At present, more and more people are talking about the dangers of swaddling: it does not allow the child to develop harmoniously, limits the perception of the world, disrupts tactile functions, and inhibits individuality. Not surprisingly, many young parents initially refuse to swaddle babies, but come to him, exhausted by sleepless nights.

In Russia, from time immemorial, it was customary to swaddle newborns with the help of a swaddle (midwife or swaddling) - a strip of homespun fabric about 15 centimeters wide, decorated with patterns with crosses.

Midwifery for a generation and served as a talisman. The child was wrapped in swaddling clothes, wrapped rather tightly around the top with a midwife in the direction from the shoulders to the legs.

Such tight wrapping was used in the first weeks to mitigate the birth stress experienced by the baby when born.

Today, inexperienced parents are taught that any swaddling is a relic of the past, violence against a person who should move freely from the first moments of life.

Friends welcome you to the site about the quality of sleep. I propose to consider swaddling, guided by common sense. We will talk about physiologically based or free swaddling, which helps the baby get used to his body and the new world gradually.

With this method, in the first weeks, the handles are not tightly pressed with a diaper to the body (later they are not wrapped at all), and the legs are free and wrapped around with a diaper.

Harm of tight swaddling

In the old days, children were tightly wrapped in a diaper so that they could not move, their legs were straightened, tightly pressed against each other, and straightened arms were wrapped around the body. Even tight swaddling was necessarily used as a medical procedure for premature, traumatized during childbirth and weakened children.

Currently, tight swaddling as a way to care for babies is extremely rare.

Scientific medicine, proved:

• prolonged and thoughtless tight wrapping inhibits the development of the baby's motor functions.

• Getting used to their legs and arms occurs in such children only by six months. They can wake themselves up with jerks in their sleep until 7 and 8 months of age.

• Tight wrapping of the legs provokes dysplasia (dislocation) of the hip joint.

• The general blood circulation in the body of the child is disturbed. The lungs are compressed.

• Overheating occurs, immunity decreases.

• With tight swaddling, the physiological habitual posture of the child is violated, his well-being, sleep, and nutrition worsen.

• The child is nervous and excitable.

• The risk of death of the baby increases.

Psychologists are sure: tight swaddling brings up a disciplined, submissive personality, ready for submission, develops such character traits as passivity, weakness of character, and a tendency to be a victim.

The benefits of free swaddling

Creation of comfortable conditions close to intrauterine

Before birth, the baby's body tightly hugs the walls of the uterus, they give support to his legs and arms. These close embraces become habitual and desirable. Any imitation of them allows the baby to feel comfortable.

The child at birth experiences the strongest fright:

• after a cramped, dark and warm habitat, he finds himself in a huge open, cool space, flooded with bright light and a variety of noise,

• meets with gravity, pain of compression of the body during passage through the birth canal, pain from the first breath when the lung tissue unfolds.

• Deprived of the usual support against the wall of the uterus, the legs and arms of the baby dangle randomly and frighten him.

Fear is a very strong negative emotion., drowning out and slowing down the development of all other functions: cognitive, tactile, motor, etc.

Swaddling limits the space surrounding the newborn baby, creates intrauterine tightness, gives a feeling of support, warms and allows you to take the usual position - pull the legs up to the tummy and suck on the fist. So he learns to calm himself.

A similar effect can be achieved without swaddling - you need to press the baby to your warm body and hold the dangling legs and arms with your hand. Close to intrauterine sensations soothe the child.

Development of touch

The tactile function begins to manifest itself from three months of intrauterine development of children. By 4 months, coordination of head and hand movements appears, the baby finds his mouth with his hands and begins to suck on his fist or finger, which becomes a habit.

In the last weeks before birth, the baby's body increases significantly, the uterine embrace becomes tighter, the legs and arms are pressed tightly against the body, which also becomes intrauterine. Periodically contracting, the uterus gives tangible bodily impressions of tight hugs.

Before birth, the source of tactile sensations is the entire surface of the baby's skin in contact with the walls of the uterus.

