the advice if my HV!! - we half swaddled, same technique as Elffriend used, but under the arms. Funnily enough, she's 3 and still likes a blanket wrapped around her when she goes to bed.

Original poster

chiefcookandbottlewasher · 14/02/2008 10:23

lol at swaddling in secondary school - could this be the way to solve anti-social behaviour ishoos? just swaddle the little buggers!

would love a glass of wine but dd feeds so often would feel im acting out an episode of Shameless - baby on boob in one hand and glass of red in the other!

OP posts:

lucykate · 14/02/2008 10:41

dd didn't like being swaddled, but ds did, i used to do it so his arms were free though, to just under his arm pits

Elffriend · 14/02/2008 11:41

My glass of wine was the one thread I had to my old (normal!) life so i really savoured it!

Generally, I used to time those odd glasses carefully between feeds but I also worked on the sage advice that if you are sober enough to drive you are sober enough to breastfeed, given the % that goes through to the bloodstream and the time taken to get there (cannot remember all the stats now and no doubt someone will drag me off to social services anyway but I did research it quite carefullt and, by hell, that one glass did taste good!!!) Mind you, I also drank enough water when DS was attached to drown an elephant...Aah, memories!

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