Swaddling

The moro or startle reflex is present at birth and often occurs right before baby is about to fall asleep or wake up. It causes baby to suddenly startle which can wake him up or make it hard for him to fall asleep. This is where swaddling comes in handy. Not only does it help prevent the moro reflex from disturbing baby (he doesn't even realize those limbs are his!), but it helps keep baby nice, tight and snug like he used to be in the womb which is comforting rather than confining or claustrophobic like some people think. That's right all you neighbors and family members that think you know better and keep telling you (whoever you may be) otherwise. Most babies like to be swaddled and sleep better for it. You still don't believe me? Too bad, you're still wrong :)

How to Swaddle
However you swaddle, do it tight! Remember how tight those nurses in the hospital swaddled baby? Do it that tight! Once again, people will probably have their own thoughts on the matter ("but baby can't breathe or move! Oh my!"), but generally the tighter the better. Obviously you do need to make sure you aren't doing it so tight that baby can't breath, but that this is pretty hard to do.

If you ask 5 different people to swaddle your baby they'll probably do it all a little differently. While some ways are better than others (mainly because they stay in place and allow free movement for baby's legs) the best way to figure out what works is to try it and see if it lives up to its name. Here are some different techniques:

• The Baby Whisperer Solves pg 183- "Lay flat a receiving blanket like a diamond. Fold one corner of the diamond down to make a nice straight edge. Lay your baby on the blanket, so that his neck is even with the fold and his head is out of the blanket. Place his left arm at a forty-five -degree angle across his chest and bring the right corner of the blanket across your baby's chest and tuck it under the left side of his body. Bring the bottom of the blanket up to cover his outstretched legs. Finally, bring the left corner of the swaddle across his chest and tuck it under his right side."
• Halo Swaddle/SleepSack - I love these, and some of the ones you can buy go from swaddle to regular sleep blanket once you are done swaddling.
• The Miracle Blanket has a special blanket with its own swaddling technique. I used this with my son Jacob and loved it. It worked past the newborn period too, which is a concern of many parents.
• The woombie or swaddlepod are some swaddling alternatives that give baby a womb-like feel. I've tried the woombie and liked it but never got much use out of it since my son was already used to a different swaddle and preferred it over this.
• Some babies do better with their arms at their sides when swaddled while others like to have their arms across their chest.
• Many people like to use muslin blankets to swaddle. There are lots available now. They are a little stretchy, super soft and breathable.

What if Baby Doesn't Like To Be Swaddled?
First off. Are you sure? If he is kicking or crying most likely he is flailing his limbs because he is overtired, and overstimulated. He may also be trying to settle himself for sleep or simply needs a moment to readjust to a new situation.

What if baby keeps "trying" to get out of the swaddle? 
This doesn't mean he doesn't like the swaddle or that he is too old for it. If this happens before 3 months of age you should probably reswaddle (obviously this is up to you though). If this happens after this age you may want to unswaddle one or two arms to see if baby has enough control of his limbs to not keep hitting and scratching himself.