If you are swaddling your baby for the first time you might find that using a regular baby blanket instead of a swaddle blanket can make the process quite a struggle. The experienced hands of caregivers in newborn nurseries or mothers who have swaddled their babies many times make it look easier than it is. The fabric that the blanket is made of also plays a large role in successful swaddling.

Special note about these tips: Lightweight cotton muslin is more comfortable for your newborn and is soft and stretchable – all of which will help make you a master artist in a shorter time. A bigger sized blanket also helps make swaddling less challenging.

Six easy steps to swaddling your baby:

1. Lay your square shaped blanket out on a flat surface in the shape of a diamond.

2. Fold down three or four inches (more or less depending on the size of your baby and the blanket being used) of the top corner of the blanket down towards you like an envelope flap.

3. Place your baby on his/her back on the blanket so that the head is on the envelope flap you folded down.

4. Place your baby’s right hand at his/her side. Pull the right triangular corner of the blanket over the right hand and across the body in a downward angle. Tuck the corner under the left side of his/her back leaving the left arm free.

5. Bring the bottom corner of the blanket up and tuck it inside the blanket near baby’s chest, a safe distance from the chin to prevent suffocation if the blanket came undone.

6. Similarly place baby's left arm by the side. Pull the left corner over the left arm and across the body in a downward angle. Tuck it behind the blanket on his/her back on the opposite side. Always keep the blanket away from your baby’s face. As your baby grows you might want to leave one arm or both free. Swaddling generally stops when your baby is about two or three months old.

You are now a master swaddle artist!

Swaddling Tip: Some parents suggest that swaddling is similar to folding a taco. So if you are a taco lover you should have no problem with swaddling! Keep the blanket snug to prevent your baby from wriggling out, but not so tight as to prevent any movement at all.

If you still find swaddling time consuming and challenging, you might want to look online for swaddling demonstration videos. These videos will show you multiple techniques that work for swaddling in addition to the techniques described in this article.