If there is one lesson that parents should take from the great John Locke (no, not that John Locke, this one) it’s that babies love to be swaddled.
Swaddling helps your baby feel like they are back in womb – they’re tight, warm, confined, and restricted. True, it’s counterintuitive for an American to accept these traits, but babies eat it right up. They miss their cozy home in which they once lived. The best benefit from swaddling, however, is that it assists in a baby’s fumbling attempts at sleep. How, you ask?
Well, babies often throw their hands up during their many brushes with the sandman, and accidentally hit themselves in their face. (This is commonly known as the “startle reflex,” which is similar to “the kick” from the movie, Inception). This reflex wakes them from their slumber, and thereby prevents you from being productive, or worse, stops you from getting your much needed beauty rest.
It boils down to this – swaddles keep your baby’s chubby hands and arms tucked down to stop him from waking himself up. Believe me, this is a good thing. Let’s do the math together, shall we?
Baby + SwaddleMe = a much longer nap/sleep = a happier baby = a happier you > anything on earth.
Heck, I’d love to be swaddled!
Some babies have uncanny super human strength, and will bust out of even the tightest of tight swaddles. My Itty Bitty has proven to be Superman, so we invested in Summer Infant’s SwaddleMe.
Summer in the Ocean State has been sweltering hot so far, and Itty Bitty hates the heat, just like his parents. On extremely hot evenings, we have just his arms swaddled.
I have also brought them with us to the beach – and kept our tiny baby’s arms nice and snug, without having him overheat.
What are your thoughts on swaddling?
I think swaddling is important for newborns. It really gives them the sense of security to help them relax in a big, confusing world.
Reading this makes me think of my late Mom-in-law, Florence… who was a master swaddler! I never got it perfect, but I did the best I could. I've swaddled all 10 of my grandkids, and I'm always amazed at the result. My most recent swaddles are my little Victoria Florence Margaret McClelland, who has her expert-swaddler-great-Nana Florence's name. I love this…
I love that Summertime Swaddle Me!