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I think most of the women who are still swaddling, are doing so because they know it calms THEIR baby. Also most of them are newborns who didn't have a lot of room in the womb, so this is why some of us believe swaddlings is comforting to our babies. It reminds them of that. I don't know about your newborn, but I know my little guy calms right down when he is swaddled. Best of luck to us all.

I also swaddled my girl and then when she was 3 months she was wiggling out of it but that was because she discovered she could kick her feet so I stopped but some people said when their babes wiggled out they would cry until swaddled again.Like Shell said we all know our own babies best and if it works do it I say.No one does it to restrict them. From the day my girl was born the hospital staff swaddled her some like it some don't to each their own. I had a swaddled blanket that alowed her to have her arms free if she wanted.

Hi Connie, I was involved in that conversation about swaddling my baby. If you had have read the complete thread, we were actually dicussing that we would let our babies sleep unswaddled. Anyway, my daughter now sleeps without being wrapped up. I know that it IS recommended up to 3 months (which was what my child health nurse told me) for babies who have trouble sleeping.

I agree with you. Wrapping up a baby to the point it cannot move freely sounds evil!

I also was in that discussion. I was the one that used a shirt. My daughter is now almost 4 months old (tear...) and we are no longer swaddling her. However, I did not stop because she was breaking out. I stopped because I was afraid that she would get the blanket over her face. People swaddle their babys because of the morrow reflex that babies have. I would still be swaddling my baby girl if it didnt scare me so much about her getting it on her face. She did sleep better when swaddled.

well, seems like swaddling is just making sleep problems drag out longer, wouldn't it be easier to get them used to sleeping without swaddling when they are tiny and still adjusting to life outside the womb, rather than later when they have a routine going. Swaddling is an old-fashioned practice that is not commonly recommended anymore for that reason. You might have a few sleepless nights, but who doesn't with a new-born anyway? Better to have all the disruptions in the first few weeks while you're still establishing a routine than to disrupt it all again a few months down the track (unless you plan on swaddling till your child is 18? joke) My baby took a few weeks to settle into life outside the womb, it never even occurred to me to wrap him up as though to pretend he was still in there, I just perservered and now he sleeps fine. Just my opinion.

I don't know about everyone else's baby, but I know mine has a difficult time falling asleep, and that if I take too long putting her to sleep, she gets very very very cranky and will scream her little head off. Swaddling her helps save both of us that frustration, and so I will continue to do so until she can fall asleep una__sisted.

I'm just the opposite from most of the mom's here. I never (except for about the first week) swaddled my son. He didn't seem to enjoy being wrapped up. Parents know what is best for their baby. They do what works for them. My son likes to use a pacifier (his b___boo) for comfort. I have seen I shouldn't let him have that either.

I swaddled my daughter for almost an entire year. She loved it and that was how she liked to sleep. I don't know where you heard that it is no longer recommened as newborns are swaddled in the hospital. I think that it is fine that you have an opinion, but you do not need to act as though your's is correct. We are all parents and we all have different children and we know OUR children. Also, your comment of exploring their faces and what not, call me crazy but my daughter did not do that whilst sleeping which is the only time she was swaddled. And by the way, her growth was not restricted...you should serioulsy get off your high horse. Also, she's now seven and has no weird fears of blankets or anything...she's normal and does not seem traumatized by what she liked when she was an infant.

I love it if Gabriel liked to be swaddled! But he hates it! The little pooper moves around in his crib so much, you'd think he was 6 months old! He likes to be somewhat swaddled when carried, but the minute I lay him down, his feet start flying, and arms are punching... he like dit when he was in the hospital, but now that he's home, he couldn't be bothered. Maybe I'm not swaddling him right?

Actually the latest recommendations are to swaddle. The freedom to move their arms can trigger the moro (startle) reflex and wake them up. If anything, the jury is out on this, but first hard knowledge I've observed my daughter wake up because of the moro reflex. According to Harvey Karp who did extensive research on baby crying, swaddling is highly recommended. The baby will resist it but feels secure with it. If you don't know how to do it you can get the kiddopotamus blankets. They work well.

Seems like someone wanted to get a few bites by starting this forum, and it worked! It always amuses me when people react as expected. I also love the way people will say that something is so because that's what they were told. Things are different everywhere, they might be recommending swaddling in some hospitals, and discouraging it in others. I, personally had never heard of the practice, that's why I came to this thread to find out what it was. Keep the posts coming Ladies, it's entertaining to see how het-up people can get over something so small!

I only swaddled my daughter as a newborn when she was crying non stop and I did everything i could of done, and that really helped a lot, she stopped crying and went to sleep.

Smart comment. Please take that sarcastically. :o) Please.