Keep Your Baby Cozy

"Swaddling" refers to the practice of wrapping an infant in a blanket so that the movements of their legs and arms is somewhat restricted. Infants are swaddled by placing them on a "T" or "Y"-shaped folded blanket, bringing up the bottom portion to cover the feet and legs (which, in very small infants, are normally held close to the body), and tightly crossing the arms of the "T" or "Y" over the shoulders and across the chest, folded into one another to create a loose sort of friction lock. Swaddling blankets are typically given as a baby shower gift, as they're useful from birth onwards.

Swaddling an infant not only keeps them warm, it also reduces their chances of awakening themselves with their startle reflex, comforts them by replicating a womb-like environment, and may cut down on the risk of SIDS. Newborns in many hospitals are swaddled while away from their mother; most infants become too active for traditional swaddling when they're about five or six months old. "Swaddling" may also refer to the blankets in which the baby is wrapped, i.e., swaddling clothes. These types of blankets and specialized wraps make a practical and thoughtful baby shower gift.

Swaddling has only recently regained acceptance in modern culture, after several important studies were done to measure the behavioral effects. For several centuries prior, it was considered to be repressive and neglectful to bind a child. Modern science reveals it is actually very beneficial to an infant's sense of security and health, not to mention their personal comfort, and may allow them to enter a deeper level of REM sleep.

Modern Innovations in Swaddling

Swaddling has been around for ages, and has gone through many different variations in the types of blankets and the number of different accessories required to "properly" swaddle a child. The traditional baby shower gift of a large square or rectangular blanket for swaddling can now be replaced by a more modern baby shower gift accomplishing the same feat.

One of the most popular and effective modern variants on swaddling is called a "baby sleeping bag". This excellent baby shower gift is essentially a bag, as the name states, with a zipper in the front and holes for the neck and arms. It functions as a wearable blanket, to ensure the baby stays warm and covered while sleeping. Some varieties come with 'wings' or removable sleeves which can be fastened with velcro in a swaddling fashion. This is one baby shower gift the parents are bound to use, as they're easy to care for and can help small infants sleep through the night much sooner.

There are numerous types of 'winged' blankets on the market that function as swaddling blankets, and every parent-to-be should request at least one as a baby shower gift. They're the one baby shower gift you know for certain you'll use, especially when you realize how beneficial they are to the development of your growing baby. Although many people purchase blankets as a baby shower gift, few give thought to the need for swaddling blankets in specific, making them the perfect combination of useful, stylish, and thoughtful baby shower gift.