The skin of infants is the most sensitive organ through which the baby receives 85% of all information about the world.

After birth, the sense of touch continues to develop due to information coming from outside through contact with his skin, especially with legs and arms. Everything serves as a source of tactile information: a diaper, clothes, the body of mom and dad, your body, and so on.

For the sense of touch to develop successfully, you need the baby's legs and arms to bump into various surfaces constantly, and not flying in the air uncontrollably. In this case, he does not have time to be frightened by the infinity of the surrounding space.

The correct approach to the development of the sense of touch of newborns:

• for the time of sleep we swaddle with a minimum of clothes under the diaper (handles will stumble not only on the diaper, but also feel your body),

• if the baby is in the arms of adults and warms them with warmth, clothes should also be as small as possible.

• Provide the baby with the opportunity to explore the world, let him touch everything that is safe. The more diverse the stimuli, the more actively the sense of touch develops.

Research has proven that the physical contact of the newborn with the parents is very important . A child who is given the opportunity to lie on his mother's (father's) stomach or chest feels better and quickly adapts to new living conditions. Stroke his body more often, gently massage his feet and hands.

Vests with sewn-in sleeves interfere with the development of the sense of touch. When the hands long time closed, the baby is deprived of a variety of sensations: the ability to touch his body, surrounding objects, mother's breasts when feeding.

Swaddling improves the quality of your newborn's sleep

Our sleep consists of stages of light (REM) and deep (slow) sleep. During the transition from REM sleep to slow sleep, there is a change in nervous excitability. Our body trembles at the same time.

Babies have strong shudders., legs and arms are thrown up sharply. The baby gets scared and wakes up. It's all about the lack of brakes. nervous system. As they form (by about 30 days), the child's body will tremble less.

Swaddling helps the newborn learn in new conditions for him. The diaper keeps his legs and arms from throwing up.

In order for a child to develop actively, it is necessary:

• avoid fear, which hinders development on all fronts. Throwing legs and arms should be avoided. Swaddling will help with this.

• We create comfortable conditions close to intrauterine: posture (the legs are pulled up to the tummy, the arms are half-bent and not tightly pressed against the body), tightness (reasonably limit the space), body contact (we put it on our stomach).

• We allow the baby through touching the surrounding objects, more often we leave his palms open.

When to swaddle

The presence of the mother perfectly calms the baby and allows you to do without swaddling. Well, if the mother has the opportunity to carry the baby constantly in her arms (in a sling), the usual bodily sensations are created, the child sleeps calmly even without a diaper, parental hugs interfere with “tossing up”. A child warmed by mother's warmth can sleep and walk naked, which is very useful for the development of tactile functions.

But to provide round-the-clock tactile contact with the crumbs in modern society is unrealistic. The child still has to stay alone when, when the mother does household chores, eats, washes.

It is necessary to teach the child to be alone and not be afraid.. Swaddling will help with this, it will keep his naughty legs and arms from erratic movements and create a feeling of a limited and cozy space.

Experienced pediatricians and parents with many children it is advised to swaddle from the first moments of life, until the baby himself gets out of the diaper, showing his need and readiness for greater freedom. Most often, swaddling continues until 6-9 months of age.

How to swaddle

We are talking about free swaddling - the limbs have sufficient freedom for movement, the baby can habitually pull her legs up to her tummy and chat with them, and touch herself with her hands or pull them out and suck her fist. There should be as little clothes under the diaper as possible so that the child can feel not only the diaper, but also his body with his skin.

During the walk. By about the third week, the baby will begin to look at his surroundings with interest, he will want to touch the rattles in the crib and other objects. At this stage of development, swaddling “under the arms” can be introduced: the diaper wraps the legs, but does not interfere with their freedom.

When he sleeps. Conscious reactions of the limbs are formed by the age of one month, throwing up weakens, the baby wakes up less often from his sudden movements. You can practice swaddling "under the arms."

