Tips to Try Tuesday: Swaddling

Swaddling... Its like a magical thing..
Baby won't sleep? Swaddle them!
Baby is fussy? Swaddle them! 
Baby is cold? Swaddle them! 

But what exactly IS swaddling? 

Swaddling is when you wrap a baby tightly in a blanket, basically to replicate the feelings of being in the womb. 

Steps: 

1. Lay the blanket out in the shape of a diamond, and bend the top point in about 1/2 way to center.
2. Starting on the Left (your left) bring corner over and tuck snuggly behind baby. Make sure baby's legs are NOT straight, they need to be in a frog or "M" position 
3. Bring the bottom corner up and tuck tightly behind baby's left shoulder (your right side when looking at baby.) Make sure that the blanket is NOT covering baby's face or too tight/close to their neck. 
4. Bring the Right side (only one open now) all the way around baby and tuck into the front fold. 
5. Tuck any loose ends that may appear or areas that are bunched up! 
6. Done! Nap time (or if your child is like my son, in 10 minutes you will be redoing this process all over!) 

What if Swaddling is too hard or baby does not like it? 
There are some fantastic products on the market today that help with swaddling quicker, tighter, or easier. Most babies LOVE to be swaddled but of course there are those out there that do not! As always gage what your baby needs or wants! 

Product Review 
Here are three products that could help if your baby does not like being swaddled with a "traditional" blanket! 

1.) The Halo Sleep Sack- Many hospitals are now using these as an alternative to blankets! They come in cotton or fleece so you can choose which fabric is best for baby! They make swaddling a breeze, and allow baby to move their legs naturally (in case you have a little Houdini like I did! 
http://www.halosleep.com/sleepsack-swaddle/

2.) The Woombie- One stop shop! You place baby in, zip up and you are done! This is great if you think that swaddling is too hard or you have a fidgety baby! These come in a cotton/spandex blend and are available in multiple sizes. 
http://www.woombie.com/product/original-woombie/

3.) The Zipadee-Zip- This blanket provides a slight resistance but allows for baby to move freely. It is a star shaped design to help baby have more room.  This is used for babies that are transitioning out of a "traditional" swaddle but still need some extra soothing.  These come in different fabrics and also three different sizes! 

Important things to remember: 
Always make sure you lay baby down on their back
Once baby begins rolling over, they can not be swaddled anymore
Always make sure baby's airway is not blocked and baby is able to move their head 
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