Swaddling is one of the techniques recommended to new mothers as by Dr. Harvey Karp.
He said babies can be soothed by following what he calls the “Five S’s” – swaddling, putting them in a side-on position, making shushing sounds, swinging them and giving them a dummy to suck.
Dr. Harvey Karp’s advice is based on his belief that babies aged 0 to three months are in the “fourth trimester” and can be best settled into the world by being in an environment similar to how they were in the womb.
His “The Happiest Baby” advice has been widely followed in the U.S.
All of Dr. Harvey Karp’s advises are based on “tried and tested methods” and “ancient techniques” such as swaddling.
Swaddling goes back to Biblical times but has died out in recent generations as women no longer know how to do it – or fear causing hip displacement in their babies by doing them too tightly.
A swaddled baby will sleep longer during the night and, if swaddled at certain periods during the day, will settle easier and some very restless babies will latch on with more ease if swaddled, though skin-to-skin feeding is still the ideal.
The method works by replicating how the babies were in the womb when they were comfortably curled up.
In the current heatwave, mothers needn’t have their babies swaddled for long periods. To avoid them overheating, they should be swaddled without any clothes but just wearing a nappy.
Parents should always be sure to check the baby is not too hot.
