Any other hospitals not swaddle or allow blankets?

BeachM · June 2014

We took our hospital tour tonight since we're having #2 at a different hospital than #1. This a new policy, but they no longer swaddle babies in blankets and do not allow the use of blankets. Instead, every baby uses a Halo sleepsack provided by the hospital. The nurse leading our tour kept saying "Halo swaddle" so I asked her to clarify if she meant Halo sleepsack or the actual Halo sleepsack swaddle with velcro. She said the sleepsack version, but we are welcome to bring our own with velcro.

Apparently there were a few babies who died of SIDS after being discharged in the not too distant past so they are ultra cautious now. I'm curious to know if this is specific to this hospital or others have been told this.

lookame3639 · June 2014

My hospital still swaddles with blankets but ican understand the change. I have a feeling hospitals will slowly change over to the sleep saks

cdseno · June 2014

I think that is how our hospital does it now too. My last few friends who had babies there were given sleep sacks. I feel like at least one of them got to take it home too.

BeachM · June 2014

cdseno said:

I think that is how our hospital does it now too. My last few friends who had babies there were given sleep sacks. I feel like at least one of them got to take it home too.

Ha I told DH to steal it as we were heading back to the car after the tour.

We will absolutely bring our own though because I'm a big fan of the 5 S's (Happiest Baby on the Block).

Allison7 · June 2014

Our hospital still does swaddling with blankets, but MIL said that hospitals in Canada are now no longer recommending swaddling due to a SIDS fear.

candyland33 · June 2014

I just took my newborn care class and the instructor said not to put a baby I'm the crib swaddled because of SIDS. To use a halo sack and to only swaddle when they are with you. I haven't taken our tour yet simp have no clue what our hospital does.

BeachM · June 2014

I'm pretty sure we switched to Swaddle Me's immediately after getting home, so I guess Finn was only swaddled with a blanket in the hospital. LOL it was too complicated for me, I preferred the velcro.

Raclla · June 2014

Is it SIDS or suffocation they're worried about?

I could understand a loose swaddle coming undone and obstructing the child's breathing.

PecanSam · June 2014

I have no idea. We are having our baby at the same hospital as our first. We had our daughter 2 1/2 years ago and they swaddled with blankets. Out baby hated being swaddled, so if be fine with it.

mhbraymer · June 2014

I wanna call and check with my hospital now. But I like the idea since I am the worlds worst swaddler yet my husband is a great one.

Scottwswife · June 2014

I work for a national childcare provider and our policy has recently changed to no blankets also.

Rosebean · June 2014

I loved my halo sleep sack with the Velcro swaddle. Life made easy. You really can't go wrong with it and less chance of escape.

Jennicillin · June 2014

I understand that loose blankets can increase the risks of suffocation or overheating, but as a general rule swaddling has been linked to a DECREASE in SIDS deaths, not and increase.

I feel like policies like this are a bit overboard. They'd do better switching to a lighter blanket (ie aiden and anaise) to avoid over heating and teaching parents how to swaddle properly...

"

Is it okay for me to swaddle my baby?

Some researchers suggest that swaddling – the practice of wrapping a baby securely in a blanket or cloth – may help prevent SIDS because it can help a baby sleep more soundly on his back. If your baby startles while he's sleeping, his own body movements can wake him up. Swaddling can limit those movements and help a young baby feel more secure.

Other SIDS experts caution that swaddling could contribute to overheating. So if you do swaddle your baby, use a thin blanket and make sure the room isn't too warm. And, of course, never put your baby on his tummy when he's swaddled."

BeachM · June 2014

So I feel like it's a bit overboard too, but I think I can see how the blanket could come loose. DH was a MUCH better swaddler with a blanket than I was, but the velcro swaddles are kind of idiot proof. That's what we'd start using at home anyway, but I'm assuming the change is mostly related to protection from lawsuits. I just thought it was pretty interesting how much the nurse talked about it.

