In the first few months of your baby's life, sucking is likely to be the most frequently used self-calming mechanism. It is not much different then tapping our toes or doodling. Giving your baby a pacifier is the most common way to provide a tool to calm your baby. Unfortunately a pacifier relies on you to put it into your baby's mouth. One belief on teaching your baby ways to "self calm" is to allow or encourage your baby to suck on her hand, thumb or finger. You may have heard stories of friends who had horrible crying spells when the pacifier was lost or the 'wrong' pacifier was the only thing available for the baby to suck. Sucking releases natural calming endorphins in the body. The suck reflex is very important in the nutritional survival of your baby as well. Therefore we know your baby has been sucking long before she was born. It is very natural for them to have been sucking on their tongue, hand, wrist or one of the fingers while they were inside your womb. Now that she is born if your baby likes to suck on her hand or your would like to teach her to be able to self calm without searching for the pacifier, then swaddling her with her hand near her face will allow sucking. At first she may look like she is going to scratch an eye or do other damage, but eventually she will learn hand mouth coordination. By keep her fingernails trimmed, she will be less likely to scratch her face. The Swaddle Keeper closes over the chest, not near the baby's neck or face so swaddling with the arm up is very easy to accomplish.
More tips and tricks in the Newborn Care Video included in the SwaddleKeeper Sleep in a Box, baby sleep system.
Sleep Well, Kim Stolte RN
ps. pardon the use of 'she' throughout my writings... as a mother of 3 boys, I can't help but call all babies girls until proven otherwise.
