Swaddling,
practiced in Eastern countries, is the age old tradition of
wrapping a baby securely in a light cotton sheet. The bible
refers to the baby Jesus having being wrapped in swaddling
clothes and laid in a manger.
Swaddling is reported
to help babies sleep and to reduce the number of times they
wake up during the night. This is thought to be because wrapping
a baby snuggly creates a pressure around its body, imitating
the continuous support it felt when in the womb and so induces
a feeling of security. It is also believed to ease the symptoms
of colic and because swaddling encourages infants to sleep on
their backs for longer it may even reduce the risk of cot death.
How to swaddle a baby
1. Lay a sheet diagonally on
a bed (with a corner at the top).
2. Take the top
corner and fold it down slightly over the sheet to create a
straight edge.
3. Lay the baby’s
back on the sheet with his neck on the straight edge of the
sheet.
4. Take the right
hand corner of the sheet and fold it down and across the front
of the baby’s body so that the baby's arm is held against
the side of his body.
5. Take the bottom
corner of the sheet and fold it up over the baby’s feet
so that comes to just under the baby's chin.
6. Place the baby's
right arm at his other side and taking the left corner of the
sheet wrap the fabric snuggly across the bay’s body and
around the other side.
It is important not to cover
the baby’s head and to use a very lightweight
material, no heavier than a cotton sheet, as overheating
can pose a risk of cot death.