If throw-ups persist then keep swaddling with your hands. Some babies continue to jerk violently in their sleep for up to six months or more. What may be due to severe stress during birth: the child is frightened and does not accept the new reality. Do not rush him, he eventually adapts to new conditions.

Swaddle or not

The task of parents is to provide the baby with maximum safety and comfort for active development. Watch your baby, he will tell you the answer. Swaddling is unnecessary for many children, they sleep peacefully in sliders and undershirts, and they respond with active protest to attempts to swaddle them.

If a kid is scared of his little hands in a dream, then free swaddling necessary. At the same time, the diaper protects against hypothermia, because its own thermostat does not work in the early days.

Do you think free swaddling is harmful or beneficial? It is interesting to hear your opinion.

Elena Valve for the Sleepy Cantata project

In the following publications:

• how to overcome them.

• : difference from nightmares, causes, safe help for the baby.

• . How to retrain.

Today, the site for moms site will discuss the question of whether should you swaddle your newborn baby. Our grandmothers did not even think about the fact that swaddling can be avoided. In our time, there is a choice - to follow the good old traditions or give up diapers. However, both traditions and the development of new experience have their positive and negative aspects.

Do I need to swaddle a newborn

Previously, swaddling was considered a method of education fully developed personality, but not so long ago appeared The alternative to not swaddling has gained a lot of supporters. The indisputable benefit of diapers is that they contribute to the sense of touch of the little man.
Having been born, children study everything around.

Successful development of the sense of touch in babies due to the fact that their hands and feet are constantly touching different surfaces near the body, before the children "jump up" and get scared. In the process of touching the mother's body, feeling her touch, when the newborn wakes up and tries to get out of the diaper, he actively learns the environment. Toddlers who do not sleep in diapers have much less such incentives.

Another argument is so-called "throw-ups", those. spontaneous movements of the legs and arms of the baby. Their sharpness often frightens the little one, and diapers help to restrain the newborn from such sudden movements.

Many people think about whether it is necessary to swaddle a newborn baby, because today there is an abundance of practical diapers of various brands that perfectly absorb liquid and do not cause allergic reactions.

However, swaddling is mandatory, because in the early days there is formation of the daily routine of the newborn, and to achieve restful sleep at the right time is possible only by swaddling. You can swaddle not entirely, but only to the waist - from the neck to the waist. This method is especially useful when it is hot.

Varieties of swaddling

The answer to the question of whether it is necessary to swaddle a newborn at all is the following. Since a variety of things can stimulate and develop the baby's sense of touch, as mentioned above: diapers, clothes, his body, mother's hands etc., depending on their diversity and frequency of impact on the child, developmental processes proceed more actively.

From this point of view, there are two types of swaddling.

Free swaddling

Ordinary diaper - the most The best way, helping from "throw-ups". The newborn immediately calms down when he is swaddled, giving an intrauterine posture. This type of swaddling does not prevent the baby from moving arms and legs, and the fewer clothes on him, the better for the development of touch. Children who are freely swaddled can pull their hands up to their faces, find their mouth, just like in their mother's stomach, suck their fist, dangle their legs.

tight swaddling

Is it necessary to swaddle a newborn tightly? Once this method of swaddling was used, to give birth to premature babies. Now it is difficult to meet a mother who knows how to swaddle a baby tightly using a swaddle.

“Tight” today is called swaddling more dense, when the arms and legs of the newborn are straightened under the diaper. This prevents "tossing up", however, at the same time provokes a violent reaction when the child wakes up.

You can read more about the questions in the article of the same name on our website.

The first mistake, which has no scientific basis, is the opinion that tight swaddling will affect the harmony of the baby's legs. But at this age, the cause of the curvature of the legs lies in possible congenital bone anomalies or increased muscle tone. The elimination of these deviations is solved by contacting specialists.

The following misconception associated with tight swaddling - the baby will sleep better. It is worth noting that this recommendation is not suitable for all children. Frequent shuddering of the limbs may indicate problems of the nervous system, which also requires examination.

And finally, another myth is that due to tight swaddling the newborn behaves calmly, after all, such a posture is the most physiological, since it is closest to the embryonic.

