How to swaddle with arms out?
The reality is that swaddling is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Thankfully, there are different swaddling techniques you can try. One of them is to swaddle with your baby’s arms out. This can be especially helpful with older babies who no longer suffer from the startle reflex, yet still crave the secureness that a swaddle provides to help them sleep.
Swaddling an infant with arms out is simple: prepare your swaddle as you normally would, but instead of aligning the swaddle fold at the shoulders, you need to move to below the armpits. From there, swaddle as you normally would.
How to swaddle with one arm out?
Sometimes swaddling is trial-and-error, and you might find that arms in doesn’t work but neither does arms out. Try doing one arm out instead! This might provide your baby the little bit of wiggle-room freedom they want while still securing them in the swaddle.
If you’re wondering how to swaddle an infant leaving an arm out, it’s simple! Just follow normal swaddling techniques but leave one arm untucked. It might work best to leave out your child’s dominant hand (if you know which one that is yet).
How long can you swaddle a baby at night?
Swaddling at night is completely safe until a child starts to show signs of being able to roll over. Rolling over is a major developmental milestone! It is also a sign that your swaddling baby days are almost over. For most children, they typically start rolling over around 4 months, but it is possible for children to start much sooner. If your little one rolls over while swaddled, not being able to use their arms to roll themselves back, increases their chances of suffocation. Read more about how to transition out of the swaddle when the time comes here.