Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Swaddling

I know it's a proven fact that babies love to be swaddled, but just looking at those tightly-wrapped little bodies sends me into a panic mode requiring a paper bag to breathe in and out of. Okay, that's not completely true. I've never even tried to breathe using a paper bag. (Incidentally, how does that even work?) BUT I really cannot imagine feeling comforted by having my arms and legs bound and rendered immobile.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2777/4513257197_94596e0ee3_o.png
I personally never got the hang of swaddling, even after three babies. And it had nothing to do with my panic attacks. Thankfully, my husband was a good swaddler, so I let him have the mummifying honors. Of course, now they make swaddling really easy with special blankets and velcro. That would've been helpful for me, I think.

Maybe I should've tried a little harder to improve my swaddling skills. After all, babies seem to love their little cocoons, and Mamas continue to do it century after century. We know that even Mary wrapped Jesus in swaddling clothes. I can't imagine constraining the Baby Messiah's body that way.

I think I need a paper bag . . .

Mama Question: Were you good at swaddling? And did your baby seem to really like it?


3 comments:

Ashlee said...

Our first only liked it fir a few weeks and then he was like, "let me be free!!" we were pretty good at it. Our little girl still lines it at 2 months of age. We had someone give us some of the Velcro swaddlers and they are awesome! I'm wondering if we need to buy a bigger one since she gas to be swaddled to sleep $ is about to be too big for her swaddle sack thing.

Unknown said...

LOVE this. I have always been a bad swaddler, too. Even now, as a newborn photographer, I break out in a sweat when I want to swaddle a baby for a picture. I practice on my daughter's dolls - no lie!

Carrie Bevell Partridge said...

I don't think it even mattered how much I practiced! Glad it's not part of my job. :)