Swaddling is the art of snugly wrapping your baby in a blanket for warmth and security. It can keep your baby from being disturbed by his or her own startle reflex, help to calm your baby, and encourage him or her to sleep for longer stretches.

Once your baby is about a month old you might want to stop swaddling during awake times, as it may interfere with your baby's mobility and development. It's fine to keep swaddling your baby for naps and nighttime, though. When your baby's tired of being bundled up, he or she will let you know by crying or kicking.

You probably won't leave the hospital or birth center without a little lesson in this technique. But in case you need it, here's a refresher:

The steps of swaddling

• Lay a swaddling blanket on a flat surface and fold down the top right corner about 6 inches.

• Place your baby on his or her back with his or her head on the fold.

• Pull the corner near your baby's left hand across his or her body, and tuck the leading edge under his or her back on the right side under the arm.

• Pull the bottom corner up under your baby's chin.

• Bring the loose corner over your baby's right arm and tuck it under the back on his or her left side. If your baby prefers to have arms free, you can swaddle him or her under the arms. This gives your baby access to his or her hands and fingers.

For more information, check out our visual guide to swaddling.

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