How to Swaddle an Older Baby
Swaddling is a technique of securely wrapping a baby in a blanket to help the baby sleep longer and sounder. Swaddling a newborn is like wrapping a burrito since the parent will wrap the whole body except the head. To prevent the baby from unwrapping, the blanket is tucked under the arm. The growth of an older baby will cause his legs to stick out of the blanket; therefore when swaddling an older baby leave the legs, along with the head, outside the blanket.
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Instructions
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Spread the blanket out on a flat surface. Fold the left corner halfway down the blanket.
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Lay the baby down diagonally across the fold. The baby's head should be above the blanket.
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Pull the top center of the fold over the baby's left shoulder, then tuck it underneath your baby's arm.
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Position the baby's left arm covered with the blanket across his body. Tuck the corner underneath the baby's right side.
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Drag the bottom corner of the blanket between the baby's legs and underneath the blanket.
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Repeat the process on the right side.
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Tips & Warnings
One of the benefits of not swaddling an older baby's legs is that you can change the baby's diaper without removing the swaddle, thus increasing the likelihood that your baby will stay fairly sleepy while you change her diaper.
Older babies can be very adept at wriggling free of their swaddles, so you may have to re-swaddle the baby after a nighttime feeding or diaper change. Some, however, only need to be swaddled once to help them fall asleep and then don't need to be re-swaddled if they break free in the middle of the night.
References
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