Being a first-time mamma is challenging and confusing. It is okay, my dear; we all have been through the same.
I knew the newborn should be wrapped in a swaddling blanket for a few weeks. This makes the baby feel safe and calm outside the womb since they encounter light and noise for the first time. But, the thing I did not know was how many swaddling blankets do I need for those 7 to 8 weeks.
Well, no specific number or rule says that you will need 5 or 10 swaddling blankets. It may depend on how often you do laundry, how long your baby sleeps, and other individual factors.
How Many Swaddling Blankets Do I Need
Often, the shortest answer is three. You will need at least three swaddling blankets for your newborn. One for wrapping the baby while you hold them at the moment, a second one is supposed to be in the laundry, and a third one just to keep it handy.
But as a mom, as a female creature who loves shopping and is so excited to meet the first baby for the first time, you may buy around 10. Consider the time you do laundry and the times your baby may drool and spit, and you will get the right number of swaddling blankets you need.
Having more swaddling blankets has helped me save time and not do laundry often, which is why I recommend having more swaddling blankets for the baby because I understand how tiring being a first-time mamma is.
Precisely, you might need around 4 or 5 swaddling blankets since the baby should be swaddled for 7 to 8 weeks or until they start turning around by themself. But in my case, I had around 8 to 10 swaddling blankets because the baby often spits and poops, so I always had a clean one handy.
Generally, I used traditional swaddle blankets because they were less expensive and pleasant for the skin. Besides, I bought multiple other swaddling blankets because they looked so cute for taking photos of my little one. Among them, I chose 2 to 3 zipper swaddling blankets because of their functionality.
Why did I buy more swaddling blankets than needed?
I cannot share how happy I was when my little one came into this world. The happiness made me focus on baby stuff all the time and occupied me with cute baby clothes, blankets, and accessories. It is okay to spend a few more dollars on cute clothes, even though your baby will wear them once (or never).
Buying a few more swaddling blankets has helped me skip the laundry for at least a day. Plus, not everything goes as planned when you have a newborn who explores the world. The baby cannot tell you when their tummy is full, so you should be prepared for pukes.
Every time my baby would puke, I’d come with a clean swaddling blanket. Having more clean swaddling blankets let me never run out of them. Bibs can help more in this case, though.
Also, I was occupied with the cuteness of my baby, so I took photos of them every single moment they made a new facial expression. The cute cheeks of the baby sleeping look prettier in a colorful swaddling blanket, which is perfect for taking newborn photos.
Read more: How Many Newborn Outfits Do I Need
How many swaddling blankets did I bring to the hospital
Most hospitals may provide you with multiple swaddling blankets for the newborn, but it is always good to have any with you. The most important thing for the swaddling blankets is to be clean and ready for use.
I packed two swaddling blankets when I packed my baby bags for the hospital. However, since you’ll stay in the hospital for only a few days, which depends on your health condition, then you wouldn’t need more swaddling blankets than you planned.
Why did I choose different types of swaddling blankets?
Newborns grow fast. As they grow, they develop cognitive and movement milestones, which is the main reason that made me buy even zipper-swaddling blankets.
The first 4-5 swaddle blankets were traditional and stretchy single-color blankets. They were pretty comfortable for my baby because they were soft, did not put pressure on the baby’s tummy and kept their hands and legs in place.
After the fourth week, I realized that the baby started to move their legs and arms more often than before, which made it difficult to change the diaper. So, I purchased two more zipper blankets because they are highly helpful in changing diapers and socks.
The zipper swaddling blankets I bought also had a place for the arms that let my baby move them a bit during sleep. The zipper was placed in the bottom, making it easier to change diapers without the baby catching things around with their hands.
Besides, I bought a couple of swaddle pods to keep my baby warm during the winter nights. These pods also had a two-way zipper, making the night diaper changes much easier.
In the end, I could not resist buying the patterned swaddles because they were too cute to resist them.
When to stop swaddling the baby?
In my case, I stopped swaddling my baby somewhere in the 8th week. Every baby develops differently, so there is no specific time to remove the swaddling blankets.
To know that, you will notice the baby’s actions and signs telling you it is time to remove the swaddling blanket. When the baby starts rolling by themself, it means you should remove the blanket because they are ready to sleep without it.
So, in most cases, you should stop swaddling the baby in their 8th week.
Also read: How to Organize Baby Clothes
Conclusion
It will be best if there is a 24/7 hotline for first-time moms who have hundreds of questions on their minds. All moms used to be like that, but they got taught by reading short guides and asking others for advice.
If you are still wondering how many swaddling blankets do I need? then as we suggested above – at least 3 and at most 10. Remember to choose between traditional and zipper ones so it’ll be easier for you. I hope my experience has helped you learn more about newborn swaddling blankets and their practicality.
