New parents will, no doubt, have done a lot of research into what to do with a newborn, absolutely essential in order to prepare fully for their arrival. It will always be a little bit daunting to bring a child home, especially if it’s your first one, but reading books and websites, and talking to other parents can really help give you an idea of what to expect. You will likely come across the concept of swaddling early on in your research and lots of parents swear by it as a way of helping their baby to feel calm and to encourage them to go to sleep. Swaddling is a traditional practice that involves gently wrapping your baby up in a light, breathable blanket, leaving their neck and head poking out, making them feel very snug and secure - similar to how they may have felt in the womb. It’s possible that swaddling can help your child sleep because they're less likely to wake themselves up by moving around, with their arms and legs properly tucked into the blanket. You also need to make sure that you don’t swaddle your baby up too tightly as it could affect their physical development, so make sure that your child is still able to move their knees and hips when in the swaddle blanket. When done properly, swaddling poses no risk to your baby’s health, but make sure that you use thin breathable materials to swaddle them in, such as cotton muslin. Always make sure that you put your child down to sleep on their back, never on their side or front. Also Read: Five Baby Sleep Hacks
