“Should I swaddle my baby?” is a question I often get asked in my Bub Savvy Workshops. 

It’s a great question because, like so many aspects of parenting, swaddling comes with a mix of opinions and advice.

Here’s my starting point:

The way you care for your baby is entirely up to you. Parenting is full of conflicting advice, so it’s helpful to get good at weighing the pros and cons of any suggestion. Filter this information through your own values, then decide what’s right for you, your baby, and your family.

This blog will help you understand the potential benefits and risks of swaddling. Once you’ve read it, the next step is to reflect on how this aligns with your own parenting approach. Let’s dive in.

What Is Swaddling?

Swaddling is the practice of snugly wrapping a baby in a blanket or cloth to restrict their movement.

The theory behind swaddling is that it mimics the environment of the womb. However, as with any parenting method, swaddling comes with pros and cons.

Benefits:

1. Calming Effect: Swaddling is thought to mimic the feeling of being in the womb, which can help soothe babies and reduce crying.
2. Improved Sleep: Swaddled babies often sleep more soundly and for longer stretches, which can feel like a lifesaver for exhausted parents.
3. Reduced Risk of SIDS: Swaddling may reduce the likelihood of babies rolling onto their stomachs during sleep, a position associated with increased SIDS risk.
4. Easier for Brestfeeding: Swaddling can make feeding easier by keeping your baby still.

Risks:

1. Overheating and SIDS Risk: Swaddling can lead to overheating and reduce a baby’s ability to wake, both of which are associated with increased SIDS risk.
2. Hip Dysplasia: Wrapping a baby too tightly, especially around the hips, can contribute to hip dysplasia.
3. Breathing Impairment: A swaddle that’s too tight across the chest can restrict breathing.
4. Impact on Breastfeeding: Swaddling can suppress a baby’s natural breastfeeding reflexes, making feeding more challenging.
5. Reduced Mobility: Limiting movement can affect motor skill development.

 

As you can see, there is already one glaring conflict there.

Does swaddling reduce or increase the risk of SIDS?

I can understand the theory that swaddling a baby can stop them from rolling onto their front, but I also haven’t seen too many newborns who, if placed on their back, can roll onto their front.

Perhaps it is more that the act of swaddling a baby is a cue to place babies on their backs than the actual swaddling itself.

I don’t know if you’ve ever swaddled a baby and then tried to put them on their sides. It just doesn’t work. And you certainly wouldn’t put a swaddled baby face down; that’s just wrong.

So could we use a different cue that doesn’t increase the risk of SIDS by other mechanisms?

Swaddling may prevent babies from rolling onto their stomachs, which is a known SIDS risk factor. However, swaddling also increases risks by other mechanisms:

•It can cause overheating.

•It reduces arousability, a protective mechanism against SIDS.

•It affects sleep states by promoting quiet (deep) sleep, which is less protective than active (REM) sleep.

A Systemic Review of Swaddling in 2022 concluded that:

This review supports the possibility that, by producing conditions unfavorable to arousability, swaddling may increase SIDS risk in infants that are naïve to the experience (3, 20). This argument is strengthened by the finding that swaddling significantly reduces the frequency of sleep state transitions and promotes quiet sleep. Given that swaddling is typically used during the critical period in which infants are most vulnerable to SIDS, namely <6 months of age (52, 57) further research into the effect of swaddling on infant sleep and arousal, particularly for swaddle-naïve infants, is strongly recommended. (Dixley, A. &  Ball, H. 2022)

The other conflict is: does it make breastfeeding easier or does it potentially impact brebreastfeeding?

Again, I can see how, theoretically, swaddling makes breastfeeding easier as the baby is in a neat bundle but it can actually interfere with the process.

• Babies’ natural breastfeeding reflexes, like bobbing and using their hands, are suppressed.
• Swaddling prevents skin-to-skin contact, a key factor in stimulating feeding reflexes and milk production.

[I think the bigger problem is that we have been showing women how to breastfeed wrong for decades now. This is a whole other blog, but when you understand the incredible breastfeeding reflexes babies are hardwired with and how to work with them and not against them, you won’t feel the need to swaddle your baby for breastfeeding.]

