Swaddling Your Baby:
Why, When and How
by Patience Bleskan
Why
Young infants do not have control of their arms and legs move. Every movement is a reflex based on outside environment or the internal nervous system. If a babies arms and legs are moving franticly it will cause her respiration to increase. Increased respiration leads to increase heart rate. Fast breathing and heart rate causes the nervous system to switch into flight or fight. A baby in a state of stress cries help.
Swaddling keeps your baby’s reflexive movements smaller, helping to avoid a state of stress.
When
Your baby does not need to be swaddled all the time. A baby who’s movements are slow, fluid and are close to the body is a baby happily moving his body. An infant with wide open hands, rigid arms and legs, and jerky movements, is a baby in distress. Swaddling will help this baby to calm his nervous system. During sleep the reflexive moments can cause a baby to wake or make it more difficult to fall asleep. Once your baby is asleep she may break out of her swaddle. As long as she is maintaining sleep there is no need to re-swaddle.
How
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