Does your hospital swaddle babies?
Since when did anywhere start recommending not swaddling? I am totally surprised that my hospital will only swaddle the baby once, and after baby's first bath, they give you a sleep sack and stop swaddling them. What?
Did you swaddle your babies? Do you plan to swaddle your future babies?
I swaddled my son for a few months, not sure what we will do with new baby.
persimmon / 1436 posts
I just had a baby 13 weeks ago and they swaddled her for the first time and then all the rest were on us. (Actually DH because I am a crap swaddled and was recovering from an emergency CS.) I'm sure they would have shown us how to do it if necessary though. I hadn't heard anything about recommending against swaddling.
pear / 1503 posts
Our *think* our hospital swaddled LO multiple times last April. I'd have to ask DH, but I'm pretty sure they even showed us how to do it more than once. There was no sleep sack provided or offered. The public health nurse where we did our course said that the recommendation now is to use a sleep sack at night (the Halo swaddle is the preferred one), and to only use swaddle blankets for naps or for calming during the day.
pear / 1998 posts
At my parenting class, they still taught swaddling, but made sure to point out that the legs/hips should be loose to prevent hip dysplasia. Does the sleep sack restrict their arms? Maybe it's easier for parents to use the sleep sack than learn to properly swaddle?
pineapple / 12793 posts
We don't swaddle. My girls have all broken out of every swaddle/swaddling device we've tried.
Our pediatrician and the past two LCs I've talked to recommended not swaddling because swaddled babies miss hunger cues and have slower weight gain.
That said, we've been extraordinarily lucky and had three unicorn babies that have all STTN really young. I'd probably sing a different tune if there were sleep issues in our house.
pomelo / 5607 posts
Our hospital had her in a sleep sack swaddle in the NICU. I saw at least one non-NICU baby while we were there, and it was swaddled.
nectarine / 2173 posts
Ours still swaddled. They also had Halo sleep sacks to use while there.
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
That hasn't been my experienced. Swaddled both boys for sleep until 4-5 months. Their sleep was worse without it.
cantaloupe / 6146 posts
@Jennibenni: I haven't looked up the reasoning yet, just heard about it in birth class last night and found out my hospital does not promote swaddling and gives you a sleep sack to take home with new born. They said after the first swaddle they will not reswaddle!
cantaloupe / 6146 posts
@TemperanceBrennan: NO! It doesn't restrict arms, it is sleeveless! I am surprised!
persimmon / 1483 posts
Our hospital NICU now discourages swaddling - they put LO2 in a preemie fleece sleeveless sleep sack - a complete 180 from 2 years ago when they promoted swaddled and the nurses taught us how to get a good swaddle. I was given 2 explanations - first, babies break out and can get the blanket sort of wrapped over their face and suffocate second, it discourages their exploration or their hands and bringing their arms to their center line, which is apparently an important part of infant development. We were told that if we wanted to swaddle, we should only do so with their arms up (so their fists are tucked under their chin) and only for supervised sleep.
blogger / kiwi / 588 posts
Both our LOs were swaddled and reswaddled at the hospital and we continued to swaddle them once they were home. I think both were swaddled for naps and nighttime until about 6 months. DD uses a sleep-sack at 1yo and DS no longer uses either at 3yo.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
Ive heard this too because its confusing for new parents to have the baby with a blanket in the hospital but then tell them no blankets in the crib at home. So they were switching to sleep sacks (but ours have the arms for swaddling).
hostess / wonderful apple seed / 16729 posts
My NICU swaddled them the whole time we were there and we continued to swaddle them until now (4.5 months).
grapefruit / 4355 posts
Our hospital swaddled DD (and then we continued for a couple more months at home).
watermelon / 14467 posts
The hospital swaddled H. I couldn't get the hang of it and she busted out of every swaddle, so we just didn't do it. I'll do sleep sacks this time.
pear / 1788 posts
Our hospital did a funny arms out swaddle technique, but when our pediatrician came by he did the regular swaddle, and told us to continue it at home. The hospital just doesn't want the liability of blankets near the face. Same reason you can't co sleep in the hospital.
cantaloupe / 6692 posts
We used some swaddlers with velcro because T was a master escape artist, but slept better swaddled.
Is swaddling starting to be rejected? Just when you think you know something, it changes!
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
Huh, interesting. When my son was born, he was basically using a duvet (Europe). When I asked the administrator, she said they had just had some budget approved to replace them with sleepsacks because she thought the duvet was antiquated and a smothering risk.
