Why Swaddle A Baby? - The Benefits Of Swaddling

Most parents will choose to swaddle their babies at the beginning. Some new parents may not know much about swaddling. Today’s article will introduce why to swaddle a baby and the benefits of swaddling.

The Benefits Of Swaddling

Simulate The Uterine Environment

Babies have grown inside their mothers’ wombs for a long time before they are born. People always prefer to be somewhere familiar, somewhere safe. Babies also will miss that uterine environment that can offer them enough sense of security. After birth, the new world is unsafe for them. People always feel uneasy and insecure in unfamiliar surroundings, especially babies.

Swaddling your baby with a quilt or a blanket can offer him a similar feeling and help him get a sense of security.   

  On the other hand, you also can swaddle your baby with Kaiya Baby swaddling sleep sacks that can help simulate the uterine environment to make babies feel safe and secure. Babies can have a more restful sleep. Parents also can squeeze time to have a rest and save energy.

Simulate A Gentle Touch From Parents

A gentle touch is important and necessary for newborns in their first year of life. Touch not only can offer babies a safe feeling but also can shorten the distance between babies and parents. Babies can feel mothers’ tender love through touching. A great swaddle must be soft, warm, and comfortable that can bring a similar touching feeling of mothers to babies.  

Stabilizes Babies’ Body Temperature

Swaddling babies with a great sleep sack with suitable TOG (thermal overall grade) also has its benefit. Babies always have colds easily because they are fragile and weak. Swaddling can help stabilize babies’ body temperature and protect them from catching a cold, especially in an air condition room. Swaddling also has no risks of overheating.

In addition, people need to choose different fabrics of sleep sacks in different seasons. For example, sleep sacks made of bamboo fiber are suitable to be worn on hot summer days. Bamboo fiber is a fabric that is more breathable and cooler than other regular fabrics. On the other hand, it also has good moisture absorption. Usually, babies have a faster metabolism than adults. So they are easier to sweat. Does your baby sweat a lot? Excessive sweating is dangerous. On the one hand, it can cause great fluid loss in your baby’s body and vomiting. On the other hand, it makes the baby get a cold easily. There are two swaddling sleep sacks in Kaiya Baby that are suitable for summer. One is the bamboo fiber front-opening sleep sack. The other is the organic sleep sack with mesh cotton. This organic sleep sack has mesh cotton on the back, which helps babies to lead the heat conveniently. Besides, organic cotton is also an ideal fabric. Because it is sustainable, organic, and safe.

After a period of time, with the arrival of winter, parents should change a warm sleep sack for the baby. Be sure to dress your little one warmly. Babies, especially newborns, have a weak immune system. They are easier to get a cold than adults. A warm and cozy sleep sack is necessary for a baby to get through the winter. Don't just focus on the warm-keeping of a baby’s body. People also need to pay attention to the baby’s limbs, like hands, feet, and head. For example, parents can wear their babies’ hats, mittens, socks, etc., to keep them warm.

Minimize The Risk Of SIDS

SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) now is one of the leading killers of infants. Some research suggests that bad babies’ sleep positions and bad sleep environments both will cause SIDS. Swaddling can help babies sleep in a safe fixed posture and have a cozy sleep environment. Then it can minimize the risk of SIDS.

• help the baby to have a suitable sleep position

Which sleep position is good for babies? Usually, there are three sleep positions: sleep on the stomach, sleep on the side, and sleep on the back. A swaddling sleep sack can help the baby to sleep in a safe sleep position. For the moment, sleeping on the back is a relatively safe sleep position than others. Sleeping on the stomach is easy cause your baby has the risk of suffocation. Sleeping on the side may affect your baby’s head shape.  

• create a good sleep environment

Swaddling and swaddling sleep sacks can create a good sleep environment for babies. They can feel safe and have a more restful sleep.

Reduce The Startle Reflex Or Moro Reflex

• Startle Reflex

The startle reflex is a kind of defending response to sudden or threatening stimulation, such as sudden noise or sharp movement. It is usually associated with negative affect. Infants tend to occur more frequently.

• Moro Reflex

The Moro reflex is an infantile reflex that develops between 28 and 32 weeks of gestation and disappears at 3 - 6 months of age. It is a response to a sudden loss of support. Usually, it involves three distinct components: spreading out the arms, pulling the arms in, and crying.

The key point to reducing the startle reflex and Moro reflex is to offer them a secure, calming, reassuring feeling. Swaddling is one of the useful ways.

Kaiya Baby Front Opening Zip Up Swaddle is ergonomic that can help babies reduce startle reflex and sleep tight. In addition, it also has a fit neckline designed that can help prevent your baby from suffocation.

Lightweight For Less Colic

Small infants may have colic. Because their digestive systems have not fully matured. Eating is a new experience for them. Sometimes, indigestion may cause extreme gas and pain.

A lightweight swaddle or swaddling sleep sack for babies can take the pressure off of their abdomen, comfort their mood, and make them feel more comfortable. The feeling of being wrapped or sleeping in a swaddling sleep sack can make your baby feel like they are still in the mother's womb. It can reduce the discomfort of your baby gradually.

Avoid Babies Rolling Over While Sleeping

Swaddling can avoid the danger of rolling over to protect babies from falling down the bed. On the other hand, good swaddling also can reassure the parents and help them get proper rest, even in the middle of the night.

Help Babies To Have A Longer, Restful Sleeping

Another important benefit of swaddling is to help babies improve their sleep quality. As  babies need to spend two-thirds time deep sleeping. Sleep also affects babies’ health and development. Besides, it also can make sure that parents can get rest.

Some Notes On Swaddling

• When your babycries or kicks his legs, you should soothe him first before wrapping him. If you force it, your baby may cry even more.
• Do not swaddle your baby too tightly. It will affect his breathing and bowel movements. It is best to fix your baby’s arms in the blanket or the quilt. But at the same time, the baby also needs to be comfortable enough to move his legs freely. 
• Adjust the thickness of the blanket and the swaddling sleep sack according to the current temperature. Do not make your baby too cold or too hot. Too cold can make the baby catch a cold. Too hot can make him overheated.
• When the baby is one month old, parents can let the baby’s arms and legs out of the swaddle to move freely when the child is not sleeping during the day. When your baby is about five months old, and they can roll over by themselves, you do not need to swaddle his whole body. If you keep swaddling a five-month-old baby, it may affect his normal development of bones and muscles.

Notes Of Newborn Care

Temperature and Light

Newborns may be uncomfortable with the changes in the outside temperature. The appropriate indoor temperature should be maintained at about 26 ℃. Make the baby to properly cool in summer. And parents need to keep the baby warm in winter. Besides, you also should pay attention to the bedroom, which needs to maintain good ventilation.

And indoor light can not be too dark or too bright. Some parents think that newborns are weak to light. So they often like to close the curtain. In fact, this is inappropriate, and you should let your baby learn to adapt to the natural light and pay attention to avoid the direct sunlight on your baby’s eyes.

Clothes and Diapers

The newborn baby's clothes and diapers should be soft and comfortable, preferably chemical-free and safe. Baby clothes should be lighted colors and can prevent the irritation of the skin of newborns.

Diapers should be of good quality, soft, and breathable. Parents can wash and change the diapers conveniently at any time. Do not wear your baby the diapers too tightly, or his limbs can not stretch freely.