How to Swaddle a Newborn Safely, Step by Step (and When to Stop)

Swaddle your baby snugly around the chest and arms, loosely around the hips, and always lay them on their back to sleep. Stop swaddling as soon as your baby shows signs of trying to roll over. Canadian guidance puts that at around 2 months for many babies, and sometimes earlier.

The three safety rules

1. Back to sleep, every time. Swaddling isn't safe for a baby on their tummy. Lay your swaddled baby on their back in a crib, cradle or bassinet with a firm mattress and a fitted sheet, and nothing else in it.
2. Snug at the chest, loose at the hips. Your baby should be able to breathe easily and bend their legs up and out to the sides. Legs wrapped straight and tight together is the least healthy position for developing hips.
3. Stop before they can roll. A swaddled baby who rolls onto their tummy can get stuck there, unable to move into a safer position.

How to swaddle with a blanket

A light, breathable blanket like cotton or bamboo muslin works best, because it's easy to fold and less likely to make your baby too warm.

1. Make a diamond. Lay the blanket flat with one corner pointing up. Fold that top corner down a few inches.
2. Place your baby on their back with their shoulders just below the folded edge and their head above it. The blanket should never cover the face or head.
3. Wrap the first side. Hold your baby's right arm straight and gently against their side. Bring the right corner of the blanket across the chest and tuck it under the left side of their body.
4. Fold up the bottom, loosely. Bring the bottom corner up over the feet, leaving plenty of room for the legs to bend and move. Tuck it in at the shoulder or let it rest on the chest.
5. Wrap the second side. Bring the left arm gently down, then wrap the left corner across and tuck it under your baby's back.
6. Check the fit. The blanket should hold the arms snugly without pressing on the chest, and the legs should fall open into a relaxed "frog" position.

If your baby wriggles free often, a loose blanket in the crib is a risk. That's when a zip swaddle is the safer, easier option.

Blanket swaddle or zip swaddle?

Swaddles we carry

• Lulujo Cotton Swaddle 2 Pack ($39.95): 100% cotton muslin, two blankets for swaddling and everyday use.
• Emerson and Friends Bamboo Swaddle Blanket ($62.95): a soft bamboo muslin option.
• Love To Dream Swaddle Up ($44.99): a zip swaddle that holds the arms up by the face instead of down by the sides, with a two-way zip for diaper changes and room at the hips. It's 1.0 TOG cotton.

Prices are in CAD and were current when we wrote this. Choose any zip swaddle or sleep sack by the size chart. Health Canada notes that a baby can slip down inside a sleep sack that's too big.

Keep your baby from getting too warm

Overheating raises the risk of sudden infant death, so a swaddle should replace a blanket, not add to one. Underneath, a simple fitted sleeper or bodysuit is usually enough. Keep the room at a temperature that's comfortable for you, skip hats indoors, and check on your baby often. If they're sweaty or flushed, take a layer off. Our TOG guide matches swaddle and sleep sack warmth to your room temperature.

When to stop swaddling

Stop the first time you see signs your baby is trying to roll, like rocking onto their side or pushing up during tummy time. Don't wait for the first full roll. HealthLinkBC also suggests stopping once your baby is making strong movements on their own, even if they haven't tried rolling yet.

Many families move to a sleeveless sleep sack, some with a step in between. The Love To Dream Swaddle Up Transition Bag ($59.95) has zip-off wings so you can free one arm, then both, and it turns into a sleeveless sleep bag. Our guide to swaddles vs sleep sacks covers the switch in more detail.

Want to see the swaddles in person? Call our Richmond, Burnaby or Ottawa store ahead of your visit and we'll let you know what we have on hand.