Swaddling... Is it mean?!

We have been swaddling our girls since they came home from the hospital with the Miracle Blankets. We swaddle them nice and snug and our girls are good sleepers. However, our family members - my mom and my sisters in law, have expressed concern about this practice. My mom keeps asking if it is bad for their arms long term to be swaddled while they sleep and calls their Miracle Blankets "baby straight jackets". My sisters in law say their babies would have never slept "like that", etc.. All of these comments make me feel like I'm abusing my babies - not the case. We have let them sleep unswaddled for a few naps and those were the shortest naps ever! We intend to eventually wean them from the swaddle but for now it works. They are of course not swaddled when they have awake time or when we feed them. Thoughts?

 

We have been swaddling our girls since they came home from the hospital with the Miracle Blankets. We swaddle them nice and snug and our girls are good sleepers. However, our family members - my mom and my sisters in law, have expressed concern about this practice. My mom keeps asking if it is bad for their arms long term to be swaddled while they sleep and calls their Miracle Blankets "baby straight jackets". My sisters in law say their babies would have never slept "like that", etc.. All of these comments make me feel like I'm abusing my babies - not the case. We have let them sleep unswaddled for a few naps and those were the shortest naps ever! We intend to eventually wean them from the swaddle but for now it works. They are of course not swaddled when they have awake time or when we feed them. Thoughts?

 

No way is swaddling mean, especially if your babies like it. It makes them feel secure.
My babies do not like to be swaddled with their arms in so I stopped doing it, or swaddle them from the waist down but if your babies sleep better that way you should keep doing it. Don't listen to what other people say. Follow your babies cues and keep doing what makes them happiest.

 

Our pedi assured us that it's ok to swaddle.
I have found that if I tell well meaning relatives "the dr said so" they will limit their comments. maybe you could ask your pedi or search the internet for info to share with them?
I know how difficult it can be to be second guessed! I try to remember that the comments are made in the babies best interest but still sometimes it gets to me.
You're doing the right thing by doing what's best for your babies. they will let you know when they no longer need to be swaddled.

 

Our twins are 10 weeks and my daughter sleeps so awsome when she is swaddled for her afternoon nap and at night. If swaddled she can sleep for hours, if not she is up way more especially during her nap times, she wants to be held all the time so i think she feels more comfort when she is wraped up tight. My son i would say is 50 50 there are times when he is fussy that when i wrap him tight he can fall asleep but other times he will just fight it. he sleeps pretty good at night (not as much as his sister) but he loves to sleep with his arms spread way out, just like his daddy hahahah
I think if they like it and sleep good keep doing it

 

I didn't find it mean, I did it for 7 months and it worked like a charm.
They didn't mind, seemed attached to it. Then we switched to sleep sacks and that works well, too.

 

We would joke about the Miracle Blankets and call them Baby straight jackets. But you can definitly tell a difference when our babies were swaddled and not swaddled before bed. They would automatically calm down. It was just like the before and after pictures on the miracle blanket web site. My sister was the one could joked about them and now she is getting them as gifts for her friends that are expecting.

 

"baby straight jackets" That's actually pretty funny (from where I sit) but it's a good analogy. You swaddle them because they startle themselves and can't control those muscles that will cause them to whack themselves in the head or each other etc. and wake them up!

Not to worry!! Try to laugh them off. There are books and things on the internet you can print for them to show them they are not on the right track with their theories!

 

We swaddled for about 2 months but now they don't seem to like it. All my babies have slept better at first when swaddled, ped told me once that they spend 9 months cuddled in your belly- when you swaddle it is giving them that sense of confinement again and reminds them of the security of the womb. Don't feel bad, if they didn't like it they would most definitely let you know.

 

Swaddling is a highly recommended practice because it gives the babies the security of the womb and keeps them from startling themselves with normal baby reflexes.