LOL she was also pretty anti paci, so I'm adding that to our hospital bag list. DH and I were joking that this hospital apparently never wants parents to sleep again!

lookame3639 · June 2014

I plan to bring a few blankets and a swaddle pod/swaddle blanket which is like a halo sleepsack. I've seen a few at Once a upon A Child that had a local hospital embroidered on it so I think there's a hospital which has switched or has them available for their nicu.

Jennicillin · June 2014

flip_flops said:

So I feel like it's a bit overboard too, but I think I can see how the blanket could come loose. DH was a MUCH better swaddler with a blanket than I was, but the velcro swaddles are kind of idiot proof. That's what we'd start using at home anyway, but I'm assuming the change is mostly related to protection from lawsuits. I just thought it was pretty interesting how much the nurse talked about it.

LOL she was also pretty anti paci, so I'm adding that to our hospital bag list. DH and I were joking that this hospital apparently never wants parents to sleep again!

OK Paci's have been PROVEN to reduce SIDS point blank... sounds like this chick was cray cray.

My husband and I personally loathe the paci (really long story, personal reasons that probably wouldn't actually apply to us, but we've been turned off) so we literally do every other conceivable thing we can to reduce SIDS risk, just to avoid that one thing lol.

BeachM · June 2014

Jennicillin said:

flip_flops said:

So I feel like it's a bit overboard too, but I think I can see how the blanket could come loose. DH was a MUCH better swaddler with a blanket than I was, but the velcro swaddles are kind of idiot proof. That's what we'd start using at home anyway, but I'm assuming the change is mostly related to protection from lawsuits. I just thought it was pretty interesting how much the nurse talked about it.

LOL she was also pretty anti paci, so I'm adding that to our hospital bag list. DH and I were joking that this hospital apparently never wants parents to sleep again!

OK Paci's have been PROVEN to reduce SIDS point blank... sounds like this chick was cray cray.

My husband and I personally loathe the paci (really long story, personal reasons that probably wouldn't actually apply to us, but we've been turned off) so we literally do every other conceivable thing we can to reduce SIDS risk, just to avoid that one thing lol.

She told us she's 25 weeks pregnant with her first. I would LOVE to take her hospital tour after she's had an outside baby for a couple months. LOL I know that's a crappy "just you wait" sort of comment but there were several times DH and I just looked at each other and tried not to laugh.

MC03 · June 2014

I hate hearing things like this. I love the swaddle and we swaddled DD for a long time. We will with this baby too. Stupid things like this may parents afraid to do anything. AHHH!

+RBL+ · June 2014

14 months ago when DS was born the hospital still swaddled with blankets. If this has changed, I have no clue. I wouldn't be surprised if it has.

lookame3639 · June 2014

HappyFeet34 said:
I think the anti swaddling is because the blanket can come loose and suffocate the baby, I've read a number of stories lately that are saying SIDS cases are often actually suffocation cases (again just what I've read not sure the actual statistics behind that claim).

As for the paci, in order for a hospital to receive a LEED breast feeding certification they have to meet certain standards. I know that our hospital is trying to get the certification and that's why they no longer give out pacis, they also strongly encourage rooming in, skin to skin, etc in an effort to be more breast feeding friendly. We will be bringing in our own pacis in case we want to use them.

This makes sense i also read an article which actual SIDS (not due to suffocation) is actually a very very small birth defect either in genetics or in the brain function (it was awhile ago that I read it) but it's so small it's essentially not detectable. There also hasn't been a ton of research into it.

tamarar5 · June 2014

My hospital insists that you swaddle in the hospital with their (small, scratchy) blankets. But they give parents a free halo swaddle sack, the kind that is thick heavy fleece that zips up and had the Velcro wrap wings for swaddling.

I would prefer to use my own A&A swaddle blankets than the hospital blanket, but whatever.

Third&goal · June 2014

I think it's not that they are against swaddling but that it's hard to tell parents that it's ok to have a crib in the hospital bassinet but not in the crib at home. Most parents don't swaddle tight like a hospital does and it just turns into more of a blanket which is a suffocation and SiDS hazard.

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Any other hospitals not swaddle or allow blankets?

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