Swaddle your baby

The hospital staff probably already taught you how to swaddle your baby. Swaddling helps to keep your baby warm and cozy. This is especially important in the first few days after birth. Swaddling your baby is a snug blanket also helps to calm babies. It may also prevent their own startle reflexes from disturbing them.

For the first few weeks following birth, you can let your baby sleep swaddled up for the major part of the day. Later you can restrict swaddling to only when your baby is napping.

Here is how you can perfect the technique of swaddling your baby:

• Spread down the blanket on a flat surface. Fold about six inches of the top-right corner.
  
  
• Gently lay down your baby, placing the head over the folded corner.
  
  
• Take the top-left corner of the blanket and wrap it round the baby. Tuck in the tip under the baby’s right arm and back.
  
  
• Now pull up the bottom corner of the blanket and tuck it under the baby’s chin.
  
  
• Finally, pull the right corner over the baby’s right side and tuck it under your baby on the left side.
  
  
• Once your baby is a little bigger, you can wrap the blanket under the arms. This will allow the arms to remain free.