Research supports these concerns. A 2023 study found that:

Infants swaddled immediately after birth show a delay in initial breastfeeding, less successful suckling at the breast, reduced intake of breastmilk and greater weight loss compared to un-swaddled babies. Swaddling visually obscures feeding cues and reduces crying, thereby eliminating two key feeding prompts typically used by parents/carers. (Dixley, A. &  Ball, H. 2023)

Swaddling can also obscure feeding cues and reduce crying, two important signals for timely feeding. This can lead to missed feeds, which is problematic during the critical early weeks when milk supply is being established.

How about this proposed benefit of the calming effect?

The theory is that swaddling can help calm babies and reduce crying by mimicking the feeling of being in the womb.

But does it?

Babies are certainly not restricted in their movement in the womb as any pregnant woman will tell you.

In the womb, babies:

• Move freely, even in late pregnancy.
• Have a constant, optimal temperature.
• Experience the comforting sensations of noise, movement, and connection with their mum.

Swaddling cannot replicate these conditions.

The best “womb-like” environment is skin-to-skin contact, which has been shown to:

• Reduce crying.
• Help babies regulate their temperature, breathing, and heart rate.
• Promote calmness and connection.

 

 

This is where Dr. Nils Bergman’s research is so important to consider.

 

What About Sleep?

 

Swaddling is often promoted as a way to help babies sleep more deeply and for longer periods, which may appeal to tired parents. However, biologically normal infant sleep involves:

• Frequent waking to meet their energy and growth needs.
• A higher proportion of REM sleep, which is critical for brain development.

Culturally, we place a lot of emphasis on long, deep sleep for babies, but biologically, this is not ideal. The deeper sleep promoted by swaddling may increase SIDS risk and interfere with breastfeeding.

The Startle Reflex: Why It Matters

Swaddling does seem to stop the startle reflex, but again,is this a good thing?

The startle reflex is a normal, protective response that helps babies adjust to their surroundings. Allowing it to naturally diminish over time is beneficial for a baby’s development.

 

 

Parental Mental Health and Sleep Expectations

It’s true that parental mental health is crucial, and lack of sleep can take a toll. However, solutions that focus on “fixing” the baby (like swaddling or sleep training) often backfire by creating a disconnect between parents’ expectations and their baby’s biological needs.

A more effective approach is supporting parents to:

• Understand the biology of infant sleep.
• Learn coping strategies for disrupted sleep.
• Align expectations with reality.

Research on biologically informed approaches, like Possums Sleep in Australia, shows that:

“Helping parents adapt to their baby’s unique sleep needs improves mental well-being and infant safety.” (Ball et al., 2020)

The Bottom Line: Should You Swaddle?

At the end of the day, the choice is yours. Consider the benefits and risks, think about how swaddling aligns with your values, and make the decision that feels right for your family.

If you’d like to learn more about biologically informed infant sleep, breastfeeding, or gentle parenting approaches, check out my workshops in Perth, WA. You can find out more HERE. Or you can purchase my online Baby Sleep Masterclass 

 

References

Ball, H. L., Taylor, C. E., Thomas, V., Douglas, P. S., & the SBY working group. (2020). Development and evaluation of ‘Sleep, Baby & You’—An approach to supporting parental well-being and responsive infant caregiving. PLOS ONE, 15(8), e0237240. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237240.

Bergman, Nils. (2014). The neuroscience of birth – and the case for Zero Separation.  37. 1. 10.4102/curationis. v37i2.1440.

Dixley, A., & Ball, H. L. (2022). The effect of swaddling on infant sleep and arousal: A systematic review and narrative synthesis. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 10, 180. doi: 10.3389/fped.2022.1000180

Dixley, A., & Ball, H. L. (2023). The impact of swaddling upon breastfeeding: A critical review. American Journal of Human Biology, e23878. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.23878.

Rudzik, A. E. F., & Ball, H. L. (2021). Biologically normal sleep in the mother-infant dyad. American Journal of Human Biology, e23589. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.23589.

Zhang J, Wang M, Wei B, Shi J, Yu T. Research Progress in the Study of Startle Reflex to Disease States. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2022 Feb 24;18:427-435. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S351667. PMID: 35237036; PMCID: PMC8884703.