Most new parents do not know how many months a newborn should be swaddled. Having brought the baby from the maternity hospital, mothers and fathers begin to put into practice their knowledge of swaddling. How and when to wean a child from swaddling is up to the family to decide for itself.

Until how many months should a baby be swaddled?

How many months do newborns need to be swaddled is a common question asked of pediatricians. Doctors say: you need to swaddle a newborn for at least one month. During this time, the baby in diapers more easily gets used to the huge world in which he begins to live.
Some time will pass and the young mother will understand until what month she needs to swaddle her newborn baby. Most often, the baby himself lets you know: he sleeps more calmly in a loose diaper, reacts sharply to tight swaddling, and tries to free himself. Doctors believe that it is correct to say that up to five months you can swaddle a baby if the baby requires limited space.

You can stop swaddling a newborn baby as early as three months of age, pediatricians confidently say. Mothers stop swaddling their newborn when the baby is sleeping peacefully and does not wake himself up by shaking his arms. Sometimes, after such signals, parents completely stop swaddling the child, wrap only the legs, and cover them with a blanket. Gradual refusal promotes calm and proper psychophysiological development of the baby.

How to teach a child to sleep without swaddling during the day?

Babies begin to be swaddled from birth, they quickly get used to falling asleep this way: it’s cozy, warm, and calm in a swaddle. There comes a time when parents want to stop swaddling their child while sleeping. Teaching a child to fall asleep without swaddling is difficult, but possible. This requires little - parental patience and time.

You can follow the advice of pediatricians and gradually stop swaddling during the day.

• If the baby falls asleep swaddled, you need to slightly loosen the diaper, and if you are sleeping soundly, carefully unfold it.
• When the baby suddenly wakes up, you need to rock him to sleep as soon as possible; mother’s warmth will calm him down and help him fall asleep. Then put him to bed unswaddled in his crib.
• It is important not to forget to put scratches on the hands; in a dream, a child may accidentally injure himself.
• Teaching a child not to swaddle him is not that difficult. It is necessary to gradually loosen the diaper day by day until the baby gets used to simple covering.

Until how many months should a baby be swaddled at night?

You may not need to swaddle your newborn at night from the very beginning. But, if parents choose swaddling at night, they subsequently have to decide how long to swaddle the baby at night.

Naturally, mom and dad know how their baby sleeps, whether he falls asleep well without swaddling, and whether he wakes himself up in his sleep. If the child sleeps and behaves restlessly, wakes up, cries, then it is too early to cancel swaddling at night. Pediatric doctors agree that freely swaddling a child at night can be practiced for up to five months, if he sleeps so comfortably and peacefully. After all, the child’s psychological state is directly related to his physical comfort.

How to wean a child from swaddling at night?

When parents decide to wean their child from sleeping without swaddling, they need to be patient and determined, because this will not happen overnight. Children do not change habits quickly. Of course, it will take time and persistence from parents to wean a child from night swaddling.

It is necessary to wrap the baby loosely in a blanket, giving him the opportunity to unwrap himself while sleeping. At the same time, make sure that he does not freeze at night and cover him.

You can purchase a special sleeping bag or a cocoon diaper, in which your child will feel comfortable falling asleep. In such products, movements are not as constrained as in a regular diaper.

Insulated sleeping bag for newborns

Sleeping bag with wide sleeves

Long sleeveless sleeping bag

There is a clasp on the bag itself, which can and should be gradually loosened, giving the baby more and more freedom in his sleep. There will come a time when you can give up the sleep sack.

The cocoon diaper is very convenient to use. The product takes the desired shape due to the composition of the fabric. Good for young children. The cocoon diaper does not fix the arms, like a tight swaddling, the child can move them freely, feel and explore himself. It is much easier to teach your baby to sleep without swaddling after wearing a cocoon swaddle; you should gradually give the baby more and more freedom by unfastening the zipper or Velcro.

Cocoon diaper with zipper

Velcro cocoon diaper

There are children who are prevented from falling asleep by chaotic movements either with their arms or legs. It is worth fixing the baby’s limbs only at the moment of falling asleep, as the child will become calm and fall asleep. Gradually loosen the fixation of the baby’s limbs until the diaper is completely removed.