Whether it is necessary to swaddle a newborn tightly is up to you. It's a comfortable look for busy moms doing chores while their tightly bound toddler is immobilized. However, this violates the natural physiological position of the limbs in a newborn, already formed little man.

It may also be noted muscle hypertonicity and impossibility of normal blood circulation and respiration small, and if the room is also hot, diaper rash in the folds and sweating will easily occur.

Listen to the opinion of experts.

When deciding whether to swaddle a newborn, keep in mind the individual characteristics of each baby. A kid from his very birth is a person who is not like the rest. And what is perfect for one person may be completely unacceptable for another. Let your baby be comfortable both in a diaper and without it!

The baby was born. One of the first questions that parents will definitely have is whether to swaddle a baby.

Grandmothers, of course, will convince in chorus that swaddling is vital, and tighter, otherwise “it will wake itself up with its hands”, “it will not sleep well”, etc. The older generation has a thousand and one reasons in their arsenal, which they at any time ready to explain the benefits of swaddling. However, parents should weigh the pros and cons. And in this they are ready to help a well-known pediatrician and author of books and articles about children's health Evgeny Komarovsky.

A bit of history

Diapers appeared when people realized that the baby needs to be protected from the cold, wind, and sun. And it happened in ancient times. The first diaper was the skin of an animal.

Diapers have evolved along with humanity. Obviously, says Yevgeny Komarovsky, they long time existed so that adults could save on clothing. For the first six months, a baby who is tightly wrapped in rectangular pieces of fabric of different densities really does not really need pants and shirts.

A little later, the diapers found a medical justification. So, even 20-30 years ago in maternity hospitals doctors explained to women in labor that swaddling would make the baby's legs smoother, and he himself would be calmer. Swaddling was taught even before childbirth, for “training” they used rubber baby dolls, similar in size to newborns. They even reached the invention of several swaddling techniques - tight, free, partial.

Over time, pediatricians began to notice that legs crooked from birth do not straighten, no matter how much a child is swaddled, and in general, children who, due to the “negligence” of clumsy mothers, grow unswaddled, develop faster physically and mentally. So what was dogma began to be questioned.

Later it turned out that it is more difficult for swaddled children to breathe, and the kids, who are finally untied, immediately take a certain position - they tighten their legs and arms. It is this position that is more physiologically correct for the baby, familiar, because in the womb for 9 months he lives and develops without diapers.

Doctors and parents were the first to rush to eradicate tight swaddling. Then they began to swaddle in a new way - widely. A child who, under the diaper, moves his arms and legs and draws his knees under the diaper, does not look as beautiful and neat as the “column” that results from tight swaddling. But the benefit for him has become much greater, if only because the kids have become more comfortable.

A little later, child psychologists and other specialists appeared who took it upon themselves to authoritatively declare that swaddling, even free swaddling, is dangerous for a child - a boldly thinking, freedom-loving and independent person will never grow out of him.

Swaddle or not?

Yevgeny Komarovsky advises parents not to take such "scientific works" to heart. First of all, because they were written and invented by people who were also swaddled in childhood.

In order for a child to grow up as a good, harmonious, developed person, he needs normal intra-family relations in which he will be brought up correctly and reasonably. Genetics, heredity, the degree of religiosity of the family in which he grows up, social conditions and many other factors play a role. But no one in the history of our planet has ever been able to reasonably and scientifically prove that a person’s personal qualities are in any way affected by what diapers and with what force he was wrapped at a tender age.

It is for this reason that parents must answer the question of whether to swaddle or not, on their own. How it will be more convenient for the adults themselves.

Benefits of swaddling: economy, convenience, no need to update the wardrobe every month as the child grows.

Benefits of not using diapers:

• the opportunity to entrust dressing to dad, because he is unlikely to learn how to swaddle, and he is quite capable of dressing a child in human pants and a shirt;
• washing powder shirts take less than diapers;
• The rompers need less space to dry and they dry faster, plus the diapers need to be ironed all the time.