As for swaddling, they said if we needed to do it, to go ahead and do it. As part of every 4 week well baby visit, they do a hip screening.
pomelo / 5678 posts
My kid was rolling around the bassinet in the hospital the night she was born. No one could get a swaddle to stay on her. With next kid I am not even bothering. I may try a woombie type swaddle that allows hands to be out or in. Also, she rolled completely onto her tummy in a few weeks, so I wasn't comfortable with it. I have also read swaddles can hurt their hips.
honeydew / 7283 posts
My DD was born in 2012 and our hospital swaddled with arms in.
DS was 2014 and the same hospital swaddled with arms out.
We are total believers in the arms in swaddle, so as second time parents we just sort of ignored the new hospital advice.
coconut / 8279 posts
Many hospitals have stopped recommending and using swaddles because of the issues mentioned above; hip displaysia, missing hunger cues, blankets in the crib, etc.
Swaddles were all the rage when J was born 4 years ago but in the past 2 years new studies have come out and they are no longer recommending extended use.
nectarine / 2243 posts
The LC who ran my weekly moms group was SO anti swaddle. Restricts arm motion, hip motion/discourages froggy position.. But that was the only way she would sleep without startling herself. I didn't keep her swaddled 24 hours a day, duh, and she was meeting milestones, happy, eating etc.
grapefruit / 4545 posts
This is why I take all recommendations with a grain of salt. Do what works for you and feels right by your gut...because in a few years it'll all change again!
K was swaddled from day 1 (in the hospital for 2 nights) in 2013...due with DD2 in a few weeks - will be interested to see.
They used to have a nursery in the hospital and encouraged new moms to take a breather while staying with a NB - now the nursery has been taken away. They just follow the current trends...
Imagine all the ways we all should have died growing up 30ish years ago - based on today's standards...
cantaloupe / 6669 posts
So funny - I thought swaddling was connected to lower incidence of SIDS?
We never got the hang of traditional swaddling but we loved the Halo sleepsack swaddles. We'll use those next time. They leave the legs completely loose and just confine the arms.
eggplant / 11287 posts
I have read that hospitals are moving away from swaddling because it causes babies to sleep too long and miss feeding times, causing low weight gain and potentially fostering a poor breastfeeding relationship.
We swaddle. 
clementine / 935 posts
Our hospital swaddled but gave us a sleep sack to go home with. We used the sleep sack for awhile, then the miracle blanket. We never had any issues with missing hunger cues - she still woke herself up!
pomegranate / 3716 posts
This is surprising! My LO1 is only 15 months and my hospital swaddled. I'm due with LO2 in May, so I'm curious to see what they'll recommend this time...
persimmon / 1385 posts
Our hospital uses halo sleep sack swaddles instead of the usual hospital newborn blankets. They give you a brand new one as a going home gift ( which I'm sure you pay for 
) too.
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
I had my baby 6 weeks ago and they absolutely swaddled multiple times and showed me how, same as they did 2.5 years ago. My friend had a baby last week at a "baby friendly" hospital and they swaddled as well.
Both my babies slept better swaddled so I'm going to continue. But I don't make the legs tight at least.
blogger / pomegranate / 3044 posts
Interesting! I will totally be that grandma telling my DILs to swaddle their babies and they will be like that's so dangerous, I can't believe you did that!
cantaloupe / 6634 posts
Our hospital swaddled but we didn't after the first few days. It was just too hot.
grapefruit / 4418 posts
Our hospital gave us a sleep sack when we were there, but also swaddled and taught us how to. Wouldn't have survived without a good swaddle! Yes we will swaddle baby #2 if she has a strong startle reflex. I bought the Ollie swaddle and am excited to try it out.
pineapple / 12053 posts
swaddling reigns supreme in my house. no issues missing hunger cues here and it looks like DD2 is going to find the same two fingers that DD1 sucked/sucks on for comfort.
persimmon / 1322 posts
I honestly can't remember if the nurses swaddled my baby (5 months old now). If they did, it only happened once, but honestly I don't think they did. We kept her loosely wrapped in a swaddle blanket while we were in the hospital, but never did a full on swaddle because she wanted her hands by her face. Once we were home, we never swaddled her, just went straight to sleep sacks. She has always self soothed with her hands and has always slept great, so we had no reason to explore other options.
coconut / 8483 posts
There was an article about 2 years ago in the Globe and Mail recommending people do not swaddle. I think they said sids was a risk?
We had our son right after that and in the hospital one nurse said to page her in and she would do a nice tight swaddle to help our baby sleep. We paged and a different nurse came in, and she said she wasn't allowed to swaddle!
We swaddles super tight for months. I think the issue addressed in the article was blankets becoming loose and possibly becoming a suffocation hazard.
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