At night, practice baths with the addition of sea salt or essential oils to help your baby fall asleep better.

How to wean a 4 month old baby from swaddling?

A four-month-old baby no longer needs to be kept in diapers all day. The baby grows and develops, he needs more and more space. Hand movements become more coordinated; there is no need to swaddle the arms. At 4 months, you can start using loose swaddling and carefully loosen the diaper until it is completely removed.

How to stop swaddling a five-month-old baby?

The life of a 5 month old baby is very different from a newborn baby. His world is already big, he strives to learn everything, the time has come to wean him from swaddling while he sleeps. In practice, to apply the methods described above, the main thing is to take your time without haste, encourage your baby, and try not to get angry at his “reluctance” to wean himself from swaddling. At 5 months, a child can easily fall asleep on his own, without swaddling; you need to make an effort and achieve the desired result.

How to wean a child from swaddling? - Doctor Komarovsky video:

Young parents should definitely take the time to wean their baby off swaddling at bedtime. Children are different, some need a certain time to get used to wrapping. Other babies will instantly love the freedom of movement without restrictive swaddles.

Since ancient times, women have used swaddling for several reasons. Firstly, in a dense fabric shell, the child feels like in the womb and sleeps better. Secondly, it is quite cheap and convenient for a family with many children: there was no need to sew a new wardrobe for each child.

Finally, swaddling a child had a sacred meaning: usually the father’s shirt was used as a diaper for a boy, and the mother’s for a girl. Thus, our ancestors passed on feminine traits to the girl, and masculine traits to the boy. The clothes of grandparents, which were believed to contain the power of the clan, protecting the baby, also served as a diaper for a newborn.

The modern view of swaddling newborns is ambiguous, and yet the method continues to be used, since a newborn really feels cozy and warm in a swaddle.

The disadvantages of swaddling include the restriction of the baby’s movements, which impedes blood circulation and the baby’s exploration of the capabilities of his body. These shortcomings of the old method can easily be corrected by using loose swaddling. Most often, tight swaddling is indicated only for premature babies who need to create the feeling of their mother’s womb for some time.

In any case, it is important for every woman to know how long she should swaddle her newborn and at what age she should abandon this method.

Until what age should a baby be swaddled?

If the child is active, swaddling will interfere with his play and development. If he often wakes himself up with sudden movements, it is better to swaddle the baby at night, and dress him in undershirts and overalls during the day. Unlike active ones, calm babies feel calm and comfortable in diapers. In this case, swaddling can be continued until the baby wants more room for movement.

How long does it take to swaddle a baby? Mandatory - up to 1 month. If the baby feels good in the diaper, you can continue further.

Starting from the 3rd month of life, swaddling becomes harmful to the baby’s health: the newborn’s stronger limbs require freedom of movement. Diapers limit the baby's activity and can lead to insufficient development of his legs and arms.

Many young mothers find it difficult to decide how long they need to swaddle their baby so that he feels comfortable in the swaddle. There is no clear answer to this question.

Each baby is individual. First of all, it depends on the toddler’s temperament. A baby who is calm by nature will feel protected in a diaper. Therefore, such children can sleep like this until they themselves want to make their space wider. Mobile and active babies may refuse to sleep in a swaddle, so it is better for them to refuse swaddling and not to force it.

Pediatricians consider tight swaddling a relic of the past - it can only harm the development and health of the little person, so it is better not to use this method. In order for the baby to develop physically and mentally, he needs to be given freedom of movement. If the baby feels comfortable in a diaper, it is better for him to sleep this way, swaddle toddler needs no longer than 2-3 months of age. Children who sleep restlessly, twitch their legs and arms in their sleep and wake up from this, can be swaddled at an older age, for example, up to 4-5 months. Only gradually they must be accustomed to rompers and blouses.

It is not advisable to swaddle a baby after six months of age. Some mothers use loose swaddling if desired. When using swaddling for children after 6 months, it is necessary to take into account that restriction of movements at this age contributes to the slow development of the baby. Therefore, if you decide to swaddle your child, use exclusively loose swaddling.

Let's figure out at what age should a baby be swaddled? There is no clear answer. Women of the older generation call for tight swaddling, but on the street you can often see how babies can easily move their arms and legs.