Yevgeny Komarovsky notes that in the summer months, when it is hot, it is better to refuse swaddling, both loose and tight, because it is very easy to overheat a child in diapers. In winter, there is another risk: the baby will still turn around and freeze at night.

Only parents, and only themselves, should make this decision.

There is no harm in swaddling a newborn, says Yevgeny Komarovsky, with the exception of some diagnoses in which it is undesirable to twist the child tightly, for example, with hip dysplasia. But about medical problems, if they occur, doctors will definitely report.

It is also not worth counting on any special benefit from swaddling. A restless child in diapers does not become calmer, especially if he diligently gets out of the hated diaper for half the night instead of sleeping and letting his mother sleep, just because he is hot or uncomfortable in it, or the handle is numb and there is a physiological need to give her a different position in space.

True, sometimes swaddling really helps to fall asleep if the child is nervous, often throws up his arms in his sleep and worries himself.

Until what age should a baby be swaddled?

Many parents, after weighing all the pros and cons, decide in favor of swaddling. True, not for the whole day, but only for the night, so that the child gets used to sleeping at night, and not to dangle his arms and legs.

Until what age to swaddle a child, his parents also decide. When the baby grows up, he may himself cease to be favorable to the diaper and begin to protest against its use.

Most parents manage to cope with the sudden "splashes" of the baby's arms by 2 months, for some crumbs the habit of chaotically waving limbs in a dream lasts up to six months. In rare cases, the child is swaddled at night for up to 8-10 months. It depends on the individual characteristics of the baby and his temperament.

Parents always know best what their child wants and prefers. If he is uncomfortable in the sliders, the mother will definitely feel it, and will use the diaper in time. There are no restrictions, strict time frames, rules and contraindications, says Yevgeny Komarovsky.

See also the opinion of Dr. Komarovsky on swaddling a newborn in the next video.

Detailed instructions See below for how to properly swaddle your baby.

Ekaterina Rakitina

Dr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Klinikum, Germany

Reading time: 6 minutes

A A

Article last updated: 04/21/2019

Every new parent faces the same dilemma, is it necessary to swaddle a child at night, or, after all, can you do without it? In fact, this method has been used for more than one thousand years, and it’s not so easy to convince people that it is not needed. There will still be conservatives to whom you can prove nothing. But is there really evidence that swaddling is harmful, or vice versa, that it brings any benefit? It is worth knowing what Dr. Komarovsky has to say about this.

Myths and misconceptions

Let's first highlight all the known positive arguments of diaper adherents:

1. You don't throw away money for new clothes every couple of weeks;
2. The baby freely moves his limbs, without experiencing absolutely no discomfort (with free swaddling);
3. The child is more accustomed to the feeling of limited space and is not fully ready for the "big world" after spending 9 months in a narrow mother's womb;
4. If you do not swaddle the baby, then the legs may grow crooked;
5. The child cannot move his arms in his sleep, respectively, he will not wake himself up.

Cons of tight swaddling

However, all these points turn out to be speculation, Dr. Komarovsky refuted most of these myths, proving that tight swaddling on a child has a mostly negative effect.

He also systematized its harmful effects point by point:

1. Constantly being constrained in movements, the baby cannot develop motor skills normally, they are inhibited motor functions and in the future, the reaction of the limbs will never be excellent;
2. Dysplasia (dislocation) of the hip joint is provoked;
3. After spending more than 3-4 hours in this way, the child begins to experience overheating and immunity decreases, which is so necessary in the first months of life;
4. He becomes more nervous and excitable, sleeps less;
5. Circulation is hindered by compression, which also affects the lungs. In the future, a small part of them may atrophy. You are at risk for lung and heart disease;
6. Psychologists say that this has a detrimental effect on the psyche of the baby, laying in his head a program of humility and submission.

