Before your baby is born, she lives in some rather cramped quarters.
Rather than feeling cramped, however, this close environment makes her feel secure.
When your baby is born, keeping her swaddled will usually be very comforting to her, and help her sleep.
To swaddle your baby, you can use either a blanket especially designed for swaddling, or a simple receiving blanket. Place the blanket on a flat service, with one corner pointing up, approximating a diamond shape. [Baby blankets]
Fold the top corner down about six inches. Lie your baby on the blanket, with her neck at the top of the fold.
Holding her right arm by her side, wrap the left corner of the blanket snugly against her, and tuck it under her body.
Bring the bottom point of the blanket up and tuck it under the corner you just wrapped against her. Holding her left arm by her side, bring the right corner of the blanket up snugly against her and wrap it under her body.
More than one person has noted the resemblance of children so swaddled to baby burritos.
When you swaddle your baby, make sure her face and breathing are not obstructed. Make sure the blanket is comfortably snug, but not too tight. Most importantly, make sure your baby does not overheat.