At first, parents swaddle so that the baby is comfortable and sleeps soundly. Each mother decides independently whether the newborn needs swaddling and for how many months it should continue.

First, let's dispel the myths that have long been considered arguments for long-term tight swaddling.

1. It is necessary to wrap the newborn for a long time so that the legs are straight. In fact, the straightness of the legs depends on heredity, proper nutrition, and physical development. The child has crooked legs - the reason is most likely a lack of vitamin D.
2. A wrapped baby is warmer. On the one hand, yes, on the other hand, tightly wrapping does not allow the small body to learn to adapt to temperature changes and the skin to breathe freely.
3. If the baby is wrapped for a long time, he will not have the tone of his limbs. In fact, tightly wrapping significantly disrupts the natural position of the body.
4. A wrapped baby sleeps more soundly. We can partly agree with this; a newborn does not wake himself up with his hands. It is also known that the cause of sudden movements during sleep is overexcitation or the presence of neurological problems. It is recommended to eliminate them not with the help of diapers, but with medications and medical procedures.

Entire generations have grown up on such myths that in reality have no explanation or medical justification.

Modern views

While in mother's tummy, the baby was in a comfortable, warm and cozy space for 9 months. After birth, the baby cannot quickly adapt to external conditions, and when wrapped, he calms down, falling into sleep.

A certain period is required for complete adaptation; it can last from 4 weeks to six months. Its duration depends on several factors.

One of them is temperament. Some babies are quite active, others are calm. For an energetic baby, wrapping will be an obstacle to play and development. If a newborn wakes himself up with his hands, it is recommended to wrap him up at night and wear blouses and overalls when awake.

Calm babies feel comfortable after being wrapped, swaddle them until they want more freedom.

Until how many months

After birth, the adaptation period ranges from 7 days to six months. Based on the recommendations of doctors, you need to swaddle:

• newborns under 1 month;
• active infants who do not allow themselves to sleep with their hands;
• nervous babies.

Later, you can swaddle your newborn, leaving the arms free. When the baby is awake, it is advisable not to wrap him up, put on rompers and a blouse. To prevent your child from scratching himself with his hands, you can use a vest with special sleeves or scratch mittens. In any case, the first 2-3 months the newborn is calmer after swaddling, because now the main activity is only sleeping and eating.

At 3 months, the baby begins to actively move its legs and arms; restriction of freedom can provoke inhibition of the correct development of the limbs. From now on, it is advisable to wrap the baby only during nighttime sleep; during the day, it is recommended to carry out free swaddling. However, everything is individual here. The activity, well-being, and temperament of the baby should be taken into account. Sometimes a 4-month-old baby can unwaddle easily; another will be able to do this after reaching six months.

Upon reaching 5 months, children begin to try to sit up and if you continue to wrap them up, the baby will master this skill later.

Swaddling at night

How long should a baby be wrapped at night? Everyone has an individual time limit, it depends on whether the child continues to throw up his arms. A newborn's awareness of his limbs occurs at approximately one month. By this time, the throwing up weakens, the baby wakes up less and less from its own movements.

Observe how and how much a newborn baby sleeps: does he twitch his limbs or sleeps only with his hands free. If the baby constantly moves his legs or arms, wakes up from this, gets nervous, he still needs to be wrapped up at night.

When to finish

By 3 months, the baby begins to move more in his sleep. A diaper restricting movement can cause awakening. If the baby shows anxiety after wrapping, his hands should be left free.

Many mothers are sure that swaddling their baby is necessary. The future of the children depends on this. Is it so? What do doctors say about this? Until what age are children swaddled? Read in the article.

The swaddling myth

Many years ago, doctors, mothers and grandmothers argued that it was necessary to swaddle a child tightly. To date, doctors have dispelled myths about tight swaddling:

1. The longer you swaddle your baby, the straighter his legs will be. This is wrong. It has been proven that heredity is the first thing you need to pay attention to. Much also depends on high-quality and nutritious nutrition, and physical development is also important. If there are not enough vitamins in the child’s body, then there may be curvature of the legs.

2. The tighter you swaddle your baby, the warmer it is. It is a myth. Of course, the child is warm, but he does not have the opportunity to adapt to temperature changes. This will affect his health in the future. Such children get sick very often.