Benefits of free swaddling

These are the highlights. Although this applies only to tight swaddling, in the case of free swaddling, on the contrary, Dr. Komarovsky noted a couple of positive factors:

• A little pressure is psychologically reminiscent of a small mother's womb, allowing you to feel at ease. In the first months, it can be very difficult for him to get used to an open space full of sounds, colors and smells. The absence of fear allows him to quickly adapt and begin to explore the world. According to Dr. Komarovsky, a similar effect can be achieved only by firmly pressing it to your body;
• There is a natural development of touch. If the arms and legs of the child are not restrained by anything, then they will be in a chaotic search and the brain will not have time to cope with the flow of information that will enter it. However, this function begins to manifest itself not earlier than the third month of life. Fourthly, a baby who copes with development correctly should already be able to find his mouth with his hands.

Importance of touch in the first year of life

We will dwell on the last point in more detail, since it is fundamental.

As deep research shows, it is the skin baby is the conductor of more than 80% of the information they receive about the world around them.

That is why it is so important to contribute to this process. Even the night is no exception, the baby often searches with his hands in a dream for something to grab onto, thus preventing himself from sleeping if his hands are completely free. In addition, during the transition from slow sleep to fast sleep, the body shudders, which again can disturb and wake the baby. For the period of sleep, it is necessary to leave as little clothing as possible under the diaper, but it is better to do without it at all, so that he feels his body.

Thus, Dr. Komarovsky convinced us that not all swaddling is equally useful, but it is not worth giving up on it either. Nothing better people have come up with yet. However, the question arises, when and how to swaddle a baby so that it is beneficial?

When to start swaddling your baby

Experienced pediatricians advise mothers to devote more time to their children, while he is in your hands, he does not need diapers. If you have the opportunity to spend the night with him in the same bed, use it, thus creating the desired effect and without another swaddling. In addition, you can sleep with your mother completely without clothes, which contributes to a faster development of touch. But in any case, mom and her baby won’t be able to hug all day, which means you still have to swaddle him.

You need to start swaddling him from the very first moments of life and do this until the moment when he himself begins to extricate himself from the diapers. This will signal that the baby is really ready to open a new, wonderful world. From this moment on, you can stop restricting her movements. This usually happens by 6-9 months of age.

How to swaddle

Dr. Komarovsky believes that it is necessary to swaddle a child not only at night. During daytime sleep, this process is no less necessary, but it is important to recognize the moment when you need to start swaddling “under the arms”. But if the baby starts waking himself up again, go back to the original method. The fact is that birth is the biggest stress in a person's life. It is associated with great fear and severe pain. It all depends on the strength of the nerves and the level of childbirth. It happens even up to 9 months the baby shudders in a dream and wakes itself up. This is purely individual and is not a cause for concern. You can also swaddle him during walks so that he behaves calmer.

A newborn or not is up to the parents, but first you need to consider all the pros and cons.

Why you need to swaddle your baby

First of all, in a diaper, the child feels in a familiar environment, similar to the womb. So he is warm and cramped, he gradually gets used to the new world. Swaddling is especially necessary for weak babies - in this way, the intrauterine period is extended for them, they can gradually get stronger.

Newborns do not know how to control their movements, they can only jerk their arms and legs sharply. During such “throw-ups”, the child may be frightened of his own limbs, therefore, in order to calm him down, they need to be pressed against the baby’s body. Moreover, it is obvious that diapers protect the newborn from injury. He will not be able to roll over in his sleep facing the pillow and suffocate. Also, a swaddled baby will not fall out of the crib in any way, and it will be easier to wear it.

A modern take on how to swaddle a newborn baby

In our time, there is a change of all stereotypes and a rejection of traditions. However, there are also conservatives who, although in a new way, swaddle children. In any case, to make a decision, you need to know all the advantages and disadvantages of swaddling, myths about it.

