Most parents refused to swaddle, which was practiced by our grandmothers, even when scientists found out that it had nothing to do with the future curvature or slenderness of the legs. Around the same time, they figured out how to swaddle a newborn without squeezing it, and then there was a split between the advocates of free swaddling and the adherents of free keeping a baby (completely without diapers). However, both pediatricians and psychologists agree that swaddling during sleep is necessary, especially in the first six months of a baby's life.
Swaddling a newborn: is it necessary and how to swaddle correctly?
Swaddling has a beneficial effect on the quality of sleep: children are less likely to wake up spontaneously and sleep better. In addition, the psychological calming effect of swaddling on babies up to eight months is important. If a child cries due to external factors (a visit to the doctor, loud sounds, irritating external influences), he calms down faster if he is swaddled. The soft and warm space inside his own "cocoon" has a relaxing effect on the baby and creates a feeling of security in him, just as he was safely hidden in the womb.
Of course, swaddling a newborn as a way to restrict a baby's mobility is not worth it. During the waking period, you can and should encourage his attempts to reach for something, crawl or roll over. It is good to put the baby on your belly every day, ensuring that his skin is in contact with yours, this contributes to the emergence of the child's self-confidence and replenishes the collection of his tactile sensations.
The economic benefit of swaddling is also important: twenty diapers, on which it is not necessary for a designer to work, will serve as clothes for a child for six or more months, while a vest, sliders, shirts and pants will have to be changed in the same period, taking into account rapid growth of the child.
Free swaddling process
If you don't have a changing table, no problem. You can swaddle on any flat surface.
- Place the diaper on the table or bed with a diamond so that there is a corner at the top. Bend this corner down and position the baby so that the folded edge is in the middle of the neck.
- Pat the child's right arm, place it along the body. Take the opposite, left corner of the diaper and wrap the baby, tucking the corner under the back.
- Smooth out the diaper, then place the right handle of the child along the body. Now you need to take the diaper by the bottom corner and tuck it under the baby's left shoulder.
- The last step is to wrap the baby to the left with the right end of the diaper and secure the tip.
With such a swaddling, your child does not bother himself and at the same time feels comfortable enough, as he can take a comfortable position for himself, bending his legs and arms. At the same time, the diaper gives him a tactile sensation, which is useful for the development of fine motor skills.