3. Sound and healthy sleep. This is partial truth. However, if a child often wakes himself up with his own hands, it is necessary to pay attention first of all to his nervous system. Overexcitement or fear of the baby contributes to frequent awakenings, regardless of swaddling.

Previously, almost all children grew up on these myths. However, modern parents and doctors argue that children need freedom. Why and what is it needed for? Until what age are children swaddled?

Modern views on swaddling

Many mothers have not decided at what age they should swaddle their baby. Today they believe that from birth a baby can be dressed in rompers, vests, and a hat. Doctors support this approach. Swaddling hinders the movements that the baby needs. Many children often wake up because of this.

It has been proven that swaddling causes poor development of a child's sense of touch. Therefore, babies' arms and legs should be completely free. They need to touch various objects with their arms and legs. Then they will be less afraid.

Modern parents swaddle their baby only at night for the first two months. They believe that the baby scares himself with his hands and this makes him sleep worse. When a mother takes a newborn in her arms, then it is not necessary to restrain his body. The baby should feel his mother, her warmth, body and hands. In a diaper, such sensations weaken.

It has been proven that physical contact with mom or dad is very important for the family. When a child feels his parents, he adapts to the environment faster.

At this time, mothers or fathers can give the baby a light massage of the arms, legs or tummy. However, do not forget that no one has canceled swaddling. In some cases it must be used.

Until what age are children swaddled?

There is no clear answer to this question. Each child needs an individual approach. Not even a single doctor will definitely answer the question of up to what age a child can be swaddled. As a rule, many children experience “throwing up” of their arms. This wakes up babies, they become afraid of their own body and become nervous. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to initially swaddle babies during daytime and nighttime sleep. When the baby is awake, his movements should be free.

In some children, throwing up their arms occurs up to 3 months, in others - up to 6. It all depends on the individuality of the child. When he stops twitching, then you can stop wearing diapers for naps. If you don’t know at what age to swaddle your baby at night, try dressing him in rompers or baby vests once. Watch how he sleeps. If your baby continues to wake himself up at night, then continue swaddling him. Then he will be calm and cheerful.

What do the doctor's say

It has been proven that children become accustomed to their environment from birth to 6 months. That is why they are afraid not only of sharp sounds, but also of movements. Doctors recommend swaddling your baby for a more restful sleep during the first month. It is also recommended in cases where the baby is very active and makes a lot of sudden movements.

If the child is nervous or restless, the diaper calms him down. In this case, it is advisable to restrict the baby’s movements at least during sleep. Doctors advise not to give up swaddling.

When the baby is one month old, then he can leave his arms free. After all, many children wake up if they are uncomfortable.

As mentioned earlier, the baby must develop physically. Therefore, try not to limit his movements at least from three months. However, this is individual. Only a mother can understand what her child needs. Watch your child, help him develop physically, and he will delight his family with his successes.

Now you know at what age children are swaddled. However, it is better to consult with specialists so as not to harm your baby, but to develop him correctly.

Conclusion

If a baby in a diaper sleeps soundly, does not cry or get irritated, then you are on the right track.

When you see that the baby has a nervous sleep due to being constrained, then you need to use undershirts and rompers. Avoid swaddling if your baby is uncomfortable.

Don't worry about the curvature of your legs. It has been verified for years that this is not from diapers. It all depends on the individuality of the child. He won't have bow legs at 6 years old. their limbs fall into place. Closer to the age of three, the baby will have straight legs.

Don’t forget to take your baby to the pediatrician every month for up to one year. He will help you monitor your baby's development and answer all your questions. At the slightest deviation, the pediatrician will refer the mother and child to a specialist to quickly resolve the problem.

The doctor will check the baby monthly for coordination of movements and recommend the necessary exercises for full physical development.

Do not forget that if you give your newborn freedom of movement, create safe conditions for him. You cannot have a package lying next to your child. He can catch it with his hand and cover his face. This poses a suffocation risk. Very often, children put a corner of a blanket or pillow in their mouth. Therefore, when you are not with your baby, do not leave anything near him. Even the most ordinary pacifier can harm the baby.

You already understand at what age you need to swaddle your baby. Take care of him, take care of your little one, and in the future he will thank you in kind.