Positive aspects, advantages and pluses of swaddling

Despite the new trends, there are many arguments for swaddling children. Let's consider the main ones:

• A newborn child often feels a drop in the body, and a sheet will protect him from hypothermia.
• A swaddled baby will not wake himself up at night due to careless movements.
• Swaddling a baby may be prescribed by a doctor for dysplasia or underdevelopment of the hip joints.
• Weak and premature babies need a diaper as an imitation of the intrauterine environment.
• FROM practical point, a wrapped baby is much more comfortable to hold and carry.
• Swaddling in the first weeks of life helps keep body temperature normal.
• The tightness reminds the child of the situation in last days before birth, which helps him feel more comfortable.
• There are also material benefits in using diapers. Clothes for newborns are very expensive, and the baby will grow out of it in a matter of days.

Negative sides, disadvantages and cons of swaddling

Opponents of swaddling explain their position by the fact that:

• If you limit the baby in movements for a long time, he will begin to lag behind in development - both physically and psycho-emotionally.
• Swaddling in very hot weather can overheat the baby, because in the first days of life, thermoregulation in his body is impaired.
• It is dangerous to swaddle a baby tightly because it can slow down blood circulation and disrupt the functioning of the neurovascular system.

In addition, they offer to monitor the behavior of the baby. If he breaks out in every possible way and does not want to lie in a diaper, you should think about refusing to swaddle.

Misconceptions about swaddling

• Ancient tradition. No need to think that everything old is bad. The old is, first of all, proven over the years. You do not refuse just because the first people did it.
• The baby is deprived of the opportunity to recognize the world and move. There is some truth in this, but then you can leave the diaper only at bedtime. soothe crying baby Still, it's easier to swaddle it.
• It is not comfortable for children to be in the “soldier” position. On the contrary, the newborn may be frightened or wake himself up with his own movements. Therefore, this type of swaddling in the first weeks of life is quite suitable.
• The baby needs to be swaddled so that the legs are not crooked. An obvious myth, because people have been swaddled for a long time, but there are no less bow-legged ones from this. Tight swaddling will slow down your circulation and will only make things worse. Is it worth the risk, decide for yourself.
• Swaddling will put all the organs in place. You can’t hope for a miraculous method, because it’s not true. Repositioning effect internal organs is achieved only when a special .

Did you know? Scientists have proven that while cryingthe child copies the intonations and accent of the mother, overheard by him in the womb.

Let's look at the main types of diapers to find out how to choose them correctly and what to look for when buying.

Varieties of diapers

Today on the shelves of children's stores there are dozens of various types which differ in size, material, price. They all have their own characteristics, so different types able to help the baby different ages and under different conditions. Consider the most popular:

• Fur

This is a winter version that replaces the newborn outerwear. She needs to swaddle a child whose birth time fell on the winter. It depends on whether you can walk with the baby on the street. Also, fur diapers are wrapped instead of a blanket or blanket. They easily roll up into an envelope for safe walks in the first months of life.

• Calico

Chintz is a natural, rather thin material from which reusable diapers are obtained. They can be used as a bed sheet or baby's first towel.

• flannel

The flannel diaper is also made from absolutely natural cotton material. It is very soft and pleasant for the delicate skin of the baby.

• Knitted

Relatively recently, knitted diapers appeared. Now this type is almost the most popular, due to its practicality in use. They are convenient to swaddle a baby, especially if you need to do it.

• Disposable

There are also disposable diapers, which help to greatly facilitate the care of the baby. They can be put inside knitted or flannel diapers, cover the crib, used for visiting a doctor, walking. However, they serve only as an addition to reusable ones.
These are the most comfortable diapers that simplify the process of swaddling and do not bring discomfort to the child.

Important!The assortment of stores also offers disposable diapers with Velcro.

This novelty will help parents avoid bowel leaks during doctor visits, long walks and on the road. The diapers are made of pleasant velvety fabric.

Features of swaddling and diaper selection

• Make sure that all edges of the product are well stitched. Rigid seams can rub the baby, so it is better that the firmware is an overlock. Moreover, spilled threads can get into the baby's mouth or nose.
• Be sure to familiarize yourself with the composition of the fabric. It must certainly be natural cotton material.
• Feel the fabric: it should be pleasant when touching the body, and knitwear should be plastic.
• It is not recommended to purchase diapers that are too colorful and bright, this can quickly bother the baby and annoy with repeated use. In addition, doctors believe that the flashy color of clothing can harm vision, and dyes can cause when the fabric gets wet.
• Do not buy children's things in spontaneous markets from non-certified sellers. Only in specialized stores can you buy a thing for the quality of which sellers are responsible.
• Choose larger products, so it will be much more convenient to care for the child. Small ones can be useful only in the first days of a baby's life.

