Swaddling Myths

One of the best tips you can learn as a new parent is that swaddling can quickly and easily settle your baby and help them to sleep for longer. Swaddling is an important technique which helps to calm even the most fractious of babies. The first few months of a newborns life often involve sleepless nights for all of you, so anything you can do to help them sleep better is a bonus. However, many parents often hear various scare stories about swaddling, so buckle up and settle down with a cuppa whilst we dispel all these myths associated with swaddling your baby!

Myth #1 – Babies need their arms free to self-soothe and develop motor skills.

Research has demonstrated that being able to move their hands up towards their face, cheek and mouth helps babies to self-soothe and get a better night’s sleep. Whilst most swaddles don’t allow a baby to do this, using something such as the Love To Dream™ Swaddle UP™ with the ARMS-UP™ design allows a baby to keep their arms close by, rub their cheeks and suck their fingers.

Myth #2 – Swaddling causes overheating.

Overheating isn’t caused purely by swaddling, there are often other factors including dressing a baby in too many layers inside the swaddle. To help ensure your baby is sleeping at a safe temperature always use the correct tog level for the time of year, so a 0.2 tog in warmer weather, a 2.5 tog in colder weather or alternatively you can use a 1.0 tog year-round. The Love To Dream™ range are made of soft, breathable fabrics and feature panels made of lighter fabric to help keep your little one cool. There is also a guide available online and on product packaging to help you know how many layers of clothing to dress your baby on dependent on the temperature.

Myth #3 – Swaddling is uncomfortable for babies.

While it may seem that babies often initially resist swaddling and want to be free, once swaddled most babies often settle, are calmer and sleep much better. Swaddling provides the same safe feeling of being inside the womb and helps to soothe babies. The Love To Dream™ range is made of soft, stretchy fabric and the ARMS-UP™ design enables your baby to still self-soothe and also enables movements in the legs and hips.

Myth #4 – The same swaddle can be used until toddlerhood.

It’s important to use a swaddle suitable for your baby’s size and weight to enable a snug fit but also to allow for adequate room for movement of the arms and hips/legs. As your baby grows and develops, you will need to transition them through the Love To Dream™ range from the Swaddle UP™, to the Swaddle UP™ 50/50 Transition bag or 50/50 Transition suit and finally the Swaddle UP™ Sleep Suit.

Myth #5 – Babies don’t like swaddling.

Whilst some people view swaddling as an old-fashioned, ancient practice, it’s also an incredibly effective way of calming babies and helping both them and you sleep better. It is true that people in ancient times swaddled their babies, but it has stood the test of time and is still an effective tool that continues to work today. Whilst some babies will resist swaddling initially, quite quickly you will see them settled, content and calm as swaddling provides the same comforting feeling as being in the womb. If your baby truly doesn’t like swaddling, they will let you know, however often parents see the benefits of swaddling as soon as their baby settles and sleeps. Remember an unhappy baby wouldn’t be a calm, sleeping baby!

Let us know if you have heard any other swaddling myths we can bust for you!