New Parent Tips: 5 Steps To Swaddling Your Baby

One of the reasons babies have problem falling and maintaining their sleep is their startle reflex (technically known as Moro reflex). Once baby’s sleep has been disturbed, you could bet on him or her crying the whole night through. This makes it even more important for you to learn how to swaddle your baby.

But first, what is the “startle reflex”? Startle reflex is a baby’s response to an unexpected loud noise or to the feeling of falling. It is considered to be one of the unlearned reflexes and is a good indicator of the proper development of the central nervous system. Swaddling is having your baby wrapped snuggly in order to prevent startle reflex.  It creates a safe and secure environment for the baby by mimicking the cramped space inside a mother’s womb. Here is how you do a swaddle:

1. Lay out a baby blanket on a flat surface. Fold down the upper right corner of the blanket by about 6 inches.
2. Put yur baby down on the blanket with his head resting on the folded part.
3. Pull the right hand corner under your baby’s arm and tuck it in around his back.
4. Pull up the bottom corner up to his chin.
5. Pull the left hand corner across and tuck it under his back. You can have your baby’s arms free from the swaddle to allow him to play with his fingers.

Make sure that your baby blanket is made from 100% cotton so that you won’t have problems with skin irritation. Simply Unique has some special line of cotton baby blankets that you might want to try.