Swaddling....as funny of a word as it may be, when done correctly it can be a very effective way of giving your newborn baby a feeling of warmth and security. Quite often this technique can also be used to calm a crying baby.

Swaddling is great for the first month. However, once your baby is about a month old you might want to stop swaddling him/her while awake as it may interfere with mobility and development in older babies. Beyond that age, they tend to kick out of the swaddle anyway. At that point you probably want to start using a type of Sleep Sack for sleeping.

The hospital staff makes swaddling look so easy, but don't be disappointed when you try your first one and then you pick up your baby and the blanket completely falls off. The best suggestion I can give is to use a blanket that has a little bit of a stretch to it. Most of the standard receiving blankets are made of a cotton that is just too stiff for swaddling. Try choosing a blanket that is more of a jersey knit material, or a thermal blanket. Thermals and jersey knits are both great because they provide maximum warmth while still being a fairly thin blanket.

Steps to Perform the Art of Swaddling:

1. Lay a blanket on a flat surface and fold down the top-right corner about 6 inches.

2. Place your baby on his back with his head on the fold.

3. Pull the corner near your baby's left hand across his body, and tuck the leading edge under his back on the right side under the arm.

4. Pull the bottom corner up under your baby's chin.

5. Bring the loose corner over your baby's right arm and tuck it under the back on his left side.