I thought I was a pretty good swaddler. “Tighter,” I would admonish people who tried to help me. “Make it really tight, or they’ll wiggle out!” Both of my kids have some pretty serious flailing arms, and don’t sleep at all well unless we swaddle the crap out of them. But they’re getting bigger and stronger, now. And for many nights in a row, Daniel in particular would wake himself up either in the attempt to get an arm free, or by whacking himself in the face with said free arm. Not cool.
Moms of twins to the rescue.
So, I’m at my MOT Support Group meeting a few weeks ago, and an awesome woman with two-year-olds hears that I’m having swaddling issues. I’m not ready to give it up, says I, but they have defeated even my best swaddle. Two napkins and a corkscrew later, she had demonstrated my new favorite trick. I think she learned it back in the day from a nighttime nanny service she hired a few times.
I’m telling you, this was a life-saver. I really do think it helps my kids sleep for longer stretches, because it isn’t getting loose and tempting them to wiggle those arms free. It kind of feels like a straightjacket, but I can’t argue with results. In fact, I will keep doing it as long as I can. I fear the (rapidly approaching) end of my swaddling days. But that’s another post for another day.
Without further ado, I give you the UBER-SWADDLE, demonstrated with the help of my lovely assistant, Rebecca.
1. This requires two blankets. I use a large waffle-knit blanket (which had been my main swaddling blanket of choice, anyways) and a regular flannel receiving blanket. Fold down one corner of the waffle blanket, and fold the flannel blanket in whatever manner you like to make it a nice, long rectangle. Lay out the blankets thusly:
2. Position beloved baby with neck/shoulder along the top edge of the waffle blanket. Top edge of flannel blanket should be right at the armpits. Feel free to take a break and smooch baby cheeks, toes, or the like.
3. Take the left side of the flannel blanket and thread between baby’s arm and belly.
4. Take same side of blanket and fold around the arm and tuck under baby’s back. Flannel blanket needs to be long enough that, after this maneuver, it probably reaches almost to the right arm. Baby should be lying on top of the blanket tail to help hold it in place.
5. Repeat with right side. The two tails of the flannel blanket will overlap underneath baby’s back.
6. Now, swaddle as you wish with the waffle (outer) blanket. I take the left side first, bring around and tuck under baby’s back/butt.
7. Bring up the bottom corner to the right shoulder.
8. Bring the right corner around, and pull nice and snug. Smooch swaddled baby.
Holy smokes that is amazing! Wish I had know about that one!
What a great model!! I can’t believe she let let you stop at every step in the process and let you take a picture. Adorable
That’s a very thorough wrapping. So far, our new baby seems to prefer being unswaddled with her hands laying next to her head.
This is great! I’m going to try it at our next nap time. Thanks so much for posting!
Darrah
I love how she’s kinda smiling peacefully in #7. Like she’s thinking, “Finally! These flailing things are in place! Now I can get some good snoozing….”
Or maybe she’s farting. You never know with babies, do ya?
Ohmygod. I wish I had known about this 2 months ago. Please share this with all the new mothers (and fathers!) you know.
Wow. Super impressed.
Lisa
$10 says Beagooddad (Mike, above) tries this out on baby Giggles tonite.
I wish we had known that back in our swaddling days. Plus, I love how still and content your baby is through the whole process!
Thank you! Thank you!! This is amazing. Our boys are finally sleeping at night
awesome swaddling tip!! once you are ready to transition from swaddling, check out the Peke Moe sleep sacks (http://www.pekemoe.co.nz), specifically designed to help wean from swaddling and a great blanket alternative!! I will share your link here with others who are wanting to continue swaddling!! thanks!
I wished I saw this when I use to swaddle. Will keep it in mind for others/future.
Thanks!
O MY GOD! Just tried this and it’s worked a treat! THANK YOU! Will be telling all my friends!
I’ve tried every kind of swaddling technique i’ve come across, the one above being my last. But my 9month old still manages to get out no matter how tight i do it. By midnight she’s either on her tummy or has used her legs to push herself halfway around the cot. By 4am she’s standing with the wraps dangling around her feet even after a rewrap at midnight. I’m using the Sheyne Rowley technique to get her to sleep all through the night which requires her to be swaddled. I’m at my wits end, what can i do?
marie this might work, we went to the link further up in comments and got one – http://www.pekemoe.co.nz or check out those ‘woombie’ sleepers?
[...] to about 9 months, we waited until he didnt want to be wrapped. ATM we use this wrapping technique :Uber-swaddle | Goddess in Progress but only use the 1st wrap part as its too hot for her to be fully wrapped all the time, the poor [...]
Wow! I love it! Both my boys are now big, but both needed tight wrapping until they were almost 12 months old. I wish I had known about this technique, would have saved myself lots of swearing and middle-of-the-nigh rewrapping…
Dorothy recently posted..Postcard from Busselton
i did this before my miracle blanket came in the mail (or whenever it was being washed)
my son actually slept in his swing so i had to have his legs out to be able to strap him in.
instead of folding the bottom up over his legs i would actually fold it BACK up behind him, leaving his legs out. doing it this way reinforced “locked” the blanket around him and made it even harder for him to houdini his way out.
i’m a mother of four, none of whom have been good sleepers, but this latest addition (5mo) took the cake. waking every 2 hours for over a month now, and napping for no longer than an hour at a time. i thought i’d tried everything, but apparently not! first time uber-swaddling, he slept from 6pm til midnight, then through to 6am. second night was pretty much the same, and nap times have been a luxurious 2 hours. WHERE WERE YOU 7 YEARS AGO?! needless to say, massive thank you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you… for sharing this! Tried it last night and can’t believe how well it works!
[...] you don’t have a Wrap Me Up you could do a standard swaddle over the top (as demonstrated here) but it’s been too hot lately for that and this seems to be a good in between [...]
OMG, how did I not learn about this sooner!! I am an experienced swaddler, and my second born has been busting out of my best swaddles at only 9 weeks. Thanks sooo much for this tip!