Swaddling

Somehow, even swaddled, our twin girls would wriggle over to be close to each other. That only lasted the first week and then it was fisty cuffs and give me some space sister! I enjoy these rare few photos of them cuddling in as if they were still in the womb together :*)

When buying swaddling cloth choose at least 1m x 1m. Anything smaller is a waste of time as it comes undone when bub starts to wriggle (which will be faster than you ever imagined!). I bought slightly smaller ones but thank goodness a wonderful, cluey friend sent us two really big stretchy cotton ones (pictured) 1.2m x 1.2m from Bay Bee Cino (thank you so much Megan!). They were an absolute dream and we swaddled the girls in them every day as they were winter babies. When they passed the swaddling stage we used them to drape over the pram if the sun was too bright. The smaller ones I bought are still on a shelf barely used. They became burp cloths!

Swaddling (wrapping baby tightly in a blanket) is a great way to soothe your baby giving them a sense of security similar to being in the womb. It also reduces the risk of SIDs by restricting their ability to roll over.

There are many designs for swaddling out there including pre-shaped versions. If you have a winter baby I’d be inclined to buy 2 really good quality ones and if yours is a summer baby you really aren’t going to be able to swaddle them in too much. Square muslin cloths would be ideal. Again, at least 1m x 1m. Choose fabric that is appropriate to the season and remember the wrap counts as a layer of clothing.

Babies can get tired of having their arms restricted by around 4 weeks of age and start to really protest so don’t spend too much on swaddling. Buy 2 quality ones and you can rotate them in the wash. Any more than that and you’ll find in a month you could have better spent the money elsewhere. They always make a good burp cloth if you’ve bought or been given smaller ones.

Some babies are happy to be swaddled longer, some babies never want to be swaddled even from birth. It’s luck of the draw!

And of course if you can get your hands on it, organic is best. Babies are in their swaddling nearly 24/7 the first month when they sleep the most and my feeling is the less colouring and chemicals in their clothing, the better! Brand new baby skin (and their organs) haven’t been exposed to any of the multitude of our nasty chemicals in this world yet so in their first few months especially cheapie fabrics/outfits (from China and the like) should be carefully avoided. See story on Organic Baby Sleepwear for info on PBDE’s. Organic material and pre-loved (aka pre-washed) clothing reins king!

Some favourite swaddling recommendations from other mums in my circle:
The Woombie
The Miracle Blanket