Tuesday, July 20, 2010

22 strategies for soothing a colicky baby ~ 18. Swaddle


Think about how snug your baby was before his birth, and you'll have a good idea how wide the world seems to him right now. Swaddling — an ancient method of wrapping your infant in a blanket or cloth — can help a baby feel less out of control. You can try swaddling your baby during feedings if he has trouble focusing on his meal, or wrap him up before his usual colicky period or before you put him down to sleep.

Not only might swaddling help your colicky baby get to sleep, there's a good chance it will help him stay asleep, too. Researchers have found that babies who are swaddled sleep more soundly than those who aren't. That's because when a baby twitches during sleep, his own movements can wake him up. Swaddling keeps that little twitch from becoming a full-fledged flail he's unlikely to sleep through.

The swaddling technique is easy to master. Once you find that your baby loves to be swaddled, you may even want to invest in a special swaddling bunting.

[source:babycentre.com]