How many diapers to take

IN modern world the appearance of diapers made life easier for parents, so you should not buy packs of diapers. We present an approximate list of the minimum number of diapers that a newborn will need:

• Flannel - 5 pieces.
• Calico - 5 pieces.
• Knitted - 5 pieces.
• Velcro - 2-3 pieces (fleece and flannelette).
• Disposable diapers for the discharge of the baby from the maternity hospital are enough 10 pieces. In the future, it will become clear whether they are still needed.

Is it possible to swaddle in the heat

The debate about whether to swaddle a baby on hot days lasted for a long time. Finally, experts came to the conclusion that it is possible to swaddle, observing certain rules.
First of all, it is important to protect the baby from overheating. Choose only light natural fabrics like chintz, it will protect delicate skin from irritation and diaper rash in the heat.

It is enough to wrap the child in a knitted sheet. It is not recommended to use gauze fabrics, because in addition to lightness, they will bring irritation to the child due to the hard texture.

Do I need to swaddle a newborn baby at night

Swaddling a baby at night is not only possible, but necessary. During sleep, newborns are especially vulnerable, their own movements can either scare them or wake them up.

Did you know?For the first six months of life, a baby can breathe and swallow at the same time.

Also, an unwrapped baby can roll over face into the pillow or simply fall out of the crib.

modern swaddling

Nowadays, there are four main ways of swaddling:

Until what age do we wrap babies

Starting from, and during the first month of a baby's life, caring for him is necessarily accompanied by swaddling. After a few weeks, parents can decide whether or not to swaddle the newborn in the future.

Observe the behavior and character of the baby, which manifests itself from the first days. Everything is individual here - if your child is active, then swaddling will prevent him from developing fully. At night, his playfulness can be harmful, so swaddle him at bedtime, and during the day put him in overalls and vests.
Calm babies feel comfortable being wrapped up, so you can swaddle them until they themselves want more space. Three months after birth, it is even harmful to swaddle babies, because the arms and legs have already grown stronger and must actively move. The diaper in this case will lead to a slowdown in the development of the limbs.

What not to do when swaddling

Regardless of the method of swaddling, the main task of parents is not to harm the baby. That's why you need to follow some rules:

• Before swaddling a newborn baby tightly for sleep, check with your doctor about whether it is worth it. Doctors say that you need to choose a free way.
• Don't cover your child's nose and chin, as you risk making it difficult for them to breathe.
• There should be no wrinkles on the diaper, these scars can damage the baby's skin.
• Watch the temperature in the room - if it's cool, then first put on the child's sliders and baby's undershirt, and only then wrap it in a diaper.
• On hot days, it is better to use thin cotton sheets for reinsurance.
• Never pierce the diaper with pins or needles.
• It is forbidden to swaddle the baby in woolen scarves or fur. Soft skin should breathe through natural cotton fabrics.
• The diaper must be cleaned, ironed and steamed.

Important! Remember that the temperature of the baby can easily drop, so wrap him on top with a flannelette at night.

Is it necessary to swaddle a newborn - the opinion of Dr. Komarovsky

The most famous children's doctor Komarovsky expressed his opinion on whether it is necessary to swaddle a newborn baby. He stated that the decision should be made by the parents themselves, observing the character of their baby. Moreover, noted that in any case it will not have a serious impact on your child. It is natural that progress does not stand still, and today people are moving away from outdated technologies. However, it is important to remember that everything new does not always mean the best, so it is better not to experiment when it comes to caring for a child. It is up to the parents themselves to decide whether to swaddle the baby or not, based on the behavior and health of the child. No need to blindly follow fashion, choose the "golden mean".