The phrase “swaddling blanket” shows up in a few important places, including the story of Jesus, but these days you hear very little about what a swaddling blanket is. Of course the blanket part is pretty easy, everybody knows what a blanket is. It’s the swaddling part that most people have trouble with. What does it mean exactly to “swaddle” a child?
The literal definition of swaddling is to wrap something, but really, that would make any blanket a swaddling blanket. A swaddling blanket serves a very specific purpose and that purpose is to keep the baby from moving as little as possible. A properly swaddled child will be wrapped tight enough so that the child can wiggle as little as possible (though not so tight that the child has trouble breathing).
While this may seem a bit cruel, many child-rearing experts in both modern and historical times recommend swaddling blankets, though for very different reasons.
Historically, swaddling blankets were recommended due to the fact that they were thought to help keep the child from growing crooked. So much was the fear of a child growing crooked that frequently a child was swaddled to a board to further ensure that a child grow straight and well formed. Today, we know that this is just an old wives tale. A very old wives tale, when you consider that swaddling goes back several thousands of years. Using a swaddling blanket will neither help nor hurt how well a child physically grows. But using a board with a swaddling blanket may result in a deformation of the back of the head. Wrapping a baby with still soft skull against a hard surface can cause the soft skull to harden into the shape of that surface, in this case, a flat board.
So, if swaddling does not help a child grow strong and tall as once thought, why do people still use swaddling blankets? Today’s experts may recommend a swaddling blanket to help soothe a cranky baby. Depending on the temperament of a baby, some babies find being wrapped tightly in a blanket to be soothing. Many experts think that this is because a swaddling blanket emulates the tight confines of the mother’s womb.
There are a great many companies that sell swaddling blankets. These are very long blankets that will wrap around a baby several times.
But, in a pinch, you can use any blanket as a swaddling blanket. Swaddling a baby is actually very easy, much like wrapping an enchilada.
First, lay the blanket out in front of you with the corners pointing like the points of a compass. The blanket should look like a diamond, rather than a square. Lay the baby on its back in the center of the blanket. Take the southern point of the blanket and pull it up over the baby. Next, take the right side corner and bring it tight across the front of the baby, either keeping the baby’s arm at her side or wrapping with the blanket across her chest. Tuck that corner under the baby. Then, bring the other corner over the baby, doing the same as before with the arm, and wrap it tightly around the other side of the baby. Make sure that the blanket is not covering the mouth and nose of the baby.
And that is all there is too swaddling a baby in a blanket. Remember though, not all babies like to be put in a swaddling blanket. If you find that your baby cries quite a bit while being swaddled, this is a good indication that he is not enjoying it. But, if your baby settles down and is quiet, you can be sure that he is enjoying the loving hug of his swaddling blanket.