Swaddling...

bustarmu21 · November 2014

Ok, so from everything that my H and I have been told in prenatal class...you should not swaddle the baby at night to sleep. But they do it in the hospital.
So why does it seem so confusing and contradicting. Have you ladies been told/read not to swaddle the baby when in ths crib/bassinet to sleep? My LO won't sleep and wails his hands all over when I put him in the bassinet.

morrkim · November 2014

I had not heard that. I have been swaddling them since day 1. I do know not to swaddle once they can roll over.

abbyful · November 2014

Why did they say not to swaddle? If it's for concern the blanket will loosen and cause a hazard, you can get swaddle sleep sacks.

Like this: https://m.target.com/p/halo-sleepsack-swaddle-100-cotton-small/-/A-15521394

howin23 · November 2014

Hmm, we were just told to make sure the swaddle is tight enough and not close to the baby's mouth just in case it comes loose. I thought swaddling at night was practically a requirement for the first month or two!

Jan1214 · November 2014

Was it a concern about the baby getting overheated?

TeeJ526 · November 2014

That's strange. Our hospital not only swaddled our baby, but gave us a Velcro sleepsack when we were discharged. Maybe the reasoning is that people have a tendency to make it too tight or do it incorrectly? I'm curious now.

MrsDL · November 2014

I loved the swaddle-me wraps with DS and we use them with this one - we never could get the swaddle right with DS (it would come undone) - sort of like a swaddle for dummies I guess. But we never heard or were told not to do it - like pp said you just don't want to do it once they can roll. You also don't want the baby to over-heat (maybe that's why this was told to you), so don't put the baby in anything to heavy or warm at night with a swaddle on top of it.

AnnieRoo13 · November 2014

Someone told me that its not recommended anymore because part of the way a baby wakes himself up is his startle reflex which he's not able to use when swaddled.

We've been swaddling with his hands up as he likes to self soothe.

mommymeg143 · November 2014

aragosta said:
Well shit. One more thing to worry about. Sigh.

For real. I'm reading this about to cry. Is there anything that we CAN do anymore??

( :-S

mommymeg143 · November 2014

I put Emerson in a baby tshirt that the hospital gave us every night with no pants. We have like 10 of them. She has mittens and socks on with it. We've been swaddling her in the hospital blankets, too. She eventually fights her arms out but it constantly wakes her up if she is not fully swaddled. Should I leave her in a footed onesie tonight with no blanket and see how that goes?

bustarmu21 · November 2014

The reasons @lovebuggies1‌ are the exact reasons we were given in class. And at the hospital I delivered at, they do not put pants on the baby...just a little Tshirt w side snaps and a diaper. I think the reason they do swaddle in the hospital is bc of that and bc they are closely monitored.
I am now curious as to where everyone is from - just bc of the difference in what we were all told. I am in western PA.

momtojad · November 2014

I am in Pittsburgh and swaddling was taught in my newborn care class and shown again before I left the birth center.

bustarmu21 · November 2014

Interesting @momtojad‌ - to clarify - you were told it is safe to swaddle the baby to sleep (for the night).

mommymeg143 · November 2014

momtojad said:
I am in Pittsburgh and swaddling was taught in my newborn care class and shown again before I left the birth center.

Yes, we were also taught the same in our birthing class. They said it lowers the risks of SIDS to keep the baby swaddled until they roll over. I live in South Carolina.

MrsG1019 · November 2014

I'm in California and were taught swaddling in our baby care class as well as at the hospital again and was recommended to swaddle at night and NOT during the day as it allows baby that deeper sense of comfort during the night which in turn makes them sleep better.

meeshybee · November 2014

lovebuggies1 said:

My safe sleep class said not to. I think it's because hospitals can monitor 24/7. Whereas caretakers have to sleep sometimes and won't notice if baby is too hot, wrapped wrong, smothering, basically anything leading to SIDs. Or so that's what I took from the class. Call your local health dept or Ped for the best answer. I think they're just trying to reduce deaths because it's so unknown as to why they're passing away.

Honest question about the bolded; The hospital had LO room with me the entire time (aside from tests) even when I was sleeping. She wasn't hooked up to any monitors and they only checked her vitals once or twice a day, I think. How would they know there was a problem?

mommymeg143 · November 2014

meeshybee said:

lovebuggies1 said:

My safe sleep class said not to. I think it's because hospitals can monitor 24/7. Whereas caretakers have to sleep sometimes and won't notice if baby is too hot, wrapped wrong, smothering, basically anything leading to SIDs. Or so that's what I took from the class. Call your local health dept or Ped for the best answer. I think they're just trying to reduce deaths because it's so unknown as to why they're passing away.

Honest question about the bolded; The hospital had LO room with me the entire time (aside from tests) even when I was sleeping. She wasn't hooked up to any monitors and they only checked her vitals once or twice a day, I think. How would they know there was a problem?

--------Quote Box Fail------

My hospital was the same. They encourage parents to keep the baby in with them the entire stay with little help from nursing staff. They even transformed the old nursery into a larger NICU so parents have to keep baby in the room.

However, the other hospital in our city has a nursery that will keep the baby 24/7 until you leave. Maybe that's what @lovebuggies1‌ was referring to?

kaimee27 · November 2014

At my prenatal class, they recommended against swaddling with a blanket since it could come loose and get over their face. They instead recommended using sleep sacks to swaddle, but said not to put them on too tightly since it can decrease the respiratory drive by making them breathe against resistance. Also, they recommended not over covering/overheating them-so maybe there's some concern over that with swaddling? I'm not sure, FTM here so I'm no expert!

absolutelymaybe · November 2014

Yeaaaah I'm going to continue to swaddle at night.

Worst mom in the world here. (Or at least that's what my son thinks when I'm changing his diaper or zOMG have not used my psychic powers to have his bottle ready and in his mouth the moment he's hungry)

minibean16 · November 2014

This sounds a lot like the "TDAP in the US, but not in Canada" debate. Basically, they don't know which side is right, but they're 100% committed to their view.

smboswell1 · November 2014

Someone mentioned something about hats being a risk? Feel me in. Beckham always wears a hat!

MrsG1019 · November 2014

smboswell1 said:
Someone mentioned something about hats being a risk? Feel me in. Beckham always wears a hat!

+1

mommymeg143 · November 2014

@lovebuggies1‌...what did they tell you the signs for overheating are?

MrsTuna08 · November 2014

Wow this is a super interesting conversation! Our baby care basics nurse said babies love to be swaddled and recommended it, but overnight to leave their arms out of the swaddle so that they could activate the startle reflex - which she said was protective against SIDS. But in a lot of other readings they recommended full swaddles to keep them calm and asleep. I think I'm just going to wait and see how this goes once she's here!

smboswell1 · November 2014

Thank you about the hat information! I had no idea.

Carebella · November 2014

In CO here and our birth center classes advised waiting until 4 weeks to swaddle so baby can use their body to communicate about hunger or other issues early on. And that hats can lead to overheating but definitely have a time and a place.

2ndGeneration · November 2014

bloomraiser said:

Hmm...drafty old house dwellers here in MA... Swaddling in sleep sack (over jammies) w/ hands in, hats day/night, and a blanket in swing as long as LO is within eyesight... It's cold!

Yeah! I'm in CT and whose house doesn't have drafts and cold spots? Every baby I've known has a knitted hat-so even if it did cover their face somehow (that'd be one obviously too-big hat) they could breathe through it.

My kids all hated to be swaddled, including the latest addition. I don't even try. She likes to move her legs around.

Want a personalized experience?

Swaddling...

Re: Swaddling...

Choose Another Board

Search Boards