 

I dont think its mean at all. It mimics the natural hold of a mother and makes a baby feel secure. Also, depending on how old your babies are it prevents them from waking themselves up, unnecessarily through the night, with their startle reflex. It is also a preventative of SIDS as the swaddle blanket is just that, a blanket and there is no issues of pulling the blanket over the head and face, risking suffocation.

As soon as my babies were able to get themselves out of their swaddle blankets (I used SwaddleMe by Kiddopotamus) I started swaddling with their arms free. Now I only do it if its chilly in our house and they need the warmth of a "blanket" I have a paranoia about putting loose blankets in their cribs so I think its great!!

 

Not only does swaddling comfort your babies, but it can lower the risk of SIDS. I got this from Wikipedia:
quote:
A modified form of swaddling is still popular today as a means of settling and soothing irritable infants. The lengthy swaddling cloths of mediaeval Madonna and Child paintings are now replaced with receiving blankets or flannelette sheets. The confinement is supposed to provide warmth and security for a baby who has recently left the womb. Today, many midwives swaddle infants soon after birth and it is now a standard newborn care practice in many hospitals.

Recent medical studies showed that swaddling appears to be a positioning technique that can enhance neuromuscular development of the very low birth weight infant and that it might have a role in further lowering SIDS risk.

Swaddling makes a lot of sense to me, our family is big into swaddling. In fact I still swaddle James at night, he has some wild crazy limbs and he wakes everyone up withhis flailing!

 

Ok, I guess it is not mean! I'm glad to hear so many feel good about it! I was starting to think it was some controversial thing! Thanks for everyone's replies!

 

We swaddled our twins until they were 7 mos. too! At first it was both arms in for a long time, then the last 2 mos., one arm out, then just a swaddle from armpits down. They slept so much better! We switched to Halo sleep sacks after that that they really loved those too, but it was a few day transition to get them used to not being so confined.

 

Swaddling makes them feel secure. They were tightly 'bound' in the womb, and swaddling helps them feel more comfy & secure.

 

Ours slept much better once we finally got the hang of swaddling. I won't admit to how many kids that took me! By contrast, I knew a family with 11 children. They swaddled all their babies, and she said she never had sleep trouble with any of them.

At this point, for me personally, I wouldn't bother researching anything to present to my family. If I wanted the information for myself, yes, but not to prove anything to others. However, if you think it would help you get them off your back, there's no doubt lots of information out there.

 

I used Miracle blankets and some people seemed appalled at the practice. I started to CIO and some of my friends were also appalled. Mine are almost 15 months and sleep a good 10-12 hour night, not waking up. I stopped using my miracle blankets around 6 months maybe 5 1'2 months because Madison was able to miraculously get out of the "straight jacket"

Truth is, they are your babies and you do what works for you. People will always give out unsolicited advice. You are not abusing them. They swaddled mine in the NICU when they were first born....I went to the miracle blankets cause I didn't know how to swaddle tightly with a regular blanket. THe miracle blankets aren't long term and I don't understand how that will damage their arms.

You are doing fine and so are your twins.

 

My boys loved it, we even bought one of those swaddle blankets when they got to big for a regular blanket. It makes them feel safe and secure and as though they are still in your belly!

 

quote:
No way is swaddling mean, especially if your babies like it. It makes them feel secure.


Ditto. Alot of experts refer it, because it is like being in the womb to them, and makes them feel secure. Ignore the negative comments and do what you want to do, what works best for you all.

 

I know it's hard to ignore family comments but PP are right if your kids like it and they are sleeping then keep with it. Whatever is best for you. It is definatly not mean.

 

If it works for your babies, I think it's great. Mine couldn't stand it even in the hospital, so we stopped and they slept better without struggling to get free. One even slept through at two months and the other was down to one wake-up. I had people telling me I HAD to swaddle them-as well as relatives telling me it was cruel. People seem to feel strongly about this issue, but I would have swaddled if it helped them sleep better.

Angela