How do you know if your infant wants to be swaddled

Question

I have a 3 week old and at first when I put her down at night I swaddle her and she goes to sleep, but then later in the night/early morning she seems to get frustrated like she's trying to get out of the swaddle, by kicking her legs and moving her arms around attempting to escape...so is this her way of telling me she wants out? Another thing is when she's crying I will swaddle her and it calms her down! I'm a first time mom, so any advice will do!

Answer 1

The point of swaddling is to comfort the baby because the baby is A) used to being in a confined womb and B) practically incapable of controlling their movements . . . imagine hitting yourself in the face everytime you get upset and not knowing how to stop!

I wouldn't worry whether or not she wants it, she's not sure what she wants at 3 weeks, really.  If she is flailing, upset and having trouble settling a swaddle is a valuable resource.  Also, squirming in the swaddle is a common part of settling.

I have worked with babies for years and have yet to see a newborn that genuinely doesn't benefit from being swaddled.

It sounds like its working for you anyways!

Answer 2

If she calms down from a state of crying when you swaddle her, that's a pretty good indication she likes it. It's normal for babies to stir and kick at the blanket when they're ready to wake up. When your daughter is strong enough to enough to kick the blanket off, swaddling will probably just be a waste of time. We swaddled our daughter for a month, and then switched to a blanket sleeper. She liked it just a much as being wrapped up in a receiving blanket. Good luck.

Answer 3

I used to swaddle my daughter and she would always kick the blankets off or have her arms out in the morning...If it comforts her then i would say she likes it but maybes shes just moving around and the blankets have come undone or shes too hot and trashing to get them off. U can buy proper swaddling blankets that fasten shut unlike a blanket that is just trapped underneath which can easuly come open...When my daughter was nearly 3mnths i started to use the sleeping gro bags i found these a great deal better and safer and she cant wriggle down underneath or kick them off

Answer 4

My 6-week old cannot go to bed at night unless she is swaddled, because she flails her legs and arms so much that she wakes herself up!  Sometimes, when she is really fussy, I will swaddle her, and her immediately calms down.  

Answer 5

i dont believe in swaddling baby at all.. haha well thats just my personal opinion..  have you tried letting her sleep without it? just make sure you have scratch free mittens so she cant hurt her face.. my mom told me i did not like being swaddled at all..  just try sleeping her witout it for a night.