How to wean the child from swaddling? Why swaddle a child?

Children are, of course, the flowers of life. Parents from early childhood take care of their babies and try to give them only the best, despite the fact that sometimes it is almost impossible. So, in the life of every young mom and dad there comes a moment when they realize that it's time to start weaning your baby from diapers. But how to disaccustom the child from swaddling and should it be done? Children's doctors in one voice insist that you can swaddle and even need as much as the child himself needs, he sleeps quietly in diapers - let him sleep.

The tradition of swaddling in Russia

Few people ever thought about where this strange tradition came from - to wrap children in cloth. It turns out that in Russia, from the earliest times, it was customary to wrap the newborns in a swaddler, so our ancestors called long strips of fabric made by themselves. They were decorated with colorful (often red) patterns in the form of flowers, curls or crosses. They did it because children's clothes for newborns were absent, and the child's sleep could be established only by "tie" it in this way.

There was even a special tradition of swaddling: first the baby was wrapped in cloth, and a layer of a swaddler was put on top. By the way, it could be passed from generation to generation, because it was believed that the thing accumulates strength and positive energy for the further development of the child.

However, now all kinds of swaddling are considered wrong and infringe on the personality of the little man. Young parents are taught that diapers are a relic of the past, fetters that prevent babies from moving normally and getting used to the environment.

Types of swaddling

Before you begin to wean your child from such constraints in the movements, it is worthwhile to figure out why to swaddle a child and what kinds of swaddling exist.

There are only two: tight and free. The first method is used in the early weeks of a baby's life in order to purportedly reduce the psychological trauma of the baby after birth. It occurs by means of two diapers with straightening of legs and hands. In this position, the child is not free in movements, the first and most energetic and sharp movements of the handles and legs are slowed down, as well as the development itself.

It is also worth thinking about breathing, if you accustom to this method, the baby will just begin to suffocate, he literally does not learn how to breathe normally. In addition, he will be forced to constantly be in an unnatural position, limiting the gusts to pull the handle or lift the leg and even reducing them to none. Tight swaddling can cause incurable problems with bones or muscles. Sometimes the diagnoses given to the child immediately after birth are aggravated due to such swaddling. In this situation, you need to think about how to wean the child from swaddling.

The free method is much more useful, because the child has the ability at least somehow to stir and breathe normally. A freely swaddled toddler can lie down as he likes, also he feels warm, but at the same time does not sweat, as the diaper lets in air. A good step from this type to sleep without a diaper is a sleeping bag. In it, the child will feel even freer, learn to not be afraid of his constantly twitching pens and objects, to which they touch. Having overcome the test with a baby bag, you can put on children's sliders and a rasp for night.

What is the need for swaddling?

Newborns do not yet know how to control their bodies, their own hands and feet frighten them, like some foreign bodies. But to avoid sharp twitches is impossible, such are the features of development and the process of habituation of infants to themselves. By the way, such movements have a scientific term, they are called overturning. Calm the child if he suddenly becomes frightened of his own body, it's easy: you just need to hold him to him or touch him, so he will feel the presence of something warm and cozy.

Why swaddle a child? Now wrapping the baby in the fabric is conditioned by the desire to direct it to the right development. Because in order for him to develop feelings, it is worth placing him in conditions where exactly these feelings are needed. In the case of swaddling, this is a sense of touch. The kid needs to constantly touch something, whether it be the hands of parents, a toy or a diaper.

What happens if you do not swaddle?

Why start swaddling, if you can not do this? Many young parents immediately use children's sliders and other clothes, so as not to torment themselves and the baby with diapers. They act in terms of benefits for the baby, but everything should be within the reasonable. It is noticed that children, who have been taught from a very early age to sleep without any restrictions, grow restless and irritable. Their sleep becomes intermittent and overly sensitive, they wake themselves up with their restless hands and begin to cry, giving parents a lot of trouble.

When to stop swaddling?

Nevertheless, children's doctors believe that it is necessary to swaddle, and it is necessary to finish when the kid himself "asks" for this, for example, he will cry at night, try to get out of the "cocoon" or turn over. All these signs signal that the baby is growing and is already ready for the fact that he will have his own baby clothes for newborns, in which he will sleep.

Of course, it's impossible to name the exact age of farewell to a diaper, and it can last from 10 days to six months. Young parents about three months are beginning to think about how many months to swaddle a child. But in the end, the kid himself will understand that it is much more comfortable to sleep freely than in this hateful diaper.

How to wean a child from diapers?

The moment when the child starts to sleep properly without swaddling, all parents are waiting impatiently, because they think that with such changes there will come also a sound sleep without constant awakening of all inhabitants of the house. How to disaccustom a child from swaddling, if you feel that the time has come? It must be remembered that in no case can you put it with you too often, because it will be too difficult to wean him to sleep with his parents.

First step. Dismiss from the tight swaddling and go to the free, and then to the sleeping bag and children's clothes.

The second step. Do not swaddle in the afternoon (after three months), let the child get used to the hands. At night, swaddling is weaker and weaker.

The third step. Before falling asleep, swing the baby in his arms, and then move to the crib.

The fourth step. When the time of diapers in the life of the child has passed, do not immediately wear it in clothes, let it sleep under the rug.

Helpful advice

The only thing that parents should know about how to wean a child from swaddling is that everything needs to be done gradually. Yes, the baby will get used to the dream without the touch of tissue, but even this will be a shock to him, which also needs to be experienced somehow.

Mothers and fathers should only wish for zeal, strong sleep and patience in such a difficult matter as disaccustoming oneself from diapers.